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fuyonggu · 4 years

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Biography of Hua He (SGZ 65)

Poetry and prose in this one.

華覈字永先，吳郡武進人也。始為上虞尉、曲農都尉，以文學入為秘府郎，遷中書丞。蜀為魏所並，核詣宮門發表曰：“間聞賊眾蟻聚向西境，西境艱險，謂當無虞。定聞陸抗表至，成都不守，臣主播越，社稷傾覆。昔衛為翟所滅而桓公存之，今道里長遠，不可救振，失委附之土，棄貢獻之國，臣以草芥，竊懷不寧。陛下聖仁，恩澤遠撫，卒聞如此，必垂哀悼。臣不勝忡悵之情，謹拜表以聞。”

Hua He, styled Yongxian, was a native of Wujin county in Wu commandary. He was originally appointed as Commandant of Shangyu county (in Kuaiji commandary) and as an Agricultural Supervisor. Later, because of his literary education, he was summoned to the capital (at Jianye) to serve as a Gentleman of the Imperial Library, then transferred to be an Assistant to the Palace Secretariat.

When Shu was annexed by Wei (in 263-264), Hua He visited the gates of the palace to present a petition. He wrote, "Lately I have heard that the rebel armies (of Wei) have swarmed together and marched west (against Shu). People always claimed that the west possessed such difficult terrain that there would be nothing to worry about from that direction. But by now, I have heard that Lu Kang has sent a petition reporting that Chengdu (the Shu capital) has fallen, the lord of Shu and his ministers have gone into exile, and the altars of their state have been toppled.

"In ancient times, although the state of Wey was initially destroyed by the state of Di, Duke Huan of Qi was still able to restore Wey in the end and preserve it. It may be true that the road to Shu is long and distant. But are we truly not going to offer our assistance to them and thereby abandon a region which has entrusted itself to us and abandon a vassal state which has been offering us tribute? Foolish though I may be, I cannot help but be unsettled by this prospect.

"Your Majesty (Sun Xiu) is sage and benevolent, and your mercy and grace comfort even those in distant places. Surely, having heard such news as this, you will sympathize with the plight of our allies. As for me, being unable to master my feelings of distress and despair, I have respectfully presented this petition for your consideration."

孫皓即位，封除陵亭候。寶鼎二年，皓更營新宮，制度弘廣，飾以珠玉，所費甚多。是時盛夏興工，農守並廢，核上疏諫曰：臣聞漢文之世，九州晏然，秦民喜去慘毒之苛政，歸劉氏之寬仁，省役約法，與之更始，分王子弟以藩漢室，當此之時，皆以為泰山之安，無窮之基之也。至於賈誼，獨以為可痛哭及流涕者三，可為長歎息者六，乃曰當今之勢何異抱火積薪之下而寢其上，火末及然而謂之安。其後變亂，皆如其言。臣雖下愚，不識大倫，竊以囊時之事，揆今之勢。

After Sun Hao came to the throne (in 264), Hua He was appointed as Marquis of Xuling District.

In the second year of Baoding (267), Sun Hao began building a new palace; the design was on a grand and luxurious scale, adorned with pearls and jade, and the expense was very considerable. People were conscripted as workers to build the palace, even though it was during the height of summer, which caused a considerable shortage of labor for farm work.

Hua He sent up a petition to remonstrate against what Sun Hao was doing. He wrote, "I have heard that during the reign of Emperor Wen of Han, the Nine Provinces (the whole realm) enjoyed an age of peace; the people of the Qin region (Guanzhong, the capital region for Western Han) were glad to have been spared from the burden of onerous laws and were supportive of the royal Liu clan because of their generous and benevolent policies. The dynasty had reduced corvee labor demands and simplified the laws, granting the people a new beginning, and they had appointed younger relatives of the clan as Princes across the realm to serve as shields for the imperial line. Truly one could have described that era as being 'as secure as Mount Tai, with a boundless foundation'. Yet Jia Yi was still able to bring up 'three sources of grief and six potential concerns' for the realm, and he described the situation as being as perilous as 'a man who has piled up firewood and then gone to sleep on top of it, thinking himself perfectly safe just because no sparks have yet appeared'. Indeed, the disasters and disturbances which came afterwards all proved to be just as he described. And though I might be an incompetent fool, certainly no peer of Jia Yi, still I cannot help but feel that the situation of our time has much in common with those days which Jia Yi described.

