Records of Jin, Volume 1

【Jin Chronicle, Part 1】 From the year Yiyou (265 CE) to the year Renchen (272 CE), a total of eight years.

Emperor Wu, First Ancestor, First Part, First Year of Taishi (Yiyou, 265 CE)

Spring, third month. Wu ruler Sun Hao dispatched Grand Master of Glorious Light Ji Zhi, Palace Attendant-in-Chief Hong Qiu, along with Xu Shao and Sun Yu to return the visit and present gifts in reply. When Xu Shao reached Ruxu, someone said he praised the virtues of the Central Plain (Cao Wei). The Wu ruler, greatly angered, had him pursued and killed.

Summer, fourth month. Wu changed the reign title to Ganlu.

Fifth month. The Wei emperor (Cao Huan) granted special honors to Jin Prince Wen, Sima Zhao, elevating his consort to queen and his heir apparent to crown prince.

On the Guiwei day, a general amnesty was proclaimed.

Autumn, seventh month. The Wu ruler forced the death of Empress Jing (Sun Xiu's empress, née Zhu) and moved Sun Xiu's four sons to Wu Commandery; shortly thereafter, he killed the two elder ones among them.

Eighth month, on the Xinmao day, Prince Wen Sima Zhao died. His heir apparent, Sima Yan, succeeded him as Chancellor of State and Prince of Jin.

Ninth month, on the Yimao day, a general amnesty was proclaimed.

On the Wuzi day, the Wei Minister of Education He Zeng was appointed Chancellor of Jin; on the Guihai day, General of the Agile Cavalry Sima Wang was appointed Minister of Education.

On the Yihai day, Prince Wen was buried at Chongyang Mausoleum.

Winter, Wu's Inspector of Xiling, Bu Chan, submitted a memorial requesting that the Wu ruler move the capital to Wuchang. The Wu ruler followed his advice and sent Imperial Counselor Ding Gu and Right General Zhuge Liang to guard Jianye. Bu Chan was the son of Bu Zhi.

Twelfth month, on the Renxu day, the Wei emperor abdicated the throne to the Prince of Jin. On the Jiazi day, the Wei emperor left the imperial palace and took up residence at Jinyong City. Grand Tutor Sima Fu went to bid him farewell, grasped the emperor's hand, and wept uncontrollably, saying, "Until the day I die, I shall always be a loyal minister of Great Wei." On the Bingyin day, the Prince of Jin, Sima Yan, ascended the imperial throne, proclaimed a general amnesty, and changed the reign title. On the Dingmao day, he honored the former Wei emperor as Prince of Chenliu and had palaces built for him at Yecheng to reside in; the rituals of favor and honor all followed the precedent of how Cao Wei had treated Emperor Xian of Han at the beginning of its rule. All the princes of the Wei imperial clan were reduced to marquises. He posthumously honored Xuan Wang Sima Yi as Emperor Xuan, Jing Wang Sima Shi as Emperor Jing, and Wen Wang Sima Zhao as Emperor Wen. He honored the Dowager Consort Wang (Sima Zhao's wife) as Empress Dowager. He enfeoffed his grand-uncle Sima Fu as Prince of Anping, his uncles Sima Gan as Prince of Pingyuan, Sima Liang as Prince of Fufeng, Sima Zhou as Prince of Dongguan, Sima Jun as Prince of Ruyin, Sima Rong as Prince of Liang, and Sima Lun as Prince of Langye; his younger brothers Sima You as Prince of Qi, Sima Jian as Prince of Le'an, and Sima Ji as Prince of Yan; and also enfeoffed seventeen others, including his cousin the Minister of Education Sima Wang, as princes. He appointed Shi Bao as Grand Marshal, Zheng Chong as Grand Tutor, Wang Xiang as Grand Protector, He Zeng as Grand Commandant, Jia Chong as General of Chariots and Cavalry, and Wang Shen as General of the Agile Cavalry. The remaining civil and military officials were promoted in rank and title according to their grade. On the Yihai day, he appointed the Prince of Anping, Sima Fu, as Grand Steward and Commander-in-Chief of All Military Affairs. Shortly thereafter, he also appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry Chen Qian as Grand General, and together with the Minister of Education, Prince of Yiyang Sima Wang, and Minister of Works Xun Yi, there were eight dukes established simultaneously. The emperor, seeing the weakness of the Cao Wei imperial house from its isolation, therefore extensively enfeoffed the imperial clan, granting them positions and authority. He also issued an edict that all princes could select and appoint senior officials within their own fiefs. Only the General of the Guard, Prince of Qi Sima You, did not dare to do so and requested that all appointments be made by the court.

An edict was issued to lift the restrictions on members of the Cao Wei imperial clan and to abolish the system requiring commandery troops and senior officials to send hostages.

After succeeding the harsh and extravagant governance of Cao Wei, the emperor wished to correct the ills of the times with benevolence and frugality. The Grand Clerk of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Xu Qi, was the son of Xu Yun. When the emperor was about to offer sacrifices at the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the court discussed that, because Xu Qi's father had been executed, Xu Qi himself should not be allowed near the emperor's person and requested that he be transferred to an external post. The emperor, however, remembering Xu Yun's former reputation and praising Xu Qi's talent, promoted him to Director of the Ministry of Sacrifices. The relevant office reported that the green silk cords used for the oxen drawing the imperial carriage had broken, and the emperor ordered that they be replaced with green hemp cords.

The office of remonstrance was established for the first time, with the Regular Attendants of the Cavalier Attendants Fu Xuan and Huangfu Tao appointed to it. Fu Xuan was the son of Fu Gan. Because the customs of the literati at the end of Wei had declined, Fu Xuan submitted a memorial saying, "Your servant has heard that the former kings governed the world by promoting transformation through education above and encouraging just discussion below. Recently, Emperor Wu of Wei favored legal techniques, and the empire valued the study of punishments and names; Emperor Wen of Wei admired license, and the empire despised those who maintained integrity. Thereafter, the guiding principles were abandoned, and the court was filled with a spirit of indulgence and eccentricity, so that finally there was no just discussion in the empire. Your Majesty, having received the Mandate and ascended the throne, promotes the teachings of Yao and Shun. But you have not yet selected pure and lofty, ritually-minded ministers to strengthen moral integrity, nor have you expelled shallow and frivolous men to warn against disrespectful conduct. It is for this reason that your servant dares to speak these words." The emperor praised and accepted his advice, ordering Fu Xuan to draft an edict to be promulgated, but in the end, it was unable to fully change the prevailing customs.

Originally, in the Han dynasty, the General Who Conquers the West, Sima Jun, gave birth to the Grand Administrator of Yuzhang, Sima Liang; Sima Liang gave birth to the Grand Administrator of Yingchuan, Sima Jun; Sima Jun gave birth to the Governor of the Capital Region, Sima Fang; and Sima Fang gave birth to Emperor Xuan, Sima Yi.

Emperor Wu, First Ancestor, First Part, Second Year of Taishi (Bingxu, 266 CE)

Spring, first month, on the Dinghai day, the former Wei imperial ancestral temple was used to offer sacrifices to the seven tablets from the Lord Who Conquers the West, Sima Jun, down to Emperor Jing, Sima Shi.

On the Xinchou day, the wife of Emperor Jing, Lady Yang, was honored as Empress Jing, residing in the Hongxun Palace.

On the Bingwu day, Lady Yang of Hongnong was established as empress. The empress was the daughter of Yang Wenzong, a Gentleman of the Palace Secretariat under Wei.

The assembled ministers memorialized: "The Five Thearchs are the Celestial Thearch; because the kingly qi changes in different eras, their titles are five. Henceforth, in the Bright Hall and the Southern Suburb sacrifices, the tablets of the Five Thearchs should be abolished." The emperor followed their advice. The emperor was the maternal grandson of Wang Su, and therefore, in the rituals of the suburban sacrifices, the relevant offices mostly followed Wang Su's theories.

Second month. The restrictions on members of the Han imperial clan were lifted.

Third month, on the Wuxu day, Wu sent the Grand Herald Zhang Yan and the Palace Attendant-in-Chief Ding Zhong to offer condolences and sacrifices (for Sima Zhao).

Wu's Regular Attendant of the Cavalier Attendants, Wang Fan of Lujiang, was of noble and upright character and could not flatter or conform to others' expressions. The Wu ruler was displeased, and the Regular Attendant of the Cavalier Attendants Wan Yu and the Secretariat Director Chen Sheng took the opportunity to slander him. When Ding Zhong returned from his mission, the Wu ruler held a great assembly of his ministers. Wang Fan drank heavily and fell prostrate on the ground. The Wu ruler suspected he was feigning drunkenness and had him carried out. After a short while, he had him called back. Wang Fan had always paid attention to his appearance and demeanor, and his actions were still as usual. The Wu ruler, enraged, ordered the attendants to behead him in front of the hall. He then left the palace, ascended Laishan, and had his close attendants throw Wang Fan's head about, as if tigers leaping and wolves tearing, until the skull was shattered.

