When Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung玄宗) was considering military operations at Hsin-feng, he secretly summoned Yao Ch’ung, and Ch’ung proffered him counsel on ten matters, was appointed prime minister and Duke of the State of Liang (Liang-kuo-kung 梁國公), He reorganised the state systems, repaired the established laws, and brought about the good government of the Open-origin reign-period. Later on, he brought in Sung Ching to replace himself, and Ch’ung likewise gained fame for his worthiness, the two men being bracketed in celebrity as “Yao and Sung” (Yao、Sung 姚、宋).
50 Sung Ching 宋璟 (663 - 737), a man of Nan-he 南和, obtained his Presented Scholar (chin-shih 進士) qualification, and during the reign of Empress Wu (reigned 684 - 705) he served in central government as Vice Censor-in-chief (yü-shih chung-ch’eng 御史中丞), and memorialised the throne requesting permission to execute Chang Ch’ang-tsung 張昌宗 (AD? - AD 705) and Chang Yi-chih 張易之 (AD? - AD 705). At the beginning of the Open-origin reign-period (713 - 741), as Commander-in-chief of Kuang-chou (Kuang-chou tu-tu 廣州都督), he was summoned to the capital and appointed Minister of Justice (hsing-pu shang-shu 刑部尚書), shortly succeeding Yao Ch’ung 姚崇 (650 - 721) as prime minister. While Yao Ch’ung was skilled at carrying out tasks to respond to political upheavals, Sung Ching was adept at abiding by literary culture to maintain rectitude, and society bracketed the two in celebrity as “Yao and Sung”. (Yao、Sung 姚、宋).
51 The Chinese text here says “Chang”, probably meaning Chang Chiu-ling 張九齡 (678 - 740). He was an important minister, politician and poet, said to cap his age for literary learning. His courtesy-name was Tzu-shou 子壽, and he had the other personal name of Po-wu 博物. He was a man of Ch’u-chiang 曲江 in Shao-chou 韶州, in present-day Kwangtung province. Obtaining his Presented Scholar (chin-shih 進士) qualification during the reign-period 707 - 710, he was appointed Reminder of the Left (tso shih-yi 左拾遺). At that time, when the Ministry of Personnel selected and promoted able men, they always underwent assessment and grading by him and Chao Tung-hsi 趙冬曦, which in those days was called Equity and Trustworthiness (p’ing-yn 平允). In AD 733, he was appointed Secretariat Vice-director (chung-shu shih-lang 中書侍郎) and Jointly Secretariat-Chancellery Manager of Affairs (t’ung chung-shu men-hsia p’ing-chang-shih 同中書門下平章事), in which capacity he advocated that personnel not be selected and promoted in accordance with the Reward Standards (shang-ke 賞格), and set up Ten-circuit Investigation-commissioners (shih-tao ts’ai-fang-shih 十道采訪使).
At that time, Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung 玄宗) was neglecting government affairs, and Chang Chiu-ling counselled him about his successes and failures. On the emperor’s birthday, the various ministers made the emperor gifts of precious mirrors, but Chang Chiu-ling submitted a ten-chapter ‘measure-mirror’, to convey indirect warning-counsel (feng-chien 諷諫), it bearing title Thousand-autumns gold-mirrors record (Ch’ien-ch’iu chin-chien lu 千秋金鑑錄).
He once asked the emperor for permission to execute the subsequent rebel An Lu-shan 安祿山, so as to preclude future trouble, but his advice wasn’t taken up. He was enfiefed as Baron of Bendy-river (Ch’ü-chiang-nan 曲江男). When in the imperial court, he had the frank, straight-speaking probity of a great minister, and he was appreciated by Chang Sho 張說 (667 - 730). He advised the emperor to make Li Lin-fu 李林甫 (AD? - AD 752) and Niu Hsien-k’e 牛仙客 (AD? - AD 742) his chief ministers, but the advice wasn’t heeded. In AD 736, he was slandered by Li Lin-fu, and dismissed from his premiership. Awarded the posthumous title Literary Worthy (wen-hsien 文獻), and known over the world after he died as Duke of Bend River (Ch’ü-chiang-kung 曲江公).