誼曰復數年間，諸王方剛，漢之傅相稱疾罷歸，欲以此為治，雖堯、舜不能安。今大敵據九州之地，有大半之眾，習攻戰之餘術，乘戎刀之舊勢，欲與中國爭相吞之計，其猶楚漢勢不兩立，非徒漢之諸王淮南，濟北而已。誼之所欲痛哭，比今為緩，抱火臥薪之喻，於今而急。大皇帝覽前代之如彼，察今勢之如此，故廣開農桑之業，積不訾之儲，恤民重役，務養戰士，是以大小感恩，各思竭命。斯運未至，早棄萬國，自是之後，強臣專政，上詭天時，下違從議，忘安存之本，邀一時之利，數興軍旅，傾竭府藏，兵勞民困，無時獲安。今之存者乃創夷之遺眾，哀苦之餘及耳。遂使軍盜空匱，倉廩不實，布帛之賜，寒暑不周，重以失業，家戶不贍。而北積穀養民，專心向東，無復他警。蜀為西藩，土地險固，加承先主統御之術，謂其守禦足以長久，不圖一朝奄至傾覆！唇亡齒寒，古人所懼。交州諸郡，國之南土，交阯、九真二郡已沒，日南孤危，存亡難保，合浦以北，民皆搖動。因連避役，多有離叛，而備戍減少，威鎮轉輕，常恐呼吸復有變故。昔海虜窺窬東縣，多得離民，地習海行，狃於往年，鈔盜無日，今胸背有嫌，首尾多難，乃國朝之厄會也。誠宜住建立之役，先備豫之計，勉墾殖之業，為饑乏之救。惟恐農時將過，東作向晚，有事之日，整嚴未辦。若捨此急，盡力功作，卒有風塵不虞之變。當委版築之役，應烽燧之急，驅怨苦之眾，赴自刃之難，此乃大敵所因為資也。如但固守，曠日持久，則軍糧必乏，不待接刃，而戰士已困矣。

"Jia Yi warned that within a few years, the Princes of the realm would have become so powerful and so many of their Tutors and Chancellors would have resigned on claims of illness that 'even ancient sages like Yao and Shun would no longer be able to restore peace and order to the realm'. And what sort of situation do we face now? Our great enemy (Jin) occupies the region of the Nine Provinces (the Central Plains) and controls more than half the population of the realm, and they have an abundance of experience and skill in battle and warfare. Considering the difference in strength between the two sides, if we intended to contend for control of the Middle Kingdom with them, we would not even have the rough parity between Chu and Han during their contention, but we could only muster the power of Han's Princes of Huainan and Jibei. What Jia Yi considered 'a source of grief' is insufficient to describe how dire our own disparity is, and his example of 'a man sleeping on firewood' still does not match our distress.

"The Grand Emperor (Sun Quan) reflected upon the events of past dynasties like this, and he considered the circumstances of his own times. That was why he expanded and encouraged agriculture and silk cultivation among the people, built up incalculable supplies, spared the people from excessive labor demands, and tended to and nurtured his warriors and officers. The great and small were moved by his grace, and all submitted themselves to his wishes.

"Yet before the Grand Emperor could fully realize his designs, he left us before his time. From then on, powerful ministers dominated the government; above, they defied the circumstances of the time, and below, they ignored the advice of the counselors. They disregarded the things which lead to peace and stability in order to chase after momentary gains. They repeatedly engaged in military adventurism and used up and exhausted all the stores and supplies; the soldiers were worn-out and the people distressed, and at no time did they enjoy repose.

