“Imperial Annals: A Chronicle of Ancient China”

In the spring of the third year, the Western Qiang was pacified, and the army disbanded. In the third month, Prince Kang was appointed as King of Jiyang. In the summer of the fourth month, the Grand Marshal and Cavalry General passed away. In the winter of the eleventh month, a decree was issued due to recent earthquakes, winter rains, and thick fog, along with the rise of bandits and thieves. Officials were urged to promptly enforce measures to suppress these disturbances.

During winter, the Salt and Iron officials and the disciples of scholars were reinstated. Due to insufficient funds, many people were exempted from taxes, which resulted in difficulties in providing for both domestic and external labor services. In the spring of the fourth year in the second month, another decree was issued due to the burden of governance and the unrest at the borders. Military expeditions were dispatched outside the realm, imposing taxes and levies, causing widespread agitation, impoverishment, and criminal acts. Reflecting on these troubles, a general amnesty was declared, exempting the poor from punishment.

In the third month, an imperial visit was made to Yong, where rituals were performed at the Five Altars. In the summer of the sixth month, a calamity struck the eastern gate of the Xiaoan Garden. On the last day of the fifth month, there was a solar eclipse. A decree was issued, lamenting the state of affairs and urging officials to adhere closely to principles of governance, ensuring sincerity in their counsel and actions.

In the ninth month, the Wei Emperor’s residence and other similar structures were dismantled. In the tenth month, ancestral temples in various counties were relocated, while imperial tombs were distributed among the three regions. The decree emphasized the importance of maintaining ancestral ties and local attachments, ensuring stability and happiness among the people.

In the first year of Jianzhao, rituals were performed at Yong in the spring. In the autumn of the eighth month, a swarm of white moths darkened the sky from the eastern city gate to the Zhi Road. During winter, the territory of Huaiyang, under the rule of Prince Yang, was accused of wrongdoing, leading to the abandonment and relocation of the Fangling Tomb. The imperial mausoleums of Empress Xiaowen and Empress Xiaozhao were also discontinued.

In the spring of the second year, rituals were performed at Ganquan, and a sacrificial ceremony was conducted at Taishan. In the third month, an imperial visit was made to Hedong, where the Earth Mother was worshipped. The number of prefects in the Three Rivers region was increased. Twelve thousand households were promoted to large counties. In the summer of the fourth month, a general amnesty was granted.

In the sixth month, Prince Yu was established as King of Xindu, and in the intercalary month, Empress Dowager Taihou, Lady Shangguan, passed away. In the winter of the eleventh month, there were earthquakes in Qi and Chu, accompanied by heavy rain and snow, causing trees to fall and houses to collapse. Zhang Bo, the maternal uncle of Prince Huaiyang, and Wei Jun, the magistrate of Tai, were punished for spying on the princes with malicious intent, leaking secrets from the palace. Zhang Bo was sentenced to death, and Wei Jun was exiled.

In the summer of the third year, the ranks of the Commanders of the Capital and the Commanders of the Major Counties in the Three Frontier Regions were both increased to two thousand stones. In the sixth month of the year, Prime Minister Xuan Cheng passed away. In the autumn, Protector-General of the Western Regions, Qidan Yuancheng, and Assistant Colonel Chen Tang defeated the Xiongnu chieftain Zhizhi, sending his head to the capital and displaying it at the gate of the barbarian embassy.

In the first month of the fourth year, sacrifices were made at the suburban temples in honor of the extermination of Zhizhi. A general amnesty was declared, and officials offered their congratulations. A banquet was held, displaying books and artifacts to honored palace concubines. In the summer of the fourth month, a decree was issued due to the imbalance of yin and yang, the disorder of the five elements, and the famine among the people. Therefore, envoys and scholars were dispatched throughout the country to inquire about the welfare of the elderly, widows, orphans, the impoverished, and those who had lost their jobs. The decree urged them to nurture talented individuals who could contribute to the state.

In the sixth month of the intercalary year, Prince Zhongjing passed away. Sand and stones covered the fields in Lantian, and Yongba River burst its banks, causing rivers to flow backwards. In the spring of the fifth year, a decree was issued, stating that good governance required distinguishing between right and wrong, promoting respect and humility, enforcing laws without violating them, and ensuring that people followed the decrees. Therefore, a general amnesty was declared, granting the people one rank of nobility. Women were given cattle and wine for each hundred households. The elderly, filial children, and those skilled in agriculture were rewarded with silk.

In the summer, the estate of Li Garden was restored in the intercalary month. On the last day of the month, there was a solar eclipse. In the autumn of the seventh month, the Tai Shang Emperor’s tomb and original temples were restored, along with those of Empress Xiaoling, King Wu’ai, Empress Zhao’ai, and Wei Sihou.

In the first year of Jingning, the Hun Han and Xianyu emperors came to court.