His famous twelve Moved by events (Kan-yü 感遇) poems were composed after he’d been banished, and were an expression of his emotional reactions to happenings, and acclaimed for their strictures on the powerful. His works are found in Bendy River’s collected literary works (Ch’ü-chiang chi 曲江集).
It’s possible that the play means Chang Sho 張說 (667 - 730), courtesy-name Tao-chi 道濟, and another courtesy-name Sho-chih 說之, a man of Lo-yang 洛陽. In AD 689, he was nominated for the category of Number One Worthy and Excellent, Straightforward and Upright (hsien-liang fang-cheng 賢良方正第一) as a prior step towards mandarin office, and awarded the position of Editor (chiao-shu-lang校書郎), working on the Imperial Diary in the Imperial-palace Library. He rose to the lofty post of Secretariat Director (chung-shu ling 中書令), and was awarded the title Duke of the State of Yen (Yen-kuo kung 燕國公). Most of the important imperial documents and other, creative writings, came from his hand. His contemporaries accordingly bracketed him with Su T’ing 蘇頲 (670 - 727) as a Great Writer (ta shou-pi 大手筆). He’d always been unable to get on with the powerful Yao Ch’ung 姚崇 (650 - 721), and was despatched from the court to be Military Commissioner of Hsiang-chou (Hsiang-chou tz’u-shih 相州刺史).
Passing through, he became Military Commissioner of Yȕeh-chou (Yȕeh-chou 岳州), later being re-appointed Secretariat Director.
In his literary writing, he employed fine and bold ideas, and he excelled at stele inscriptions. When in exile in Yȕeh-chou, his poetry grew all the more forlorn and moving. People opined that the very mountains and streams conspired with him. After he died, he was awarded the title Literary Integrity (Wen-chen 文貞). His works are gathered in his Collected literary works of Chang Lord of Yen (Chang Yen-kung chi 張燕公集). There were other men named Chang Sho, from the Han, Nan-ch’ao Sung and Sung dynasties.
52 Han Hsiu 韓休 (673 - 740), a man of Ch’ang-an 長安, was a skilled literary writer, was recommended into government service as of the Worthy and Excellence (Hsien-liang 賢良) category, and during the Open-origin reign-period (713 - 741) was appointed Vice-director of the Chancellery (Huang-men shih-lang 黃門侍郎) and Jointly Manager of Affairs of the Secretariat-chancellery (t’ung chung-shu men-hsia p’ing-chang-shih 同中書門下平章事).
He was solemn, upright, forthright, and boldly outspoken in proffering advice to the emperor, and if occasionally Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung 玄宗) committed an error or had a fault, Han Hsiu would immediately memorialise him with earnest remonstrations, and the emperor, admiring his frankness, didn’t take offence.
“Since Han Hsiu came into your court,” said his courtiers, “Your Majesty hasn’t been merry for a single day, and you’ve grown too thin. You’d best send him away.”
“Although I’ve grown emaciated,” replied the emperor, “the whole world has grown fat. I employ Han Hsiu as my minister just for the sake of my state altars of soil and millet, for the good of my empire.”
Later, Han Hsiu ended his government career in the post of Minister of Works (kung-pu shang-shu 工部尚書), and was appointed Junior Preceptor of the Heir Apparent (t’ai-tzu shao-shih 太子少師), and enfiefed with the title Viscount of Yi-yang County (Yi-yang-hsien Tzu 宜陽縣子). After he died, he was given the title Conscientious in Literary Service (Wen-chung 文忠).
53 sheng-t’a 省闥, “palace portals”, a metonym for the imperial palace. Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), Han history (Han-shu 漢書, “Ku-yung chuan”, says: “Feelings of yearning and sadness are constantly in existence in the imperial palace (sheng-t’a).” Fan Yeh 范曄 (398 - 445) and others, Later Han history (Hou Han Shu 後漢書), “Huan-che chuan”, says: “He wielded power over measures in the imperial palace (sheng-t’a), for thirty or so years.”