"What we have left by now is no more than the remnants of a strained army and the leftovers of a grieving populace. Our military is pitiful and bare, our warehouses and stores have nothing of substance, we lack enough cloth and silks to distribute to protect the people from cold and heat, and the people's livelihoods have suffered so much that the families and households cannot provide for themselves. Meanwhile, the northerners (Jin) have been stockpiling grain and tending to their people, their hearts are set towards subduing the east (Wu), and they have no other disturbances to distract them.

"Shu was our western shield: it was a region of strong natural defenses, and it was skillfully led and overseen by the Former Lord (Liu Bei). People said that thanks to Shu, our western flank would always be well-defended. Who could have expected that Shu would topple and fall in a single morning? 'When the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold', as the ancients feared. And the commandaries of Jiaozhou are the southern regions of our state. Yet by now, Jiaozhi and Jiuzhen have already been lost, and Rinan is isolated and threatened. It is difficult to know whether we will be able to hold the region or not, and all the people north of Hepu (on the coast) have been disturbed by the turmoil. In order to avoid conscript labor, many people have deserted or turned rebel, yet local defenses have been gradually diminished and the authority of the garrisons has been scorned. I have often feared that this could breathe life into new developments. And in past years, pirates have been scouting out the eastern counties, taking many people there as captives, and accustomed as they are to both land and water, they have plundered the region incessantly.

"Thus there is suspicion from front and rear, and many difficulties from head and tail, so that the state and the court find themselves in a perilous situation. If there is any need for corvee labor, it should be for augmenting our military defenses and preparations; otherwise, the people should be encouraged to see to their livelihoods in order to spare themselves from hunger and poverty. I only fear that the farming season may already be too far gone, and that we may be too late to prevent our enemies from turning east; if anything should happen, our defenses may not be sufficient. But if we neglect this urgent task and expend all our efforts in projects, then we will be unprepared for any sudden development. Better for us to be building boards and frames to serve as walls and setting up beacon fires to act as warning signals. If we stir up the anger of the people through projects such as this one, then if we send our people into the fray, our great enemy will take advantage of their rage to turn them against us. And if we only use the people to man our defenses and let the days slip by, then our military supplies will surely be exhausted, and our warriors will be defeated without even crossing blades with the enemy.

昔太戊之時，桑谷生庭，懼而修德，怪消殷興。熒惑守心，宋以為災，景公下從瞽史之言，而熒惑退捨，景公延年。夫修德於身而感異類，言發於口通神明。臣以愚蔽，誤忝近署，不能冀宣仁澤以感靈祗，仰慚俯愧，無所投處。退伏思惟，榮惑桑谷之異，天示二主，至如他余錙介之��；近是門庭小神所為，驗之天地，無有他變，而征樣符瑞前後屢臻，明珠既覿，白雀繼見，萬億之祚，實靈所挺。以九域為宅，天下為家，不與編戶之民轉徙同也。又今之宮室，先帝所營。卜土立基，非為不祥。又楊市土地與宮連接，若大功畢竟，輿駕遷住，門行之神，皆當轉移，猶恐長，久未必勝舊。屢遷不少，留則有嫌，此乃愚臣所以夙夜為憂灼也。臣省《月令》，季夏之月，不可以興土功，不可以會諸侯，不可以起兵動眾，舉大事必有大殃。今雖諸侯不會，諸侯之軍與會無異。六月戊己，土行正王，既不可犯，加又農月，時不可失。昔魯隱公夏城中丘，《春秋》書之，垂為後戒。今築宮為長世之洪基，而犯天地之大禁，襲《春秋》之所書，廢敬授之上務，臣以愚管，竊所未安。

"In ancient times, during the reign of Tai Wu of Yin (Shang), a mulberry tree and a millet tree suddenly grew within the courtyard, but when Tai Wu feared this omen and cultivated his virtue, the evil subsided and the Yin dynasty flourished. And in another instance, when Mars resided in the Heart constellation of the night sky, the state of Song took it as a warning; Duke Jing of Song heeded the advice of Gu Shi, causing Mars to retreat, and Duke Jing enjoyed a long life. These things demonstrate that changing one's behavior can be sufficient to ward off omens, and the words of mortals can be perceived by the spirits.