Ding Zhong advised the Wu ruler, saying, "The north has no defensive or combat preparations; Yiyang can be taken by surprise." The Wu ruler asked the assembled ministers about this. The General of the West, Grand Guardian Lu Kai, said: "The north has only recently annexed Ba and Shu and sends envoys to seek peace. It is not seeking our aid but rather storing up strength and awaiting the opportune moment. The enemy's power is at its peak, and we wish to rely on luck to succeed—I see no benefit in it." Although the Wu ruler did not dispatch troops, from this point he broke off relations with Jin. Lu Kai was a son of a cousin of Lu Xun.

Summer, fifth month, on the Renzi day, the Duke of Boling, Yuan Gong Wang Shen, died.

Sixth month, on the Bingwu day (the last day of the month), a solar eclipse occurred.

During the mourning period for Emperor Wen of Jin, Sima Zhao, officials and subjects all followed the provisional regulations, removing their mourning clothes after three days. After the funeral, the emperor also removed his mourning clothes, but he still wore a white cap and ate coarse food, grieving with sorrow as if he were still in mourning. In autumn, the eighth month, the emperor was about to pay homage at Chongyang Mausoleum. The assembled ministers submitted a memorial, stating that the autumn heat had not yet subsided, and they feared the emperor’s excessive grief might harm his health. The emperor said, “If I can gaze upon the imperial mausoleum, my body will naturally recover.” He also issued an edict: “Emperor Wen of Han did not allow the world to mourn fully, which was also an extremely modest intention of a sovereign. But when about to pay homage at the mausoleum, how can one bear not to wear mourning clothes! Consult among yourselves, so that I may wear mourning clothes when going. The ministers, however, shall follow the old regulations.” The Minister of Works, Pei Xiu, submitted a memorial saying, “Your Majesty has already removed mourning clothes and then put them on again—this has no basis in ritual; if the sovereign wears mourning clothes while the ministers do not, I, your minister, feel uneasy in my heart.” The emperor issued an edict: “What I worry about is whether my grief can reach the proper extent—what do clothes matter! Since you all are so earnest, how can I force myself to go against you?” So the matter was dropped.

The General of the Central Army, Yang Hu, said to Fu Xuan, “The three-year mourning period, even for the Son of Heaven, should be fulfilled—this is ritual propriety, but Emperor Wen of Han abolished it, damaging ritual and harming righteousness. Now the sovereign exhausts filial piety; although he was compelled to remove mourning clothes, he is in fact still carrying out the mourning rites. If we could use this to restore the former kings’ ritual law, would that not be excellent!” Fu Xuan said, “Replacing one day for one month has been the practice for several hundred years; once we restore the ancient system, it will be difficult to implement.” Yang Hu said, “If we cannot make the whole world observe the ritual, at least let the sovereign fulfill the mourning period—is that not also better?” Fu Xuan said, “If the sovereign does not remove mourning clothes while the world removes them, then this becomes only the bond of father and son, without the righteousness of sovereign and minister.” So the matter was dropped.

On the day Wuchen, the assembled ministers submitted a memorial requesting the emperor to change his attire and return to normal diet. The emperor issued an edict: “I constantly think of my ancestors underground, yet I cannot complete the mourning ritual of wearing hemp garments and hemp sashes—I feel deep pain. How much more so when it comes to eating polished rice and wearing brocade clothes! This would only further stir my grief, and is not the way to ease my heart. I originally came from a scholarly family, and have long been trained in the rites—how could I suddenly change this feeling for my father! You have already indulged me enough; you may try to examine Confucius’s reply to Zai Wo, and do not trouble me further!” So the emperor persisted in eating coarse food and wearing plain clothes until the three-year period was completed.

Your servant Sima Guang says: The three-year mourning period, from the Son of Heaven to the common people alike, is a regulation established in the ritual classics of the former kings, a system unchangeable for a hundred generations. Emperor Wen of Han followed his own mind, was unlearned and unskilled, altered the ancient system and damaged ritual, severed the bond of father and son, and impaired the righteousness of sovereign and minister; later sovereigns could not sincerely practice grief, while the assembled ministers flattered and fawned, and none dared to correct it. Until Emperor Wu of Jin, Sima Yan, who alone relied on his natural disposition to rectify and practice it—he can be called a rare and worthy sovereign. Yet Pei Xiu, Fu Xuan, and such were shallow and vulgar ministers, accustomed to routine and attached to old systems, unable to comply with and perfect the sovereign’s virtue—how regrettable!

Wu changed its reign title to Baoding.

The Lord of Wu appointed Lu Kai as Left Chancellor and Wan Yu as Right Chancellor. The Lord of Wu disliked others looking at him; when ministers attended court, none dared to raise their eyes. Lu Kai said, “Between sovereign and minister, there is no principle of not recognizing each other. If suddenly an unexpected event occurs, one would not know where to go.” The Lord of Wu then allowed Lu Kai to raise his head himself, but others remained as before. The Lord of Wu resided in Wuchang; the people of Yangzhou, going against the current to supply goods, suffered great hardship. Added to this, his extravagance knew no bounds, and both public and private resources were depleted. Lu Kai submitted a memorial saying: “Now the four borders have no war; we should devote ourselves to nurturing the people and enriching resources. Yet instead, we indulge in extreme luxury and unrestrained desires. Without natural disasters, the people’s lives are exhausted; without war, the state’s wealth is depleted. I privately grieve over this. In former times, the Han dynasty declined, and three states stood in tripod-like balance. Now the Cao and Liu families have lost the Way, and both have been taken by Jin—this is a clear verification before our eyes. Foolish as I am, I only regret for Your Majesty’s state. The land of Wuchang is dangerous and barren; it is not a place for an emperor to establish his capital. Moreover, a children’s rhyme says: ‘Better drink the water of Jianye, not eat the fish of Wuchang; better return to Jianye and die, than live in Wuchang.’ From this, one can clearly understand the people’s hearts and Heaven’s intent. Now the state has not a year’s reserve; the people harbor scattered resentment; the state shows signs of a shaken foundation; yet officials devote themselves to harsh urgency, and no one shows pity. In the time of Great Emperor Sun Quan, the number of palace women and those engaged in weaving did not exceed one hundred. Since Emperor Jing Sun Xiu, it has reached several thousand—this is a great waste of resources. Moreover, the ministers close to the throne are mostly unsuitable persons, forming cliques to support each other, harming the loyal and burying the worthy—all these damage governance and harm the people. I hope Your Majesty will reduce various corvée labors, abolish harsh and harassing practices, select and release palace women, and purify and select the hundred officials. Then Heaven will rejoice, the people will submit, and the state will be eternally at peace.” The Lord of Wu, though displeased, tolerated him because of his long-standing reputation.

In the ninth month, an edict said: “From now on, even if an edict contains a certain intent, or if a matter has been memorialized and approved, but the circumstances are inconvenient, no one shall conceal the truth.”

On the day Wuxu, the relevant department submitted a memorial: “Great Jin, having received the abdication of Wei, should fully follow the former dynasty’s calendar and ceremonial colors, just as Yu followed the Tang precedent.” The emperor agreed.

Winter, the tenth month, on the day Bingwu, the first day of the month, a solar eclipse occurred.

The bandit Shi Dan of Yong’an, taking advantage of the people’s toil and resentment, gathered several thousand men, kidnapped the Lord of Wu’s younger half-brother, the Marquis of Yong’an, Sun Qian, and rebelled. They marched north to Jianye, their numbers exceeding ten thousand, and camped thirty li from Jianye, choosing an auspicious day to enter the city. They sent a messenger, using Sun Qian’s name, to summon Ding Gu and Zhuge Jing. Ding Gu and Zhuge Jing beheaded the messenger and sent troops to meet them at Niu Tun. Shi Dan’s soldiers had no armor or helmets, and were immediately defeated and scattered. Sun Qian sat alone in his carriage and was captured alive. Ding Gu dared not kill him and reported the matter to the Lord of Wu. The Lord of Wu killed Sun Qian, along with his mother and his younger brother Sun Jun. Previously, an astrologer had said, “Jingzhou has kingly aura; it should attack Yangzhou.” So the Lord of Wu moved the capital to Wuchang. When Shi Dan rebelled, the Lord of Wu thought his plan had succeeded, and sent several hundred men noisily entering Jianye, killing Shi Dan’s wife and children, saying, “The Son of Heaven sends troops from Jingzhou to break the bandits of Yangzhou.”

In the eleventh month, the combined sacrifices to the Round Mound and the Square Mound were begun at the Southern and Northern Altars.

The supervisor of the army of the Shanyang Dukedom was abolished, and its prohibition regulations were revoked.

In the twelfth month, the Lord of Wu returned to the capital Jianye, leaving the queen’s father, the Defender-in-Chief and Supervisor of the Secretariat, Teng Mu, to guard Wuchang. Court officials, because Teng Mu was a noble imperial relative, rather promoted him to speak frankly in remonstrance. The favor of Empress Teng gradually declined from then on. Teng Mu was also transferred to live in Cangwu; although his title was not stripped, it was in fact a banishment. He died of worry on the road. Empress Dowager He often protected Empress Teng. The Grand Astrologer also said that the Central Palace could not be replaced. The Lord of Wu believed in shamans and diviners, so Empress Teng was not deposed. She often lived in the Shengping Palace, providing offerings, and no longer saw the Lord of Wu. Many of the concubines wore the queen’s seal and sash; Empress Teng merely received the court’s congratulatory memorials. The Lord of Wu sent Yellow Gate eunuchs throughout the commanderies and counties, selecting daughters of generals and officials. The daughters of officials with two thousand bushels were reported annually by name, examined at fifteen or sixteen; if they failed the examination, they could then marry. The number of women in the rear palace reached the thousands, and the selection never stopped.

