恆 Héng

In the first year of Changqing, in the first month, on the jihai day, he made offerings at the Taiqing Palace. On the gengzi day, he sacrificed at the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On the xinchou day, he performed the sacrifice at the southern suburb. There was a general amnesty, the era name was changed, and civil and military officials were granted ranks, honours and noble titles. On the jiwei day, a comet appeared in the Yi lunar lodge. On the renxu day, Xiao Mian was dismissed. On the dingmao day, a comet appeared in the Taiwei enclosure. Edit

In the second month, on the yihai day, the emperor watched music in the Linde Hall. On the bingzi day, he watched the various acrobatic performances of the Armies of Inspired Strategy. On the jimao day, Liu Zong handed the eight prefectures of the Lulong Army over to the authorities. On the renwu day, Duan Wenchang was dismissed. The Hanlin Academician and Vice Minister of Revenue Du Yuanying was made Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. On the xinmao day, the emperor played polo at the Linde Hall. Edit

In the third month, on the gengxu day, Venus was seen in daylight. On the dingsi day, those in the eight prefectures of You, Zhuo, Tan, Shun, Ying, Mo, Ying and Ping sentenced to death or less were pardoned, and the people were exempted from taxes and labour for one year. The soldiers of the Lulong Army were given money. On the wuwu day, the emperor enfeoffed his younger brothers: Jing as Prince of Fu, Yue as Prince of Qiong, Xun as Prince of Mian, Yi as Prince of Wu, Yin as Prince of Mao, Yi as Prince of Guang, Xie as Prince of Zi, Dan as Prince of Qu, and Hui as Prince of Chan; and his sons: Zhan as Prince of E, Han as Prince of Jiang, Cou as Prince of Zhang, Rong as Prince of An, and Chan as Prince of Ying. In that month, Zhan was transferred to be Prince of Jing. Edit

In the fifth month, on the bingchen day, the Prince of Jian, Shen, died. Edit

In the sixth month, a comet appeared in the Mao lunar lodge. On the xinwei day, the Tibetans raided the Qingsai beacon post, and Li Wenyue, Prefect of Yanzhou, defeated them. Edit

In the seventh month, on the jiachen day, Zhu Kerong, Chief Military Commander of the Lulong Army of You Prefecture, imprisoned his Military Commissioner Zhang Hongjing and rebelled. On the renzi day, the assembled officials presented the honorific title Wenwu Xiaode Huangdi. There was a general amnesty, and civil and military officials were granted ranks, honours and noble titles. On the renxu day, Wang Tingcou, a senior general of the Chengde Army, killed his Military Commissioner Tian Hongzheng and rebelled. Edit

In the eighth month, on the renshen day, Zhu Kerong took Mo Prefecture. On the guiyou day, Wang Tingcou took Ji Prefecture, and its Prefect, Wang Jinji, died in its defence. On the bingzi day, the army of Ying Prefecture mutinied, seized its Surveillance Commissioner Lu Shimei, and rebelled to join Zhu Kerong. Wang Tingcou raided Shen Prefecture. On the dingchou day, the troops of Weibo, Henghai, Zhaoyi, Hedong and Yiwu were sent against Wang Tingcou. On the jichou day, Pei Du was made Pacification Commissioner for You and Zhen. Edit

In the ninth month, on the yisi day, the army of Xiang Prefecture mutinied and killed its Prefect, Xing Chu. Edit

In the tenth month, on the bingyin day, Wang Bo, Salt and Iron and Transport Commissioner for All Circuits and Minister of Justice, was made Vice Director of the Secretariat and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. Pei Du was made Chief Bandit-Suppression Commissioner of the Field Army on the western front against Zhen Prefecture. Du Shuliang, General-in-Chief of the Left Encampment Guard, was made Military Commissioner of the Field Armies of the Various Circuits at Shen Prefecture. On the wuyin day, Wang Tingcou took Bei Prefecture. On the jimao day, Liu Gongji, Prefect of Yi Prefecture, fought Zhu Kerong at Baishi and defeated him. On the gengchen day, Wu Chongyin, Military Commissioner of the Henghai Army, fought Wang Tingcou at Raoyang and defeated him. On the xinmao day, Li Jincheng, Military Commissioner of Lingwu, fought the Tibetans at Mount Dashi and defeated them. Edit