"Now I am merely an ignorant and obscure fellow, most unworthy of the close position I have been granted, and I have no hopes of demonstrating any understanding or benevolence which might capture the attention of the spirits. Looking up, I feel guilty, and gazing down, I feel ashamed; there is no place for me to turn to. But as I withdraw, I cannot help but dwell upon this subject. The movements of Mars and the growth of the trees were omens sent by Heaven to the two lords as indications of its feelings, even as are the most insignificant of oddities. The smallest of occurrences within the gate or in the courtyard are none other than the expressed intentions of Heaven and Earth, who have repeatedly made manifest their will; such incidents as the discovery of a bright pearl or the observation of white swallows are bound up in the significance of all things and are the omens of the very spirits.

"The Nine Regions (the whole realm) are all one residence; the people of the realm are all one family. The movements of any one affect the movements of all. Besides, the current palace was the one built by the past sovereigns, and when they studied the ground and soil upon which it was to be built, they found no cause to think that the site would be ill-omened. Furthermore, the ground and soil of the Yang Marketplace is already adjacent to the existing palace. Even supposing that the great project of building the new palace will be successful, it will become the new imperial residence, and the spirits of the household will all be properly shifted there, I still fear that the process will take a long time to carry out. Nor is it certain that the new palace will prove superior to the old one in the end. And the constant movements of the imperial residence to new sites are sure to arouse the jealousy and suspicion of the people left behind. These are the things which cause your foolish subject to burn with worry, day and night.

"From what I have studied of the 'Monthly Restrictions' chapter of the Book of Rites, the height of summer is not the time for undertaking any earth-shifting projects, for assembling the feudal lords, or for raising troops and undertaking military activities, and that any great endeavor begun at such a time will surely come to a bad end. Although we may not be 'assembling the feudal lords', calling together their soldiers (for the building project) is no different. And on the Wuji day of the sixth month, earth was shifted for the royal project, which violates these restrictions, and this took place during the farming months, which goes against the natural cycle of agricultural work.

"In ancient times, Duke Yin of Lu heedlessly walled Zhongqiu during the summer months, and the Spring and Autumn Annals records his error as a warning to future generations. Now Your Majesty wishes to build this new palace to serve as a long-lasting foundation for generations to come. Yet in the process of building it, you are violating the great restrictions of Heaven and Earth, going against the principles laid out in the Spring and Autumn Annals, and neglecting your supreme duties of paying your requests. Your foolish subject cannot help but be concerned for you.

又恐所召離民，或有不至，討之則廢役興事，不討則日月滋慢。若悉並到，大眾聚會，希無疾病。且人心安則念善，苦則怨叛。江南精兵，北土所難，欲以十卒當東一人。天下未定，深可憂惜之。如此宮成，死叛五千，則北軍之眾更增五萬，著到萬人，則倍益十萬，病者有死亡之損，叛者傳不善之語，此乃大敵所以歡喜也。今當角力中原，以定強弱，正於際會。彼益我損，加以勞困，此乃雄夫智士所以深憂。

"Another concern is that, when you summon the deserters to come back, some of them may refuse to return. If you take time to punish them, you will divert efforts from your labors to deal with this issue instead. But if you do not punish them, then the people will grow slacker and more indolent by the days and months. Furthermore, you have mustered a great deal of people for these efforts, and it is a rare thing indeed when such a gathering of people does not result in some outbreak of illness.