Emperor Wu, First Year of Taishi (Dinghai, 267 AD)

Spring, the first month, on the day Dingmao, the son Sima Zhong was established as Crown Prince. An edict stated: “In recent times, whenever a crown prince was established, a general amnesty was always proclaimed. Now the age is about to become peaceful; we should show the people good and evil, and cut off their hopes of luck. To bend the law and show favor to petty people—I do not adopt this practice!” So no general amnesty was proclaimed.

The Colonel-Director of the Retainers, Li Xi of Shangdang, impeached and submitted a memorial accusing the former Prefect of Lijin, Liu You; the former Minister of Personnel, Shan Tao; the Prince of Zhongshan, Sima Mu; and the Director of the Imperial Secretariat, Wu Gai, of each encroaching upon government rice fields. He requested the dismissal of Shan Tao, Sima Mu, and others from their offices. As Wu Gai had already died, he requested that his posthumous title be downgraded. An edict was issued: “Liu You encroached upon and exploited the common people to deceive the court officials. He shall be interrogated and executed to serve as a warning against the treacherous and fawning. As for Shan Tao and the others, they shall not repeat their offenses, and none shall be pursued further. Li Xi’s aspirations are lofty and he is single-minded in serving the public. In carrying out his official duties, he can be called the ‘Director of Justice’ of the state. Emperor Guangwu once said: ‘Even the noble and powerful restrain themselves to avoid the two Baos.’ Let all officials be clearly admonished to be cautious in their respective duties. The grace of leniency cannot be granted repeatedly!” Sima Mu was the son of the younger brother of Emperor Xuan.

Your servant Sima Guang says: The foundation of governance lies in punishment and reward. If punishment and reward are not clear, how can governance succeed! Emperor Wu of Jin pardoned Shan Tao while praising Li Xi—this was wrong in both punishment and reward. If what Li Xi said was correct, then Shan Tao should not have been pardoned; if what he said was wrong, then Li Xi was unworthy of praise. To praise him for speaking but not adopt his words causes resentment among the subordinates and undermines the authority of the superior—what use is that! Moreover, the four officials were equally guilty. Liu You was executed while Shan Tao and the others were not pursued—this is to avoid punishing the powerful and to apply punishment to the lowly. Can this be called governance! At the beginning of establishing a dynasty, if the foundation of governance is not secured, wanting to pass this on to later generations—is that not difficult!

The emperor appointed Li Xi as Grand Tutor of the Heir Apparent and summoned Li Mi of Qianwei to serve as a Retainer for the Heir Apparent. Li Mi, due to his grandmother’s advanced age, firmly declined, and the emperor agreed. In his dealings with others, Li Mi often openly discussed their gains and losses and sternly reproached them. He often said: “I stand alone in the world, looking at my shadow without a companion; yet the reason I am not afraid is that I harbor no distinctions between myself and others.”

Wu issued a general amnesty and appointed the Right Chancellor Wan Yu to garrison Bqiu.

Summer, sixth month, the Lord of Wu constructed the Zhaoming Palace. Officials of the two-thousand-bushel rank and below all personally entered the mountains to supervise the felling of timber. Large parks were extensively opened, and earthen mounds, towers, and terraces were built to the utmost of skill, with costs in the hundreds of millions. Lu Kai remonstrated, but was not heeded. The Palace Secretary Hua He submitted a memorial, saying: “In the time of Emperor Wen of Han, the realm was at peace, yet Jia Yi still considered it like sleeping atop a pile of kindling with fire beneath. Now the great enemy occupies the Nine Provinces and holds over half the population, intending to scheme with the state for mutual annexation—this is no mere matter of the Princes of Huainan or Jibei of Han times. Compared to Jia Yi’s era, which is more urgent? Now the granaries are empty, and the registered commoners have lost their livelihoods; while the north stores grain and nurtures the people, focusing eastward. Added to this, Jiaozhi has fallen, and Lingnan is shaken; both chest and back are suspicious, and head and tail are beset with troubles—this is a time of distress for the state. If these urgent matters are set aside and efforts are devoted entirely to construction, should an unforeseen incident of war suddenly arise, one would have to abandon tools for building walls and rush to the beacon fires, driving resentful people into facing naked blades—this is the capital that the great enemy relies upon.” At that time, Wu’s customs were extravagant. Hua He further submitted a memorial, saying: “Now affairs are many and labor burdens heavy; the people are impoverished yet customs are extravagant. Various artisans craft useless objects, and women make ornate and lavish adornments, imitating each other, ashamed to be alone in lacking them. Even among the households of soldiers and commoners, they still chase after these customs. Their homes have not a single shi of grain in reserve, yet when they go out, they wear silk and fine clothes. Above, there is no distinction of rank; below, there is a loss of expended resources. To seek sufficiency—how can it be obtained?” The Lord of Wu heeded none of this.

Autumn, seventh month, Wang Xiang was dismissed from office as the Duke of Suiling.

Ninth month, on the day Jiashen, an edict was issued to increase official salaries.

He Zeng was appointed Grand Guardian; the Prince of Yiyang, Sima Wang, was appointed Grand Commandant; and Xun Yi was appointed Minister over the Masses.

The studies of astrology, qi readings, and divination texts were forbidden.

The Lord of Wu appointed Meng Ren as Acting Chancellor, bearing the imperial carriage eastward to the Ming Mausoleum to greet the spirit tablet of his father, Emperor Wen. Palace attendants came and went without cease, inquiring about his daily well-being. Witch doctors claimed to have seen Emperor Wen’s clothing and complexion as in life. The Lord of Wu was both grieved and overjoyed, welcoming and bowing outside the eastern gate. After entering the ancestral temple, three sacrifices were held over seven consecutive days, with various forms of music, song, and acrobatics, entertaining day and night. That year, the Xianbei leader Tuoba Shimoqian was sent back to his state.

First year of the Taishi era of Emperor Wu of Jin (wuzi year, 268 AD)

Spring, first month, on the day Bingxu, Jia Chong and others presented the laws and ordinances they had collated and revised. The emperor personally attended the exposition and had the Palace Secretariat Gentleman Pei Kai read them aloud. Pei Kai was a cousin of Pei Xiu. The Palace Attendant Lu Ting and the Palace Secretariat Gentleman Zhang Hua of Fanyang requested that the articles on capital punishment from the new laws be copied and posted at relay stations to display them to the common people. The emperor agreed. An edict was also issued for the Henan Yin, Du Yu, to formulate regulations for the assessment and promotion or demotion of officials. Du Yu submitted a memorial: “In ancient times, the assessment and promotion or demotion of officials was conducted through deliberation in the mind, not bound by statutes. In later ages, they could not record the long-term and instead pursued minute precision, doubting the mind and trusting the ears and eyes, then doubting the ears and eyes and trusting written documents. The more cumbersome the documents, the more false the officialdom. The assessment system of the Wei dynasty was the surviving intent of Jing Fang; its articles can be said to be extremely detailed, yet it erred in being harsh and petty, departing from the fundamental structure. Thus, it could not be implemented through the ages. How could it compare to clarifying the ancient system of Tang, taking the large and discarding the small, setting aside the detailed and adopting simplicity, making it easy to follow! As for thoroughly investigating the principles of things, being profound and clear about them—this lies in the application of the individual. To set aside the person and rely on law is to harm principle with articles. It would be better to entrust competent officials, each to assess their own subordinates, annually judging the person and stating their merits and faults. Thus, after six years, the responsible superior would compile and verify their evaluations. Those with six assessments of excellence would be promoted by leapfrogging; those with six assessments of inferiority would be dismissed; those with more excellence than inferiority would be employed according to rank; those with more inferiority than excellence would be demoted. In between, where responses are uneven and evaluations have degrees of difficulty, the responsible superior should naturally weigh the relative importance, slightly reducing or lowering the grade, without having to twist the law to exhaust it. If there is favoritism in evaluating excellence or inferiority, not conforming to public opinion, the supervising officials should be dispatched to impeach them accordingly. If superiors and inferiors are allowed to openly tolerate each other’s faults, this would be a great decline in public discussion, and even if there were assessment laws, they would be of no benefit.” The matter was ultimately not implemented.

On the day Dinghai, the emperor plowed the sacred field north of the Luo River.

On the day Wuzi, a general amnesty was granted throughout the empire.

Second month, the Lord of Wu appointed the Left Imperial Secretary Ding Gu as Minister over the Masses and the Right Imperial Secretary Meng Ren as Minister of Works.

Third month, on the day Wuzi, the Empress Dowager Wang passed away. The emperor’s mourning observances fully followed the ancient rites.