54t’ai-p’ing 太平, Grand Peace:
(i) a term referring to peaceful good government of “the world”, i.e. of China and its environs. Fan Yeh 范曄 (398 - 445) and others, Later Han history (Hou Han Shu 後漢書), “Hsieh Yi-wu chuan”, says: “I’ve heard that when Yao ascended to Chi and Ch’i, government prospered in Grand Peace.” Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), White-tiger Belvedere compendium (Pai-hu t’ung 白虎通), “Li-Yȕeh”, says: “With the whole world at Grand Peace, the political constitution was
changed in it.”
(ii) a term for “bumper harvest”. Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), Han history (Han-shu 漢書, “Shih-huo chih”, says: “Bringing in the harvest is called ‘Ascending’ (teng 登), two Ascendings are called Peace, and three Ascendings are called Grand Peace.”
(iii) a term for “the place where the sun emerges in the east”. Anon. (Chou and Han dynasties), Close exegeses (Erh-ya 爾雅), “Shih-ti”, says: “The place where the sun emerges in the east is called Grand Peace.”
(iv) the title of various reign-periods.
(v) the name of various prefectures,
(vi) the name of a modern county,
(vii) the name of five old counties,
(viii) name of a non-Chinese region (t’u-chou 土州).
55 Chen-kuan 貞觀, Chaste-survey, being a reign-period title of emperor Grand-progenitor (T’ai-tsung 太宗), reigned 627 - 649, of the T’ang dynasty.
56 Emperor Civility (Wen-ti 文帝), title of a Western Han dynasty emperor, reigned 179 BC - 157 BC.
57Kao Li-shih 高力士, Eunuch-chamberlain Kao (684 - 762), an important eunuch mandarin. He was a man of Liang-te 良德 in Kao-chou 高州, north of present-day Kao-chou in Kwangtung province. He originally had the surname Feng 馮, but was later adopted and reared by the eunuch mandarin Kao Yen 高延, so changed it to Kao. During the reign of Emperor Illustrious-progenitor (Jui-tsung 睿宗, reigned AD 684 and 710 - 712), he held the post of Eunuch Ceremonial-secretary (nei chi-shih 內給事).
Because of his perceived merit in the execution of Hsiao Ts’en 蕭岑, he became Palace-gate-guard General of the Right (yu chien-men-wei chiang-chȕn 右監門衛將軍), in charge of the affairs of the Imperial-palace Domestic-service (chih nei-shih-sheng shih 知內史省事). When Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung 玄宗) came to the throne in AD 712, Kao was the object of special imperial affection and favours. When memorials of request were sent to the emperor from anywhere in the empire, they were first delivered to the Domestic-service, and only afterwards presented to the throne. Thus, the powerful ministers and mighty generals vied to make liaisons with Kao and bribe him, in order to gain furtherance from him, always achieving those aims. As a result, his power was supreme in both the capital and the provinces. The powerful general An Lu-shan 安祿山 (AD? - AD 757) and the prominent minister Li Lin-fu 李林甫 (AD? - AD 752) and Yang Kuo-chung 楊國忠 (AD? - AD 756) respectfully addressed him as “venerable father” (weng 翁).
He rose through various government posts to become Cavalry General-in-chief (p’iao-chi ta chiang-chȕn 驃騎大將軍), advancing to the prestige title of Commander Unequalled in Honour (K’ai-fu Yi-t’ung San-ssu 開府儀同三司), and was enfiefed with the noble title of Duke of the State of Ch’i (Ch’i-kuo-kung 齊國公). In AD 755, as An Lu-shan rebelled, Kao accompanied Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung 玄宗) on the latter’s flight to the Szechwan region.