"People are content to consider themselves good subjects in times of peace, but when they must toil, they are driven to hatred and rebellion. Now we may pride ourselves on the fact that our soldiers of the Southland are so skilled that the northerners must oppose each of our soldiers with ten of theirs to stand a chance. But this principle also applies in reverse, and considering that the realm has not yet been settled, it is a matter of serious concern. Suppose in order to complete Your Majesty's new palace, five thousand of our people either perished during their labors or ran off to become rebels. That would be effectively the same thing as increasing the ranks of the northern army by fifty thousand troops. And if we increase the number of losses on our side to ten thousand, then for the enemy it is a gain of a hundred thousand. Illnesses among the laborers here will lead to further losses from those laid low or killed, and rebels from deserters of this project will spread evil tales about us to dishearten the people. These are things which our great enemy would welcome with glee. When we lock horns with the Central Plains, it will be a contest of pure strength, and the margin between us is narrow enough as it is. Shall we then diminish our own side and bolster the enemy's by adding to the burdens and toils of our people? These are things which deeply concern bold heroes and calculating strategists.

臣聞先王治國無三年之儲，曰國非其國，安寧之世戒備如此。況敵強大而忽農忘畜。今雖頗種殖，間者大水沉沒，其餘存者當須耘獲。而長吏怖期，上方諸郡，身涉山林，盡力伐材，廢農棄務；士民妻孥羸小，墾殖又薄；若有水旱則永無所獲。州郡見米，當待有事，冗食之眾，仰官供濟。若上下空乏，運漕不供，而北敵犯疆，使周、召更生，良、平復出，不能為陛下計明矣。臣聞君明者臣忠，主聖者臣直，是以悽悽，昧犯天威，乞垂哀省。

"I have heard that the ancient kings believed that 'if there is not a surplus sufficient for three years, the state cannot continue.' Even in an age of peace and tranquility, such preparations were a necessity. Isn't this even more the case when we are faced with a strong and powerful enemy while having neglected agriculture and turned away from livestock?

"Although our population is not insignificant, recently we have lost people due to flooding, making it even more imperative that the survivors should devote themselves to weeding and harvesting. Yet the chief local officials, ignoring the natural cycle, have gathered together the men of several commandaries to wade through the mountains and forests and exert all their strength for felling trees, thus abandoning their agricultural and other duties. The wives and children left behind are weak and small, barely able to make any effort towards farmwork, and if there should be any flooding or famine, then none of them will be able to obtain anything to sustain themselves. The provinces and commandaries ought to be focusing their efforts on rice. Only then will they be prepared to deal with any emergency, keep the people and the army fed, and use what is left over to fill the government stores. But if both those above and those below exhaust all their supplies and leave nothing behind to sustain anyone, then once the northern enemy crosses our borders, even if the Duke of Zhou or Duke of Shao were reborn or Zhang Liang or Chen Ping appeared among us, they would not be able to come up with any wise plans to save Your Majesty.

"I have heard that the lord is wise when the servants are loyal, that the master is sage when the ministers are candid. Quivering with fear and trembling at the prospect of going against the heavenly authority, I beg that you will condescend to take pity on me."

書奏，皓不納。後遷東觀令，領右國吏，核上疏辭讓。皓答曰：“得表，以東觀儒林之府，當講校文藝，處定疑難，漢時皆名學碩儒乃任其職，乞更選英賢。聞之，以卿研精墳典，博覽多聞，可謂悅禮樂敦詩書者也。當飛翰騁藻，光贊時事，以越揚、班、張、蔡之疇，怪乃謙光，厚自菲薄，宜勉備所職，以邁先賢，勿復紛紛。”

Hua He's petition was accepted, but Sun Hao did not heed his advice.

Later, Hua He was appointed as Prefect of the Dongguan Bureau (of historical writing) and as acting State Historian of the Right. He sent up a petition attempting to decline this honor. But Sun Hao wrote in response, "I have received your petition. But the staff of the scholars of the Dongguan Bureau should be supervised by someone of considerable literary skill and elegance. I have pondered and considered deeply about who would be best for the role. During the Han dynasty, it was always a famous scholar of considerable learning who held this post, and I too wanted to seek out a great and worthy person as well.