Summer, fourth month, on the day Wuxu, the Duke of Suiling, Wang Xiang, died. There were no mixed throngs of condolence guests at his gate. His grand-nephew Wang Rong sighed and said: “The Grand Guardian during the Zhengshi era was not among those skilled in debate; but when occasionally conversing with him, his principles and interests were pure and profound—was this not because his deep virtue concealed his words?”

On the day Jihai, Empress Wenming was buried. The relevant office again submitted a memorial, saying: “After the sacrificial offering of repose, the mourning garments may be removed.” The edict replied: “To receive lifelong deep affection, yet not even repay it with a few years—this is truly unbearable in sentiment.” The relevant office insisted on its request. The edict said: “The concern lies in not being able to exhaust filial piety; there is no need to worry about harming the body through grief. The rites and regulations of former dynasties varied between simplicity and ornamentation. Why must one be bound by the rules of recent times, causing filial piety to be deficient?” The assembled officials repeatedly requested, and only then did the emperor permit it. Yet he still wore a plain cap and ate coarse grains, observing the full three-year mourning period, just as he had for Emperor Wen.

Autumn, seventh month, many meteors fell westward, like rain.

On the day Jimao, the emperor visited Chongyang Mausoleum.

Ninth month, severe floods occurred in the four provinces of Qing, Xu, Yan, and Yu.

Grand Marshal Shi Bao had long been stationed in Huainan, and his prestige and kindness were both notable. Huainan Supervisor of the Army Wang Chen hated him and secretly submitted a memorial claiming that Shi Bao was colluding with the people of Wu. Just as the Wu forces were about to invade, Shi Bao built fortifications and blocked waterways to strengthen his defenses, which aroused the emperor's suspicion. Yang Hu strenuously explained to the emperor that Shi Bao would certainly not do such a thing, but the emperor did not believe him. He then issued an edict stating that Shi Bao had failed to assess the enemy's situation, built fortifications and blocked waters, causing labor and disturbance to the people, and dismissed him from office by letter of dismissal. He sent Prince of Yiyang, Sima Wang, to lead a large army to attack him. Shi Bao recruited a native of Henei, Sun Shuo, as a subordinate. Sun Shuo had previously been on good terms with Prince of Runan, Sima Jun, who was then stationed in Xuchang. When Sun Shuo passed through, he went to visit him. Sima Jun knew that the court had already sent troops to attack Shi Bao and privately told him, "Do not get involved in this disaster!" After Sun Shuo left, he galloped to Shouchun and advised Shi Bao to lay down his arms, walk to the capital pavilion, and await punishment. Shi Bao followed his advice. When the emperor heard of this, his suspicions were dispelled. Shi Bao went to the court to apologize and returned to his residence as the Duke of Leling.

The Wu ruler dispatched troops from Dongguan. In winter, the tenth month, he sent General Shi Ji to enter Jiangxia and Wan Hui to invade Xiangyang. An edict ordered Prince of Yiyang, Sima Wang, to command the central army's infantry and cavalry, twenty thousand men, to station at Longbei as support for these two directions. Just then, the Inspector of Jingzhou, Hu Lie, resisted Shi Ji and defeated him, and Sima Wang led his army back.

The Inspector of Jiaozhou under Wu, Liu Jun, Grand Commander Xiu Ze, and General Gu Rong attacked Jiaozhi three times in succession, but the Grand Administrator of Jiaozhi, Yang Ji, defeated them all. Yulin and Jiuzhen all submitted to Yang Ji. Yang Ji sent Generals Mao Jiong and Dong Yuan to attack Hepu. They fought at Gucheng, heavily defeated the Wu army, killed Liu Jun and Xiu Ze, and the remaining soldiers scattered and fled back to Hepu. Yang Ji submitted a memorial requesting the appointment of Mao Jiong as Grand Administrator of Yulin and Dong Yuan as Grand Administrator of Jiuzhen.

In the eleventh month, Ding Feng and Zhuge Liang of Wu led troops out to Shaobei to attack Hefei. The General of the Pacification of the East, Prince of Runan, Sima Jun, repelled them.

Prince of Yiyang, Sima Wang, was appointed Grand Marshal; Xun Yi, Grand Commandant; and Shi Bao, Minister of Education.

Fifth Year of Taishi (Jichou, 269 AD)

In spring, the first month, the Wu ruler established his son Sun Jin as Crown Prince.

In the second month, Yongzhou, Liangzhou, and Liangzhou were divided to establish Qinzhou, and Hu Lie was appointed Inspector. Before this, Deng Ai had accepted tens of thousands of surrendered Xianbei people and settled them between Yongzhou and Liangzhou, where they lived mixed with the common people. The court feared that over time this would become a disaster. Because Hu Lie had always been renowned in the west, he was sent to govern and pacify them.

Qingzhou, Xuzhou, and Yanzhou suffered from floods.

The emperor had the ambition to destroy Wu. On the day of Renyin, he appointed the Left Deputy Director of the Department of State Affairs, Yang Hu, as Commander of the Military Affairs of Jingzhou, stationed at Xiangyang; the General of the Eastern Expedition, Wei Guan, as Commander of the Military Affairs of Qingzhou, stationed at Linzi; and the General of the Eastern Pacification, Prince of Dongguan, Sima Zhou, as Commander of the Military Affairs of Xuzhou, stationed at Xiapi.

Yang Hu pacified both near and far, greatly winning the hearts of the people along the Yangzi and Han rivers. He treated the people of Wu with sincerity; those who surrendered and wished to leave were allowed to do so. He reduced patrol and garrison soldiers and used them to cultivate over eight hundred qing of fields. When he first arrived, the army had no grain for a hundred days, but by the later period of his tenure, they had accumulated ten years' worth of supplies. When in the army, Yang Hu often wore light fur coats and loose belts, did not don armor, and at the bell pavilion had no more than a dozen attendants.

The Grand Administrator of Jiyin, Wen Li of Baxi, submitted a memorial saying: "The descendants of former Shu Han famous ministers who have been displaced to the Central Plains should be employed according to their abilities to soothe the hearts of the people of Ba and Shu and to make the people of Wu inclined to come." The emperor followed this. On the day of Jiwei, an edict said: "Zhuge Liang, when in Shu Han, exerted his utmost strength and mind. His son Zhuge Zhan faced death for righteousness. His grandson Zhuge Jing should be given an official position according to his abilities." Another edict said: "The Shu Han general Fu Qian and his father died for their lord. The virtue of goodness is the same; how can we make distinctions because of differences between states! Fu Qian's sons, Fu Zhu and Fu Mu, were confiscated as slaves of the government; they should be pardoned and made commoners."

The emperor appointed Wen Li as a Regular Attendant. The former Shu Han Minister of the Department of State Affairs, Cheng Qiong of Jianwei, had always possessed virtue and accomplishments and was deeply friendly with Wen Li. When the emperor heard of his reputation, he asked Wen Li about him. Wen Li replied, "I know this man well, but he is nearly eighty years old. His nature is modest and retiring, and he no longer has ambitions for the current world. Therefore, I did not report him to Your Majesty." When Cheng Qiong heard of this, he said, "Wen Guangxiu can be said to be free from forming factions; this is why I appreciate him."

In autumn, the ninth month, a comet appeared in the Purple Palace.

In winter, the tenth month, Wu issued a general amnesty and changed the reign title to Jianheng.

The emperor enfeoffed his son, Prince Sima Jingdu, as Prince of Chengyang.

Initially, a man from Runan, He Ding, had served as a personal attendant to the Great Emperor of Wu. When the Wu ruler ascended the throne, He Ding submitted a memorial claiming to be an old retainer of the late emperor and requested to return to the palace as an inner attendant. The Wu ruler appointed him as Commander of the Lower Tower, in charge of matters related to buying wine and grain. He then monopolized power and acted tyrannically; the Wu ruler trusted him and entrusted many affairs to him. The Left Chancellor, Lu Kai, reproached He Ding to his face, saying: "Have you ever seen those who served their lord unfaithfully, overturned and disturbed the state’s governance, and ended their lives well? Why do you exclusively engage in wicked deeds, defiling the emperor's sight and hearing! You should reform yourself; otherwise, you will soon meet with unexpected disaster." He Ding deeply resented him. Lu Kai exerted his utmost strength for the state, his loyalty and sincerity came from the heart, and his memorials and reports were straightforward without embellishment. When he became critically ill, the Wu ruler sent the Palace Secretary Dong Chao to ask if he had anything to say. Lu Kai stated: "He Ding cannot be trusted or employed; he should be given an external post. Xi Xi is a petty official who proposed reclaiming fields in Puli; his advice should also not be followed. Yao Xin, Lou Xuan, He Shao, Zhang Ti, Guo Chuo, Xue Ying, Teng Xiu, and my clan brother Lu Xi and Lu Kang—some are pure, loyal, and diligent, others possess outstanding talent and quality—all are excellent ministers of the state. I hope Your Majesty will pay them attention, consult them on current affairs, and enable each to fulfill his loyalty, making up for deficiencies in a thousandth part." He Shao was the grandson of He Qi; Xue Ying was the son of Xue Zong; Lou Xuan was a man of Pei; Teng Xiu was a man of Nanyang. Lu Kai died shortly after. The Wu ruler had always hated his straightforward and remonstrating counsel, and with He Ding’s slanders daily reaching him, after a long time, he actually exiled Lu Kai’s entire family to Jian’an.