When Emperor Solemn-progenitor (Su-tsung 肅宗, reigned 756 - 763) was still the crown prince, he treated him with the courtesies due to an elder brother, but when Solemn-progenitor succeeded to the throne in AD 756, Kao was impeached by the high minister Li Fu-kuo 李輔國 (704 - 762), and sent on long banishment to Wu-chou 巫州. In AD 762, he was pardoned in an amnesty, and returned to the capital. By then both Emperor Dark-progenitor and Emperor Solemn-progenitor had one after the other died, and when Kao saw their testaments, he vomited blood, and, in great emotional stress, died. The dominance of eunuchs in government during the T’ang dynasty began with him.
58 Liu-kung 六宮, Six Palaces. The womenfolk called their bedroom “palace”. Anon. (late Chou-early Han), Chou rites (Chou-li 周禮), “T’ien-kuan”, “Nei-tsai”, says: “The Six Palaces are taught the Female-force Rites.” A note to that says: “Manager of Agriculture Cheng [i.e. Cheng Hsȕan 鄭玄 (127 - 200)]: says: ‘The Six Palaces are five to the rear, and one to the fore, and have one hundred and twenty royal queens (fei 妃), one principal queen (hou 后), three main queens (fu-jen 夫人), nine p’in female mandarins (p’in 嬪), twenty-seven ritual-usher female officials (shih-fu 世婦) and eighty-one female grooms (nü-yü 女御).’”
Later people have used Six Palaces to mean the dwellings of the royal or imperial womenfolk.
59 The old Chinese hour being two hours in length.
60Chin-chieh 金階, Gold Steps, a term referring to the steps of the imperial palace.
61 Wan-sui-yeh 萬歲爺, Ten-thousand-year-grandfather, a reverent, honorific term of address and reference to the emperor. An emperor was customarily accorded wishes that he lives for ten thousand years, so this term is a kind of anticipatory wish. The term Ten-Thousand Years (Wan-sui 萬歲), was also a term of the same meaning. Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), Han history (Han-shu 漢書, “Wu-ti chi”, says: “I the emperor have personally ascended to Ch’ung-kao, and I heard all my censors, chariot subordinates, and lictors and ordinary soldiers beside my ancestral temple calling out ‘ten thousand years’ three times/ again and again.”
Fan Yeh 范曄 (398 - 445) and others, Latter Han history (Hou Han Shu 後漢書), “Han Leng chuan”, says: “The awesome prestige of the Grand General Tou Hsien 竇憲 [?BC-92 BC] quaked the whole world, and when he met with chariots and carriages in Ch’ang-an, the imperial secretary counselled for prostrating in obeisance to him and acclaiming him with ‘Ten Thousand Years’, Tou Hsien prevented him from doing so, saying: ‘In the rules of proper conduct, there is no constitutional provision for a minister being acclaimed as Ten Thousand Years.’”
There exists also the term Thousand-autumns and Ten-Thousand Years (Ch’ien-ch’iu wan-sui 千秋萬歲):
i) an expression of good wishes for long life. Hsiao Tzu-hsien 蕭子顯 (489 - 537). Southern Ch’i history (Nan Ch’i shu 南齊書), “Yȕeh-chih”, says: “May you have a long life for all of a thousand autumns and ten thousand years!” Ou-yang Hsȕan 歐陽玄 (1273-1357) and others, Sung history (Sung-shih 宋史), AD 1345, “Yȕeh-chih”, says: “For a thousand autumns and ten thousand years may he rule in the Restoration, and his sacrificial services to Heaven last as long as Heaven!”
ii) “after a thousand autumns and ten thousand years” means “after death (of a ruler)”. Liu Hsiang 劉向 (77 BC - 6 BC) (dub. attr.), Warring States policies (Chan-kuo ts’e 戰國策), says: “When the King of Ch’u took a trip to Cloud-dream, he turned his face up to the sky, laughed and said: ‘After ten thousand years and a thousand autumns, who will know such joys as mine!’ The Lord of An-chȕn sobbed several lines of tears, and said to him: ‘After Your Majesty’s ten thousand years and thousand autumns, I pray that I may myself beget me to the Yellow Springs of afterlife, to drive off the mole-crickets and ants.’”