"As for what I have heard about you, they say that you are a man of exceptional study and detailed knowledge, and many have heard of your deep learning and reflection. Surely you could be described as someone who takes joy in the rites and music, in studying the Book of Poetry and the Book of Documents. You ought to be raising your writing brush with a flourish and glorifying and praising the events of our age; your work would surpass even those of Yang Xiong, Ban Gu, Zhang Heng, or Cai Yong. How strange, then, for you to be so modest about your brilliance and to belittle yourself so greatly. You should be rushing to prepare for your new role and striving to inherit the legacy of the ancient worthies. Let there be no further delays."

時倉廩無儲，世俗滋侈，核上疏曰：今冠虜充斥，征伐未已，居無積年之儲，出無敵之畜，此乃有國者所宣深憂也。夫財谷所生，皆出於民，趨時務農，國之上急。而都下諸官，所掌別異，各自下調，不計民力，輒與近期。長吏畏罪，晝夜催民，委捨佃事，遑赴會日，定送到都，或蘊積不用，而徒使百姓消力失時。到秋收月，督其限入，奪其播殖之時，而責定送其今年之稅，如有逋懸，則籍沒財物，故家戶貧困，衣食不足。宜暫息眾役，專心農桑。古人稱一夫不耕，或受其饑。一女不織，或受其寒。是以先王治國，惟農是務。軍興以來，已向百栽，農人廢南畝之務，女工停機杼之業。推此揆之，則蔬食而長饑，薄衣而履冰者，固不少矣。臣聞主之所求於民者二，民之所望於主者三。二謂求其為己勞也，求其為己死也。三謂譏者能食之，勞者能息之，有功者能賞之。民以致其二事而主失其三望者，則怨心生而功不建，今帑藏不實，民勞役猥，主之二求已備，民之三望未報。且饑者不待美饌而後飽，寒者不俟狐貉而後溫，為味者口之奇，文繡者身之飾也。今事多而役繁，民貧而俗奢，百工作無用之器，婦人為綺靡之飾，不勤麻枲，並鄉黼黻，轉相倣傚，恥獨無有。兵民之家，猶復遂俗，內無儋石之儲，而出有綾綺之服，至於富賈商販之家，重以金銀，奢恣尤甚。天下未平，百姓不贍，宜一生民之原，豐谷帛之業。而棄功於浮華之巧，妨日於侈靡之事，上無尊卑等級之差，下有耗財物力之損。今吏士之家，少無子女，多者三四，少者一二，通令戶有一女，十萬家則十萬人，人織績一歲一束，則十萬束矣。使四疆之內同心戮力，數年之間，布帛必積。恣民五色，惟所服用，但禁綺繡無益之飾。且美貌者不待華采以祟好，艷姿者不待文綺以致愛，五采之飾，足以麗矣。若極粉黛，窮盛服，未必無醜婦。廢華采，去文繡，未必無美人也。若實如論，有之無益廢之無損者，何愛而不斬禁以充府藏之急乎？此救乏之上務，富國之本業也，使管、晏復生，無以易此。漢之文、景，承平繼統，天下已定，四方無虞，猶以雕文之妨農事，錦繡之害女紅，開富國之利，杜饑寒之本。況今六台分乖；豺狼充路；兵不離疆；甲不解帶。而可以不廣生財之原，充府藏之積哉？

At this time, the grain stores had no reserves, while the common trend was towards decadence and luxury. So Hua He sent up another petition. He wrote, "We currently have an abundance of powerful enemies, and we have campaigns and expeditions yet to conduct. But at home, we lack several years' worth of supplies, and in the field, we shall be no match for the enemy's reserves of food. These are things which those with a clear understanding of the state find deeply concerning.