The Wu ruler sent Supervisor of the Army Yu Si, General of Southern Prestige Xue Xu, and Grand Administrator of Cangwu, Tao Huang of Danyang, to advance via the Jingzhou route, and Supervisor of the Army Li Xu and Supervisor of the Army Xu Cun to advance via the Jian’an sea route, all to converge at Hepu to attack Jiaozhi.

In the twelfth month, the relevant department submitted a memorial stating that the Eastern Palace’s ceremonial treatment of the two tutors differed in regulation. The emperor said: "Honoring and respecting teachers is to respect the Way and value education. How can it be said that a minister is not a minister! Order the Crown Prince to perform the kneeling bow to them."

Sixth Year of Taishi (Gengyin, 270 AD)

In spring, the first month, Ding Feng of Wu entered the Gu River. The Inspector of Yangzhou, Qian Hong, repelled him.

Wan Hui of Wu returned from Baqiu to Jianye.

In summer, the fourth month, the Left Grand Marshal of Wu, Shi Ji, died. The General of the Pacification of the Army, Lu Kang, was appointed Commander of the Military Affairs of Xiling, Yiling, Yidao, Lexiang, and Gong’an, with his headquarters at Lexiang. Because the Wu ruler’s governance had many faults, Lu Kang submitted a memorial saying: "I have heard that when virtue is equal, the many overcome the few; when strength is equal, the stable overcome the chaotic. This is why the six states were swallowed by Qin and Western Chu was defeated by Han. Now, what the enemy occupies is not just the region west of the Pass or west of the Hong Canal, while our state externally has no allied aid and internally lacks the strength of Western Chu. Various affairs are in decline, and the people are not settled. What the debaters rely on is merely the Yangzi River and high mountains as natural barriers—this is the minor aspect of defending the state, not what the wise prioritize. Whenever I think of this, I cannot sleep at night, patting my pillow, and forget to eat when facing meals. The duty of serving a lord is to remonstrate directly without deceit. I respectfully present the seventeen items of current affairs to be handled in a memorial." The Wu ruler did not adopt them.

Li Xu, because the road to Jian’an was not smooth, killed the guide general Feng Fei and led his army back. Initially, He Ding had once sought a marriage between his son and Li Xu’s daughter, but Li Xu refused, so He Ding accused Li Xu of wrongfully killing Feng Fei and withdrawing the army without authorization. The ruler of Wu executed Li Xu and Xu Cun, along with their families, and also burned Li Xu’s corpse. He Ding also ordered the various generals to each present hunting dogs; one dog was worth as much as several tens of bolts of silk, and the collars and leashes cost ten thousand cash, used to catch rabbits for the kitchen. The people of Wu all blamed He Ding, but the ruler of Wu considered him loyal and diligent, granting him the title of marquis. Lu Kang submitted a memorial saying: "Petty men do not understand principle; their knowledge is shallow. Even if they exhaust their loyalty and fulfill their duty, they are still not worth employing, let alone when their treacherous hearts are deeply rooted and their loves and hates are fickle!" The ruler of Wu did not heed this.

On the wuwu day of the sixth month, Hu Lie attacked the Xianbei chieftain Tufa Shujineng at Wanhu Dui, was defeated, and killed. The commander-in-chief of Yongzhou and Liangzhou military affairs, the Prince of Fufeng, Sima Liang, sent General Liu Qi to rescue him, but Liu Qi hesitated and did not advance. Sima Liang was therefore convicted and demoted to General Who Pacifies the West, while Liu Qi was to be executed. Sima Liang submitted a statement saying: "The fault in command and direction lies with me; I beg to spare Liu Qi’s life." The imperial edict said: "If the guilt does not lie with Liu Qi, then there must be someone else." Thereupon, Sima Liang was dismissed from office. The court sent the Minister of Works, Shi Jian of Leling, acting as General Who Pacifies the West, in command of Qinzhou military affairs, to attack Tufa Shujineng. Tufa Shujineng’s forces were strong; Shi Jian ordered the Inspector of Qinzhou, Du Yu, to lead troops to attack him. Du Yu believed that the enemy, riding on their victory, had fat horses, while the imperial army had come from afar and lacked provisions; it was necessary to concentrate on transporting fodder and grain and wait until spring to advance and attack. Shi Jian submitted a memorial accusing Du Yu of delaying military supplies, sent him in a prisoner’s cart to the Commandant of Justice, and he was dealt with by redemption of crime. Subsequently, Shi Jian attacked Tufa Shujineng but ultimately could not defeat him.

In autumn, on the yisi day of the seventh month, the Prince of Chengyang, Sima Jingdu, died.

On the dingwei day, the Prince of Runan, Sima Jun, was appointed General Who Pacifies the West, commander-in-chief of Yongzhou, Liangzhou, and other provinces’ military affairs, to garrison Guanzhong.

In winter, in the eleventh month, the emperor’s son, Sima Dong, was established as the Prince of Runan.

The ruler of Wu, Sun Hao’s cousin, former General Sun Xiu, served as the commander of Xiakou. The ruler of Wu hated him, and among the people, there were rumors that Sun Xiu would be assassinated. It happened that the ruler of Wu sent He Ding to lead five thousand soldiers to hunt at Xiakou. Sun Xiu, in terror, fled by night with his wife and several hundred personal guards. In the twelfth month, the imperial court appointed Sun Xiu as General of Agile Cavalry, with the privilege of opening a separate office and the same ceremonial as the Three Dukes, and enfeoffed him as the Duke of Huiji.

That year, Wu issued a general amnesty.

Initially, the Wei people had settled the five divisions of the Southern Xiongnu in the commanderies of Bingzhou, intermingling with the Han Chinese; they claimed their ancestors were grandsons of the Han dynasty through maternal lines, and thus changed their surname to Liu.

The First Year of the Taishi Era of Emperor Shizu Wuhuang Shang (Xinmao, AD 271)

Spring, in the first month, the Xiongnu Right Virtuous King Liu Meng rebelled and fled beyond the frontier.

The Inspector of Yuzhou, Shi Jian, was convicted for falsely reporting the number of heads when attacking Wu forces. The imperial edict said: "Shi Jian, as a high minister, is someone I trust, yet he dared to collude deceitfully with his subordinates—does this accord with righteousness! Now he is sent back to his hometown, never to be employed again in his lifetime."

A Wu man, Diao Xuan, fabricated a prophecy saying: "A yellow banner and purple canopy appear in the southeast; the one who ultimately possesses the empire is the ruler of Jingzhou and Yangzhou." The ruler of Wu, Sun Hao, believed it. On the last day of this month, he launched a great expedition from Huali, carrying the Empress Dowager, the Empress, and several thousand palace women, proceeding west from Niu Zhu. The Director of the Eastern Observatory, Hua He and others, strongly remonstrated, but Sun Hao did not listen. On the march, they encountered heavy snow; the roads were destroyed, and the soldiers, wearing armor and bearing weapons, pulled one cart with a hundred men, freezing nearly to death. They all said: "If we encounter the enemy, we will turn our weapons around." When the ruler of Wu heard this, he finally returned. The emperor sent the Prince of Yiyang, Sima Wang, to lead twenty thousand central army troops and three thousand cavalry to garrison Shouchun as a precaution. When he heard that the Wu army had withdrawn, he disbanded the forces.

On the bingxu day of the third month, the Duke of Julu, Pei Xiu, died.

Summer, in the fourth month, the Inspector of Jiaozhou of Wu, Tao Huang, attacked the Administrator of Jiuzhen, Dong Yuan, and killed him. Yang Ji sent his subordinate general Wang Su to replace Dong Yuan.

The Northern Di Xiongnu invaded Jincheng. The Inspector of Liangzhou, Qian Hong, attacked them. All the various Hu tribes rebelled from within and, together with Shujineng, surrounded Qian Hong at Qingshan. Qian Hong’s army was defeated, and he died.

Initially, the Grand Marshal Chen Qian said to the emperor: "Hu Lie and Qian Hong are both brave but without strategy, and are self-willed. They are not the right men to pacify the borders; they will bring disgrace to the state." At that time, Qian Hong was Inspector of Yangzhou and repeatedly disobeyed Chen Qian’s orders. The emperor thought that Chen Qian was slandering him due to discord with Qian Hong, so he summoned Qian Hong. After arriving at the capital, he was soon appointed Inspector of Liangzhou. Chen Qian sighed privately, believing that he would certainly fail. The two men indeed lost the support of the Qiang and Rong peoples, were defeated and killed, and the campaigns continued for years before they were barely pacified. The emperor then regretted his decision.

In the fifth month, the emperor’s son, Sima Xian, was established as the Prince of Chengyang.

On the xinchou day, the Prince of Yiyang, Sima Wang, died.