In the eleventh month, on the jiawu day, Pei Du fought Wang Tingcou at Huixing and defeated him. On the bingshen day, Zhu Kerong raided Ding Prefecture, and Chen Chu, Military Commissioner of the Yiwu Army, defeated him. Edit

In the twelfth month, on the gengwu day, Du Shuliang fought Wang Tingcou at Boye and was defeated. On the dingchou day, Chen Chu fought Zhu Kerong at Wangdu and defeated him. On the yiyou day, Zhu Kerong was pardoned. On the jichou day, Chen Chu fought Kerong at Qingyuan and defeated him. Edit

In the second year, in the first month, on the gengzi day, the Weibo army broke up at Nangong. On the guimao day, Tian Bu, Military Commissioner of Weibo, killed himself, and the Military Commander Shi Xiancheng proclaimed himself Acting Military Commissioner. At Hai Prefecture the sea froze. Edit

In the second month, on the jiazi day, Wang Tingcou was pardoned. On the xinsi day, Cui Zhi was dismissed. The Vice Minister of Works Yuan Zhen was made Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. On the wuzi day, Liu Wu, Military Commissioner of the Zhaoyi Army, imprisoned his Army Supervisor Liu Chengjie. Edit

In the third month, on the yisi day, Wang Zhixing, Vice Military Commissioner of the Wuning Army, drove out his Military Commissioner Cui Qun. On the wuwu day, Pei Du, Acting Grand Minister of Education and Military Commissioner of Huainan, was made Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. Wang Bo was dismissed. Edit

In the fourth month, on the xinyou day, the first day of the month, there was an eclipse of the sun. On the renxu day, Niu Yuanyi, Military Commissioner of the Chengde Army, fled to the capital, and Wang Tingcou took Shen Prefecture. Edit

In the fifth month, on the renyin day, Li Yuanzong, Prefect of Yong Prefecture, rebelled and fled to the Huangdong Man. Edit

In the sixth month, on the guihai day, Li Chenze, a night-duty officer of the Xuanwu Army, drove out his Military Commissioner Li Yuan, and the headquarters commander Li Jie rebelled. On the jiazi day, Pei Du and Yuan Zhen were dismissed. The Minister of War Li Fengji was made Vice Director of the Chancellery and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. On the yichou day, a great wind blew down the owl-tail ridge ornaments of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. On the guiyou day, the Tibetans raided Ling Prefecture, and Zhao Gan, Prefect of Yanzhou, defeated them. Edit

In the seventh month, on the bingshen day, the Prince of Song, Jie, died. On the wushen day, Li Jie took Song Prefecture. On the bingchen day, Cao Hua, Military Commissioner of Yan and Yun, fought Li Jie at Song Prefecture and defeated him. On the dingsi day, Li Guangyan, Military Commissioner of the Zhongwu Army, defeated him again at Weishi. Edit

In the eighth month, on the renshen day, Han Chong, Military Commissioner of the Xuanwu Army, defeated him again at Guoqiao. On the bingzi day, Li Jie was executed. On the guiwei day, an edict ordered the burial of those killed in battle in the three prefectures of Bian, Song and Zheng, and rations for their families for three years. Edit

In the ninth month, on the wuzi day, Wang Guoqing, an officer of the Zhenhai Army, plotted rebellion and was executed. On the bingshen day, the army of De Prefecture mutinied and killed its Prefect, Wang Ji. Edit

In the tenth month, on the jimao day, the emperor hunted at Xianyang. Edit

In the eleventh month, on the gengwu day, the Empress Dowager went to the Huaqing Palace. On the guiyou day, the emperor went to meet the Empress Dowager, and then hunted at Mount Li. On the bingzi day, the Prince of Ji, Xiang, died. Edit

In the twelfth month, on the dinghai day, the emperor fell ill, and the hawks and falcons of the Five Workshops and the foxes and hares kept for the hunt were released. On the guisi day, the Prince of Jing, Zhan, was made Crown Prince. On the guichou day, sentences of death and below were reduced; sons who were their fathers' heirs among the regular court attendants, civil and military, and among the chief officials of prefectures were granted two grades of honour, and imperial clansmen and relatives one grade. Edit