"The food and goods of the state are all produced by the people; following the natural cycle of agriculture and encouraging the people in their farmwork is the most important duty of the state. Yet all of the capital ministries have been diverting the people to other tasks, each with their own agendas, and heedless of how much strength the people can even offer for such work, they press for labor conscripts to be sent to them at once. For their part, the chief local officials are terrified of being accused of some crime if they fail to meet these central demands, and so day and night they are harrying the people; totally neglecting agricultural affairs, they carelessly set days for the people to assemble and then rush them off to the capital. Thus in some instances these local regions are totally bereft of supplies, for the people have all been hurried away to waste their strength and squander the season. By the time the autumn months arrive and the harvest must be brought in, there is often little to be reaped, for the time for sowing and growing was taken away from the people. Yet they are still not spared from the full tax demands of grain to be sent to the government for the year. Some people, unable to pay, resort to going into hiding or even hanging themselves. So the taxes come up short, and this leads to families and households being poor and destitute, without enough food or clothing to sustain themselves.

"We should halt labor demands and spare the people from conscription, focusing all our attention on farming and silkworm cultivation. The ancients believed that 'for every man who does not plow, someone will go hungry; for every woman who does not weave, someone will go cold'. Thus when the kings of old governed their states, they took only agriculture to be their duty. Military affairs and conscript service have always been lesser concerns, for they divert the farmers from 'tending to their south-facing fields' and distract the women from their business at the looms. Whenever such conditions are imposed, then quite a few people will be short on food and long on hunger, lacking clothing and treading on ice.

"I have heard that there are two things which the lord demands from the people, and three things which the people desire from the lord. The lord demands that the people offer up their labor and their lives; the people hope that the lord will give them food when they are hungry, rest when they are tired, and rewards when they have done good works. When the people strive to fulfill the two demands, and yet the lord fails to satisfy their three desires, then anger grows in their hearts and nothing can be achieved. Right now, the people are striving diligently to carry out their corvee labor, yet the treasury has no reserves of food. The lord's demands are being carried out, yet the people's desires are not being repaid.

"Someone who is starving will not wait to be offered delicious morsels before they will eat; someone who is shivering will not insist upon fancy furs before wrapping themselves in warmth. Taste is only a luxury for the mouth, and patterns and brocades are only ornaments for the body. At the moment, there are many pressing matters, yet we are engaged in numerous projects; the people are in poverty, yet we live extravagantly. The workers are building things which are of no use, while the women dress themselves in finery, adorning their clothes with embroidery rather than frugally using hemp. Everyone is trying to imitate one another, and no one feels shame. Even the families of the soldiers and the common people are still following this custom; though they do not even have a jug's or a bushel's worth of grain stored up, when they go out they also dress themselves in fine silks. And things are so bad that the families of rich merchants and wealthy traders dazzle themselves with gold and silver and indulge in outrageous displays of excess. At a time when the realm is not yet at peace and the common people have no food stored away, we ought to be returning to the foundation of the peoples' livelihoods, and devote our efforts to filling the valleys with grain. Yet we are throwing away this worthy endeavor in order to craft decadent and flashy things and encourage more and more harmful extravagance by the day. Above, there is no distinction made between the esteemed and the lowly; below, there is great spending of wealth and dwindling of fortunes.

"Very few of the families of officials or gentry have no children; most of them have three or four, while a smaller share has one or two. But let us simply assume a single daughter for every household. That would mean a hundred thousand daughters across a hundred thousand families. If each of those daughters weaved and produced one bolt of cloth in a year, they would produce a hundred thousand bolts altogether. And if all the people within every corner of our territory were as industrious as this and devoted to the same task, then within the space of a few years, we would have a ready supply of cloth and silk. Let them indulge themselves in the Five Colors, so long as they labor, but forbid them from adding useless embroidery or designs. Besides, a remarkable appearance does not depend upon ostentatious clothing to be exceptional, nor does a glamorous figure require patterned designs to be lovely. The Five Colors are sufficient adornment to provide beauty. Ugliness will not be hidden even by heavy powder and makeup or lavish clothing; beauty will still shine through even without floral patterns or intricate embroidery. And if these principles be accepted as true, that possessing such finery gives no advantage and removing it imposes no loss, then why treasure such things rather than forbid them for the sake of meeting the pressing needs of the treasury?