The Palace Attendant, Minister of the Chancellery, and General of Chariots and Cavalry, Jia Chong, had been favored and entrusted with affairs since the time of Emperor Wen. When the emperor was still the heir apparent, Jia Chong had exerted considerable effort on his behalf, so he was even more favored and trusted by the emperor. Jia Chong was clever at flattery and sycophancy. He formed a clique with the Grand Commandant and Acting Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, Xun Yi; the Palace Attendant and Director of the Palace Secretariat, Xun Xu; and the Colonel of the Elite Cavalry, Feng Dan of Anping. Both inside and outside the court detested them. The emperor asked the Palace Attendant, Pei Kai, about the gains and losses of current governance. Pei Kai replied: "Your Majesty received the mandate and ascended the throne, and all within the seas submit. The reason you have not yet equaled the virtue of Yao and Shun is only because men like Jia Chong still remain at court. You should summon the worthy men of the empire to jointly promote the Way of governance, and not show partiality to private interests." The Palace Attendant, Ren Kai of Le’an, and the Intendant of Henan, Yu Chun of Yingchuan, were both at odds with Jia Chong. Jia Chong wanted to remove them from their positions close to the emperor, so he recommended Ren Kai as loyal and suitable for service in the Eastern Palace. The emperor appointed Ren Kai as Junior Tutor to the Heir Apparent, but he retained his post as Palace Attendant. It happened that Shujineng was causing disturbances in Qin and Yong provinces, and the emperor was worried about this. Ren Kai said: "A senior minister with prestige and wisdom should be sent to pacify and control the region." The emperor said: "Who is suitable?" Ren Kai then recommended Jia Chong, and Yu Chun also praised him. In autumn, on the guiyou day of the seventh month, Jia Chong was appointed commander-in-chief of Qin and Liang provinces’ military affairs, while retaining his posts as Palace Attendant and General of Chariots and Cavalry. Jia Chong was deeply troubled by this.

The Grand Commander of Wu, Xue Xu, together with Tao Huang and others, led a hundred thousand troops to jointly attack Jiaozhi. The city ran out of provisions and reinforcements were cut off, so it fell to Wu forces. Yang Ji, Mao Jiong, and others were captured. Tao Huang admired Mao Jiong’s bravery and vigor and wanted to spare his life, but Mao Jiong plotted to kill Tao Huang, so Tao Huang killed him. Xiu Ze’s son, Xiu Yun, cut open Mao Jiong’s belly while he was still alive, tore out his liver, and said: "Can you still be a bandit?" Mao Jiong still cursed, saying: "I regret not being able to kill your Sun Hao; what is your father? Nothing but a dead dog!" Wang Su wanted to flee back to Nanzhong, but was captured by Wu men. Jiuzhen and Rinan both surrendered to Wu. Wu issued a general amnesty and appointed Tao Huang as Governor of Jiaozhou. Tao Huang campaigned against and subdued the Yi and Lao tribes, and the entire province was pacified.

On the bingshen day of the eighth month, the Prince of Chengyang, Sima Xian, died.

Four commanderies in the southern part of Yizhou were separated to establish Ningzhou.

In the ninth month, the Minister of Works of Wu, Meng Ren, died.

Winter, on the dingchou day of the tenth month, a solar eclipse occurred.

In the eleventh month, Liu Meng invaded Bingzhou. The Inspector of Bingzhou, Liu Qin, and others defeated him.

Jia Chong was about to depart for his garrison post when the ministers and officials saw him off at the Xiyang Pavilion. Jia Chong privately sought advice from Xun Xu, who said, "You, sir, are the Prime Minister, yet you are controlled by one man—is this not utterly contemptible? However, this departure is indeed difficult to decline. Only by forming a marriage alliance with the Heir Apparent can you remain without needing to decline." Jia Chong asked, "Then who can entrust this matter?" Xun Xu replied, "Allow me to speak of it." He then said to Feng Dan, "If Jia Gong goes far away, we will lose our influence. The Heir Apparent's marriage has not yet been settled. Why not urge the Emperor to marry Jia Gong's daughter?" Feng Dan agreed. Initially, the Emperor intended to marry Wei Guan's daughter as the Heir Apparent's consort. Jia Chong's wife, Guo Huai, bribed the attendants of Empress Yang to have the Empress persuade the Emperor, requesting that he marry Jia Chong's daughter. The Emperor said, "Duke Wei's daughter has five merits; Duke Jia's daughter has five faults: the Wei clan is virtuous and has many sons, beautiful, tall, and fair; the Jia clan is jealous and has few sons, ugly, short, and dark." The Empress insisted on her request. Xun Yi, Xun Xu, and Feng Dan all praised Jia Chong's daughter as exceptionally beautiful and endowed with talent and virtue, so the Emperor consented. Jia Chong was retained and restored to his original office.

In the twelfth month, the Guanglu Zheng Mao was appointed Sikong, but he firmly declined and did not accept.

In this year, the Duke of Anle, Liu Shan (the late Shu emperor), died.

Wu appointed the Governor of Wuchang, Fan Shen of Guangling, as Grand Commandant. The Right General Sima Ding Feng died.

Wu changed the next year's reign title to Fenghuang.

In the eighth year of the Taishi reign period (renchen year, AD 272), spring, first month, the Army Supervisor He Zhen attacked Liu Meng, defeating him multiple times. He secretly used bribes to entice Liu Meng's Left Chieftain Li Ke, who killed Liu Meng and surrendered.

In the second month, on the xinmao day, the Heir Apparent married Lady Jia. Lady Jia was fifteen years old, two years older than the Heir Apparent. She was jealous and full of cunning and deceit. The Heir Apparent both favored and feared her.

On the renchen day, Anping Xianwang, Sima Fu, died at the age of ninety-three. Sima Fu's nature was loyal and cautious. When Emperor Xuan was in power, Sima Fu often withdrew and restrained himself. Later, during the events of deposing and establishing emperors, he never participated in the planning. Because of Sima Fu's seniority, Emperors Jing and Wen did not dare to pressure him. When the current Emperor ascended the throne, the favor and respect shown to him were especially generous. At the New Year's court assembly, an edict allowed Sima Fu to ride in a carriage to the hall, and the Emperor greeted and bowed to him at the eastern steps. After he was seated, the Emperor personally offered him a toast, following the rites of a family member. Whenever the Emperor bowed, Sima Fu knelt to stop him. Although Sima Fu was honored and favored, he did not consider it glorious and often wore a worried expression. On his deathbed, he left a testament saying: "I, a steadfast scholar of Wei, Sima Fu of Henei, styled Shuda, have not imitated Yi Yin, nor the Duke of Zhou, nor Bo Yi, nor Liuxia Hui. I have established myself and followed the Way, consistent from beginning to end. I should be buried in seasonal clothes, with a plain coffin." An edict granted him the Dongyuan Wenming ritual vessels, and all procedures followed the precedents of Han's Dongping Xianwang. His family followed Sima Fu's testament and did not use any of the bestowed items.

The Emperor discussed state affairs with the Right General Huangfu Tao. Huangfu Tao argued with the Emperor. The Sanqi Changshi Zheng Hui submitted a memorial requesting punishment for him. The Emperor said, "Loyal and upright words are only feared not to be heard. Zheng Hui overstepped his office and submitted a false memorial—how could this be my intention!" He then dismissed Zheng Hui from his post.

In summer, the Baima Hu of Wenshan raided various tribes. The Governor of Yizhou, Huangfu Yan, wanted to punish them. The Dianxue Congshishu, He Lü of Shu Commandery, and others advised him, saying: "The Hu and Yi people slaughtering each other is their usual nature, not a major calamity. Now, if we send troops in the height of summer, the rains will come, and there will surely be epidemics. We should wait until autumn or winter to plan." Huangfu Yan did not listen. A Hu man named Kang Muzi burned incense and said the campaign would surely fail. Huangfu Yan considered this as undermining morale and killed him. When the army reached Guanban, the Yamen commander Zhang Hong and others, fearing the difficult mountain roads of Wenshan and the large number of Hu, rebelled at night, killed Huangfu Yan, and threw the army into panic. The Bingcao Congshishu, Yang Cang of Qianwei, fought to the death and was killed. Zhang Hong then falsely accused Huangfu Yan, saying "he led his own men to rebel," hence they killed him, and sent his head to the capital. Huangfu Yan's Zhubu, He Pan of Shu Commandery, who was in mourning for his mother, heard of this, went to Luoyang, and testified that Huangfu Yan had not rebelled. Zhang Hong and his followers looted and plundered. The Guanghan Zhubu, Li Yi, said to the Grand Administrator of Guanghan, Wang Jun of Hongnong, "Marquis Huangfu was a scholar—what reason would he have to rebel? Moreover, Guanghan is adjacent to Chengdu but belongs to Liangzhou. This is how the court intends to control the strategic points of Yizhou, precisely to prepare for such an incident. Now that Yizhou is in turmoil, it is our commandery's concern. Zhang Hong is a petty scoundrel, not supported by the people. We should immediately attack him and not miss the opportunity." Wang Jun wanted to first report to the court for instructions. Li Yi said, "Those who kill their superior are the worst of villains. We should act outside normal regulations—what is there to report?" Wang Jun then raised troops to attack Zhang Hong. An edict appointed Wang Jun as Governor of Yizhou. Wang Jun attacked Zhang Hong, killed him, and exterminated his three clans. He was enfeoffed as Guan Nei Hou.