iii) meaning “later ages”. Yao Ssu-lien 姚思廉 (AD? - AD 637), Liang history (Liang-shu 梁書), “Nan-p’ing-wang Wei chuan”, says: “I, this lowly mandarin, have watched the men of the present age, and observed that most of them aren’t fond of fun and merry-making, but instead lie face upwards on their beds, sleeping, looking at the rafters and writing books, which after [in] ten thousand years and a thousand autumns nobody will pass on.”
iv) tz’u-lyric tune-title. “Thousand autumns” (ch’ien-ch’iu 千秋) was also used on its own:
a) term meaning “a thousand years”, and referring to long life. Lu Chao-lin’s 盧照鄰 (ca. 641-ca. 680) Teng-feng great wine-party song (Teng-feng ta-p’u ke登封大酺歌), has the lines: “Might I ask what Ch’ien-feng takes joy in, that everybody’s life-span achieves a thousand autumns.”
b) a term wishing long life. The birthday of Emperor Dark-progenitor (Hsȕan-tsung 玄宗, reigned 712-756), on the Fifth Day of the Eighth Month, was referred to as “Thousand-autumns Festival” (Ch’ien-ch’iu-chieh 千秋節). In AD 729, the court mandarins sought imperial permission to name it thus, but it was later changed to Heaven-long Festival (T’ien-ch’ang-chieh 天長節).
v) In addition, there was a tz’u-lyric tune-title Thousand-autumns Festival, also found as Thousand-autumns years
(Ch’ien-ch’iu sui 千秋歲), which was also a ch’ȕ -aria tune title.
vi) the name of an old county.
vii) the name of two garrison/market-towns (chen 鎮).
viii) the name of a Neighborhood (t’ing 亭).
62 Yi-t’ing/Yeh-t’ing 掖庭, Armpit/Side Courtyard:
i) the name of a building in the imperial palace, one in which imperial wives dwelled. Pan Ku 班固 (32 - 92), Han history (Han-shu 漢書, “Pai-kuan kung-Ch’ing piao”, says: “Emperor Warrior (Wu-ti 武帝) [reigned 373 - 396] changed the name of Eternal/Enduring Lane (Yung-hsiang 永巷) to Armpit Courtyard.” The same work, “Tung-fang Sho chuan”, says: “I pray that Your Majesty will often forget all the myriad troubles, and nurture his essential energies and let his spirit roam free, frequent Armpit Courtyard, turn back his imperial carriage from vain paths, and abord his concubines in the mountain forests.”
The name is also found as Liquid Courtyard (Yeh-t’ing 液庭). Han history, “Wang Mang chuan”, says: “Liquid Courtyard was never filled with its full complement of dowry-maids.”
ii) a term for a ministry for imperial palace womenfolk. Han history, “Hsȕan-ti chi”, says: “The emperor commanded the Armpit Courtyard to cultivate visuality.” A note to that says: “Armpit Courtyard was a ministry for palace ladies, and it had a Director (ling 令) and Vice-directors (ch’eng 丞), posts held by eunuch mandarins.”
63 Yao-kung 瑤宮, Jasper Palace,
i) seemingly the same as Jasper Terrace (Yao-t’ai 瑤臺). Wang Yi 王逸 (fl. ca. 114 - 142), (ed.), (who says that it was compiled by Liu Hsiang 劉向 (77 BC - 6 BC) Ch’u elegies (Ch’u-tz’u 楚辭), “Li-sao”, has the line: “Gazing at the towering heights of Jasper Terrace”. Wang Yi’s note to that says: “Yao is the name of a [precious] stone inferior to jade.” Liu An 劉安 (?BC - 122 BC), Sir Huai-south (Huai-nan Tzu 淮南子), “Pen-ching”, says: “King Chou [i.e. King Chou-hsin 紂辛, the last Shang (Yin) king, traditionally reigned 1154 BC - 1123 BC, a modern estimate reigned ca. 1060 to 1027 BC] made Agate Palace (Hsȕan-shih 璇室) and Jasper Terrace.” A note to that says: “The Hsȕan and yao were stones resembling jade, used to decorate palaces and terraces.”
Appendices and Endnotes Page 14