"To spare the people from poverty is the greatest duty of the ruler and the basic enterprise of a wealthy state. Even if Guan Zhong or Yan Ying were born again, they still could not change this fundamental truth. During the Han dynasty, Emperors Wen and Jing ruled over a peaceful age for consecutive reigns; the realm was already at peace, and there were no enemies in any corner of the land. Yet even they felt that artisanal crafting was a distraction from farm labor and brocades and embroideries harmed women's work, that the path to prosperity for a wealthy state was through preventing suffering from hunger and cold. Doesn't this apply even more to our times, when there are enemies on every side and wolves and jackals fill the roads, when our weapons are never laid aside and our armor is never put away? How then can we fail to expand the foundation of the peoples' wealth and fill the treasury with grain reserves?"

皓以核年老，敕令草表，核不敢。又敕作草文，停立待之。核為文曰：咨核小臣，草芥凡庸。遭眷值聖，受恩特隆。越從朽壤，蟬蛻朝中。熙光紫闥；青璅是憑。毖挹清露，沐浴凱風。效無絲氂，負闕山祟。滋潤含垢，恩貸累重。穢質被榮，局命得融。欲報罔極，委之皇穹。聖恩雨注，哀棄其尤。猥命草對，潤被下愚。不敢達敕，懼速罪誅。冒承詔命，魂逝形留。

Sun Hao felt that, since Hua He was an older man, he would be proficient in cursive script. He commanded Hua He to compose a petition in the cursive style, but Hua He did not dare to do so. Then Sun Hao pressed his demand: he ordered Hua He to write out a draft in cursive script, and finish before Sun Hao had sat back down. So Hua He wrote out the following verses in cursive:

Your servant Hua He

Accedes to your wishes

Though middling of talents

Lacking in true skill.

Fortunate have I been

To encounter your sagacity

Your grace I received

Your favor you lavished.

Thus have I burst

Through the rotten soil

Or like a cicada

Cast off my cocoon.

For by your brilliance

Is the chamber resplendent

And even the gems

May only reflect it.

With caution I pour

A measure of dew

And immerse myself in

Winds from the south.

Of merits I claim

Not the finest hairs

While faults and mistakes

Bear down like mountains.

I wallow in filth

Mouth full of dirt

Yet time and again

You extend your grace.

And now I may

Exchange infamy for honor

If this be fate

Shall I not rejoice?

Then let me repay

To the fullest degree

And all that I am

Entrust to your greatness.

Your mercy and grace

Are soothing as rain

What a terrible prospect

To lose such magnificence!

Thus I hastily comply

With your expressed wishes

A composition in cursive

Though stained by ignorance.

To call this achievement

I never could dare

And guilt and punishment

Shall surely await me.

But here lies proof

Of fulfilling your command

Though my soul departs

May this form remain.

核前後陳便宜，及貢薦良能，解釋罪過，書百餘上，皆有補益，文多不悉載。天冊元年以微譴免，數歲卒。曜、核所論事章疏，咸傳於世也。

On many occasions, Hua He wrote petitions explaining beneficial policies, recommending good and able people, or defending those who had been accused of crimes or faults. He wrote more than a hundred petitions, all addressing how to deal with deficiencies, and his writings were too numerous to be counted.

In the first year of Tiance (275), because of some trifling incident, Hua He was censured and removed from office. He passed away several years later.

The discussions and petitions which Wei Zhao and Hua He wrote were all passed down through the generations.

#Hua He #Sanguozhi #SGZ #Records of the Three Kingdoms #Eastern Wu #Three Kingdoms #Sanguo #Chinese History #China

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