Initially, Wang Jun served as Yang Hu's Canjun, and Yang Hu knew him well. Yang Hu's nephew, Yang Ji, said to Yang Hu, "Wang Jun's character is ambitious and extravagant; he should not be given full authority, and some restraint is necessary." Yang Hu said, "Wang Jun has great talent, which he will use to fulfill his ambitions. He can certainly be employed." He later transferred him to be Cheqi Congshizhonglang. In Yizhou, Wang Jun established a clear reputation for authority, and many of the Man and Yi tribes submitted to him; he was soon promoted to Danong. At that time, the Emperor secretly planned with Yang Hu to attack Wu. Yang Hu believed the attack should rely on the momentum from the upper reaches and secretly submitted a memorial to retain Wang Jun as Governor of Yizhou again, ordering him to train a navy. Soon, Wang Jun was given the additional title of Longxiang General and placed in charge of the military affairs of Yi and Liang provinces.

An edict ordered Wang Jun to disband the garrison troops and build large numbers of ships. The Biejia He Pan considered: "The garrison troops are no more than five or six hundred men. Shipbuilding cannot be completed quickly; the later ships will not be finished before the earlier ones rot. We should conscript soldiers from various commanderies, totaling over ten thousand men, to build them, and the work can be completed by year's end." Wang Jun wanted to first report and await approval. He Pan said, "If the court suddenly hears of conscripting ten thousand soldiers, it will certainly not permit it. It is better to conscript directly. If the order is later rejected, the work will already be done, and the momentum cannot be stopped." Wang Jun followed his advice and ordered He Pan to oversee the construction of ships and weapons. They built great ships, one hundred and twenty paces long, capable of holding over two thousand men. They built wooden walls on them, erected lookout towers, opened four gates, and horses could ride back and forth on the decks. At that time, the wood shavings from shipbuilding covered the river surface as they floated downstream. Wu Yan, the Grand Administrator of Jianping in Wu, gathered the shavings and reported to the Wu ruler, saying, "Jin must have plans to attack Wu. We should increase the troops at Jianping to block the strategic routes." The Wu ruler did not listen. Wu Yan then set up iron chains to block the river crossing.

Although Wang Jun received the court's orders to recruit soldiers, he did not have a tiger tally. The Grand Administrator of Guanghan, Zhang Xiao of Dunhuang, arrested Wang Jun's Congshi and reported it. The Emperor summoned Zhang Xiao back to the capital and reprimanded him, saying, "Why did you arrest the Congshi without first sending a secret memorial?" Zhang Xiao said, "The regions of Shu and Han are extremely remote. Liu Bei once took advantage of this situation. Directly arresting him, I still considered it too lenient." The Emperor considered his words correct.

On the renchen day, a general amnesty was proclaimed.

In autumn, the seventh month, Jia Chong was appointed Sikong, retaining his positions as Shizhong, Shangshu Ling, and commander of troops as before. Jia Chong and the Shizhong Ren Kai both enjoyed the Emperor's favor and trust. Jia Chong wanted to monopolize prestige and power and was wary of Ren Kai. Consequently, the court officials formed factions and cliques, each supporting one side, leading to disputes. The Emperor knew of this, summoned Jia Chong and Ren Kai to a banquet at the Shigan Hall, and said, "The court should be unified, and high ministers should be harmonious." Jia Chong and Ren Kai each bowed in thanks. Afterward, because the Emperor knew but did not reprimand them, Jia Chong and Ren Kai became even more unbridled. Outwardly they respected each other, but inwardly their resentment deepened. Jia Chong then recommended Ren Kai to be Libu Shangshu. Ren Kai's opportunities to attend court gradually diminished. Jia Chong, together with Xun Xu and Feng Dan, then took the opportunity to slander him. As a result, Ren Kai was accused of a crime and dismissed from office, remaining at home.

In the eighth month, the Wu ruler summoned the Zhaowu General and Governor of Xiling, Bu Chan. Bu Chan's family had served in Xiling for generations. Suddenly summoned, he feared losing his position and also feared slander. In the ninth month, he occupied the city and surrendered to Jin, sending his elder brother's sons, Bu Ji and Bu Xuan, to Luoyang as hostages. An edict appointed Bu Chan as Commander of the Military Affairs of Xiling, Wei General, Kaifu Yitong Sansi, Shizhong, concurrently Governor of Jiaozhou, and enfeoffed him as Duke of Yidu.

In winter, the tenth month, on the day Xinsi (the first day of the month), a solar eclipse occurred.

Dunhuang Grand Administrator Yin Qu died. Liangzhou Inspector Yang Xin submitted a memorial requesting that Dunhuang Magistrate Liang Cheng be appointed concurrently as Grand Administrator. The Merit Officer Song Zhi arbitrarily deposed Liang Cheng and submitted a memorial requesting that Gentleman-Consultant Linghu Feng be made Grand Administrator. Yang Xin sent troops to punish him, but they were defeated by Song Zhi.

In the state of Wu, Lu Kang, upon hearing of Bu Chan’s rebellion, urgently dispatched Generals Zuo Yi and Wu Yan to punish him. The Emperor sent Jingzhou Inspector Yang Zhao to Xiling to welcome Bu Chan, while Chariot and Cavalry General Yang Hu led infantry to advance on Jiangling, and Badong Army Supervisor Xu Yin led a naval force to attack Jianping, in order to rescue Bu Chan. Lu Kang ordered the various armies at Xiling to build strong defensive walls, from Red Creek to Old Market, to besiege Bu Chan from within and resist the Jin forces from without, pressing the work day and night as if the enemy had already arrived, causing great hardship to the officers and soldiers. The various generals remonstrated, saying: “Now we should take advantage of the army’s sharp momentum to launch a swift attack on Bu Chan. By the time the Jin relief forces arrive, we are certain to take the city. Why build walls and waste the strength of the soldiers and people?” Lu Kang said: “This city is both strategically formidable and well-stocked with provisions. Moreover, all the defensive equipment was planned by me in the past. Now to attack it in turn cannot succeed quickly. The northern enemy will arrive while we are unprepared, and we will be caught between external and internal foes—how can we defend ourselves?” All the generals wanted to attack Bu Chan, and Lu Kang, wishing to convince them, allowed them to make one assault. It indeed proved fruitless. The defensive walls were just completed when Yang Hu’s fifty thousand troops arrived at Jiangling. All the generals believed that Lu Kang should not go upstream. Lu Kang said: “The defenses of Jiangling are strong and its troops are sufficient; there is nothing to worry about. Even if the enemy takes Jiangling, they certainly cannot hold it, and the loss would be minor. But if the Jin forces seize Xiling, then the various barbarian tribes in the Southern Mountains will all be stirred up, and the disaster would be incalculable!” He then personally led his troops and hurried to Xiling.

Earlier, because the terrain north of Jiangling was flat, Lu Kang had ordered Jiangling Commander Zhang Xian to build a large dam to impound water, gradually flooding the flatlands to block enemy incursions and rebellions. Yang Hu intended to use the impounded water to transport grain by boat, and he publicly announced that he would breach the dam to allow his infantry to pass. When Lu Kang heard this, he ordered Zhang Xian to quickly destroy the dam. All the generals were puzzled and repeatedly advised against it, but he did not listen. When Yang Hu reached Dangyang and heard that the dam had been destroyed, he had to resort to using carts to transport grain, expending great amounts of manpower and resources.

In the eleventh month, Yang Zhao arrived at Xiling. Lu Kang ordered Gong’an Commander Sun Zun to follow the southern bank to resist Yang Hu, Naval Commander Liu Lü to resist Xu Yin, and personally led the main army to rely on the defensive walls against Yang Zhao. General Zhu Qiao’s Camp Commander Yu Zan deserted to Yang Zhao’s side. Lu Kang said: “Yu Zan is a veteran officer of the army and knows our strengths and weaknesses. I have often worried that the barbarian troops are not regularly trained. If the enemy attacks the walls, they will certainly strike here first.” That night, he replaced the barbarian troops with elite soldiers to guard the position. The next day, Yang Zhao indeed attacked the place originally defended by the barbarian troops. Lu Kang ordered a counterattack, and arrows and stones fell like rain, with Yang Zhao’s forces suffering a continuous stream of dead and wounded. In the twelfth month, Yang Zhao, having exhausted his strategies, fled by night. Lu Kang wanted to pursue him but feared that Bu Chan might take advantage of the opportunity with his rested troops, and that his own forces were insufficient to divide. He therefore merely beat the drums to alert the troops, as if about to pursue. Yang Zhao’s troops, terrified, all shed their armor and fled. Lu Kang sent light troops in pursuit, and Yang Zhao’s army suffered a great defeat. Yang Hu and the others all withdrew their forces. Lu Kang then captured Xiling, executed Bu Chan and several dozen of his fellow conspirators among the generals and officials, exterminating their three clans. The remainder, numbering several tens of thousands, he petitioned to pardon. Lu Kang returned east to Lexiang, his face showing no signs of pride, and he remained as humble and composed as usual. The Lord of Wu appointed Lu Kang as Commander-in-Chief. Yang Hu was demoted to General Who Pacifies the South, and Yang Zhao was stripped of his rank and made a commoner.