That winter there was no ice, and plants and trees put out shoots. Edit

In the third year, in the third month, on the renxu day, the Vice Censor-in-Chief Niu Sengru was made Vice Minister of Revenue and Joint Manager of Affairs with the Secretariat-Chancellery. On the guihai day, there was drought in Huainan, Zhedong and Zhexi, Jiangnan and Xuanshe, and envoys were sent to pacify the people, review the cases of prisoners and inspect the officials. Edit

In the fourth month, on the jiawu day, the Lao of Lu Prefecture rebelled. Edit

In the fifth month, on the renshen day, there was hail in the capital. Edit

In the seventh month, on the bingyin day, the Huangdong Man took Qin Prefecture. Edit

In the ninth month, on the renzi day, the first day of the month, there was an eclipse of the sun. Edit

In the tenth month, on the jichou day, Du Yuanying was dismissed. On the xinmao day, the Huangdong Man raided Annan. Edit

In the fourth year, in the first month, on the xinhai day, sentences of death and below were reduced, and exiles had their terms cut by one year. Civil and military officials, imperial clansmen and envoys who came with New Year congratulations were granted ranks, honours and noble titles. An edict invited all officials to speak on affairs of state. On the xinwei day, the Crown Prince was made to take charge provisionally of military and state affairs. On the renshen day, the emperor died in the Qingsi Hall, aged thirty. Edit

Appraisal

The appraisal says: By the rule of the Spring and Autumn Annals, when a ruler is murdered and the murderers are not punished, the state is severely condemned, as having no true ministers or sons. Xianzong was murdered, and through three reigns his murderers were still alive. When it came to Wenzong, he could not make plain the crimes of Hongzhi and the others so as to uphold the laws and punishments of the state; he could only kill them and nothing more, and this is lamentable. Muzong and Jingzong were benighted boys who lost their virtue. Because they did not reign long, the realm did not fall into ruin and disorder, and in the end Jingzong himself was struck down. How could either have had any will to punish the murderers? Wenzong was respectful, frugal, scholarly and refined by nature. He once read the Essentials of Government of Taizong and was moved to admire him. When he came to the throne, he set his heart on good government; every time he met his chief ministers in the Yanying Hall, it was usually past the eleventh mark of the water clock. Under the Tang system, the Son of Heaven held court on odd-numbered days, so he ordered that suspensions and cancellations of court should all fall on even-numbered days. Whenever he appointed an official, he always summoned him for an audience and questioned him, to judge his ability in person. So at the beginning of Dahe, the affairs of government were well ordered and the age was called clear and bright. But he was kind and lacking in decision, and he inherited the ills of his father and brother. The eunuchs had bent power to their will, and he did not find the right way to control them, so in the end he was brought to distress by this. In the Sweet Dew affair, disaster fell on loyal and good men; his sense of injustice and his indignation were beyond bearing, and he could only swallow his resentment. Seen in this light, that he was able to kill Hongzhi was enough to show what he had wished to do. Edit

In ancient times Wu Ding found one Fu Yue and became Gaozong of Shang. Wuzong employed one Li Deyu and so achieved his deeds. Yet while he was fierce and resolute in abolishing the Buddhist teaching, he himself received the registers of the Daoists and took drugs in search of long life. From this one sees that he was not a man of clear wisdom, free from delusion; it was only that his likes and dislikes were different. Xuanzong was skilled at hearing and judging cases, but he took scrutiny for discernment and had no more thought of kindness and grace. Alas, from that time on, the Tang declined! Edit

Collation notes

"Pardoned those in the eight prefectures of You, Zhuo, Tan, Shun, Ying, Mo, Ying and Ping sentenced to death or less": for "Ying" [Ying Prefecture, the seventh], all editions originally read "Guan". According to chapter 39 of this book, the treatise on geography in chapter 39 of the Old Book, and chapter 178 of the Comprehensive Statutes, the prefectures listed here all belonged to Hebei Circuit, among which there was no "Guan Prefecture" but there was Ying Prefecture. "Guan" must be a graphic error for "Ying", and it has been corrected accordingly. Edit