After capturing Xiling, the Lord of Wu believed he had Heaven’s aid and became even more ambitious. He ordered the shaman Shang Guang to divine about seizing the empire. The response said: “Auspicious. In the year gengzi, the green canopy will enter Luoyang.” The Lord of Wu was delighted and ceased to cultivate virtuous governance, devoting himself solely to plans of annexation.

Jia Chong was feasting with court officials when Henan Yin Yu Chun, drunk, quarreled with Jia Chong. Jia Chong said: “Your father is old, yet you do not return home to support him—you truly have no Heaven or Earth!” Yu Chun replied: “Where is the Duke of Gaogui?” Jia Chong, both ashamed and angry, submitted a memorial requesting resignation. Yu Chun also submitted a memorial impeaching himself. An edict dismissed Yu Chun from office but still referred him to the Five Bureaus to assess his conduct. Shi Bao considered that Yu Chun, coveting office, had forgotten his parents, and ought to be removed from the rolls. The Prince of Qi, Sima You, and others held that Yu Chun had not violated the rites. The edict followed Sima You’s opinion and reappointed Yu Chun as Libationer of the National University.

When the Lord of Wu made his excursion to Huali, the Right Chancellor Wan Yu, together with the Right Grand Marshal Ding Feng and Left General Liu Ping, secretly plotted, saying: “If he goes to Huali and does not return, the affairs of state are important, and we cannot but take matters into our own hands and return.” The Lord of Wu heard something of this, but because Wan Yu and the others were old ministers, he concealed his anger and did not act. That year, during a feast, the Lord of Wu gave poisoned wine to Wan Yu. The server secretly reduced the poison. He also gave poisoned wine to Liu Ping, who discerned it and took another antidote, managing not to die. Wan Yu committed suicide. Liu Ping, worried and angry, died just over a month later. Wan Yu’s sons and younger brothers were exiled to Luling.

Earlier, Wan Yu had requested that loyal and incorruptible men be selected to fill the positions of close attendants. The Lord of Wu appointed Grand Minister of Agriculture Lou Xuan as Controller of the Palace, in charge of palace affairs. Lou Xuan rectified himself and led his subordinates, abiding by the law, and his responses were sincere and forthright, which gradually displeased the Lord of Wu. The Palace Secretary and concurrently Grand Tutor to the Heir Apparent, He Shao, submitted a memorial remonstrating, saying: “In recent years, court officials have been in disorder, true and false mixed together. Loyal and good men are pushed aside and fall, while faithful ministers are harmed. For this reason, upright men conceal their sharp edges, and mediocre officials become sycophantic and flattering, speculating on intentions and currying favor, each pursuing current fashion. Everyone holds perverse opinions, each utters deceitful and improper words, thus muddying the clear stream and causing loyal ministers to fall silent. Your Majesty dwells above the nine heavens, hidden within the hundred-mile chamber. When a word is uttered, it is like wind bending the grass; when an order is given, it is like a shadow following the form. If you favor and trust flattering ministers and daily hear pleasing words, you will think these men are truly worthy and the empire is at peace. I have heard that a ruler who revives his state delights in hearing of his faults; a ruler who brings chaos to his state delights in hearing praise. One who hears of faults sees them daily disappear, and fortune arrives; one who hears praise sees it daily diminish, and disaster comes. Your Majesty uses harsh punishments to forbid straight talk, banishes good officers to block the mouths of remonstrance, and acts rashly over a cup of wine, so that life and death are uncertain. Those in office consider resignation fortunate; those in positions consider leaving a blessing. This is truly not the way to preserve and glorify the great enterprise, or to promote the Way and its teachings. He Ding was originally a menial servant, without personal virtue or ability, yet Your Majesty delights in his flattery and entrusts him with power and favor. A petty man seeking advancement will certainly offer cunning profits. Recently, He Ding, beside himself, has initiated corvée labor, conscripting the garrison troops along the river to drive out deer, so that the old and weak suffer hunger and cold, and all classes groan in resentment. The Zuo Commentary says: ‘When a state is about to flourish, it regards its people as infants; when it is about to perish, it regards them as weeds and grass.’ Now laws and punishments are increasingly harsh, taxes and levies grow heavier, eunuchs and close officials stir up trouble everywhere, and the local officials, fearing punishment, torment the people to fulfill their tasks. Thus human strength cannot bear the burden, households scatter, and the cries of lament and sighing wound the harmonious qi. Now the state has not a year’s reserves, the people have not a month’s savings, yet within the rear palaces there are over ten thousand who eat without working. Moreover, the northern enemy is watching us, spying on the state’s vigor or decline. The barrier of the Yangzi cannot be relied upon forever. If we cannot hold it firmly, a raft of reeds can cross it. I hope Your Majesty will consolidate the foundation and strengthen the root, set aside private feelings and follow the Way, then the reigns of Cheng and Kang may be revived, and the heritage of the sage ancestors will flourish!” The Lord of Wu was extremely angered by this.

Consequently, those close to him together falsely accused Lou Xuan and He Shao of meeting, stopping their carriage, whispering together, and laughing loudly, slandering the government. Both were interrogated. Lou Xuan was sent to Guangzhou, and He Shao was pardoned and restored to his post. Later, Lou Xuan was further exiled to Jiaozhi, where he was eventually killed. After a long time, He Ding’s wickedness and corruption were exposed, and he too was executed.

After returning from Jiangling, Yang Hu devoted himself to cultivating virtue and upholding faith in order to win over the people of Wu. Whenever the two sides engaged in battle, he would set a date before opening hostilities and never employed surprise attacks. If any of his generals or officers wished to propose a deceitful scheme, he would have them drink strong wine until they could not speak. When Yang Hu’s troops marched through Wu territory and cut down rice for military provisions, he would calculate the amount taken and send silk as compensation. Whenever he held joint hunting gatherings along the Yangtze and Han Rivers, he would always confine them to Jin territory. If any game was first wounded by Wu hunters but then captured by Jin soldiers, he would return it to the Wu people. Consequently, the people along Wu’s border were sincerely won over. Yang Hu and Lu Kang faced each other across the border, and envoys frequently traveled between them. When Lu Kang sent wine to Yang Hu, Yang Hu drank it without suspicion. When Lu Kang fell ill and asked Yang Hu for medicine, Yang Hu sent him prepared remedies, and Lu Kang took them immediately. Many advised Lu Kang against this, but Lu Kang said, “How could there be a Yang Shuzi who would harm others with poisoned wine?” Lu Kang warned his border guards, “They specialize in virtuous deeds, while we specialize in cruel acts. This means we will be subdued without a battle. Let each side simply hold its own border and not seek petty gains.” When Wu’s ruler Sun Hao heard that the borders were harmonious, he reproached Lu Kang for it. Lu Kang replied, “Even a single city or village cannot exist without trust, let alone a great state! If I did not act this way, it would only highlight his virtue and do no harm to Yang Hu.”

The Wu ruler adopted the schemes of his various generals and repeatedly invaded and plundered Jin’s border regions. Lu Kang submitted a memorial, saying, “In ancient times, when the Xia dynasty was full of offenses, Tang of Shang led an expedition against it. When King Zhou of Shang was dissolute and tyrannical, King Wu of Zhou raised an army to punish him. If the right moment does not arise, even the greatest sage should conserve his strength and protect himself, and not act rashly. Now, instead of striving to diligently farm the land and enrich the state, examining officials and employing the worthy, clarifying the systems of promotion and demotion, being cautious with punishments and rewards, instructing all departments with virtue, and pacifying the people with benevolence, you indulge the various generals in chasing after empty fame, exhausting troops through constant warfare, and spending tens of thousands of resources at every turn, while the soldiers grow weary and impoverished. The enemy is not weakened by this, but we ourselves are already severely drained. To contend for the imperial enterprise while coveting gains of one-tenth or one-hundredth is the wicked expedient of ministers, not a sound policy for the state! In the past, Qi and Lu fought three battles, and Lu won twice, yet its downfall followed soon after. Why? Because the balance of power between large and small states differed. Moreover, what is captured by the present army is not enough to make up for what is lost.” The Wu ruler did not heed this.

Yang Hu did not curry favor with or ingratiate himself with the powerful figures at court, so men like Xun Xu and Feng Dan all detested him. Yang Hu’s maternal cousin’s son, Wang Yan, once came to Yang Hu to present a matter, speaking with very clear and eloquent arguments. Yang Hu did not agree with him, and Wang Yan left in a huff. Yang Hu turned to his guests and said, “Wang Yifu is about to attain a high position through his great reputation, but the one who will corrupt customs and harm moral teachings will certainly be this man.” When attacking Jiangling, Yang Hu, acting according to military law, was about to execute Wang Rong. Wang Yan was Wang Rong’s cousin, so both of them harbored resentment against Yang Hu and slandered him in their speech. At that time, people coined a saying: “When the two Wangs hold power, Lord Yang has no virtue.”