卷五十六·陈丞相世家第二十六
卷五十六·陈丞相世家第二十六
司马迁
陈丞相平者，阳武户牖乡人也。少时家贫，好读书，有田三十亩，独与兄伯居。伯常耕田，纵平使游学。平为人长大美色。人或谓陈平曰：“贫何食而肥若是？”其嫂嫉平之不视家生产，曰：“亦食糠覈耳。有叔如此，不如无有。”伯闻之，逐其妇而弃之。
及平长，可娶妻，富人莫肯与者，贫者平亦耻之。久之，户牖富人有张负，张负女孙五嫁而夫辄死，人莫敢娶。平欲得之。邑中有丧，平贫，侍丧，以先往后罢为助。张负既见之丧所，独视伟平，平亦以故后去。负随平至其家，家乃负郭穷巷，以弊席为门，然门外多有长者车辙。张负归，谓其子仲曰：“吾欲以女孙予陈平。”张仲曰：“平贫不事事，一县中尽笑其所为，独柰何予女乎？”负曰：“人固有好美如陈平而长贫贱者乎？”卒与女。为平贫，乃假贷币以聘，予酒肉之资以内妇。负诫其孙曰：“毋以贫故，事人不谨。事兄伯如事父，事嫂如母。”平既娶张氏女，赍用益饶，游道日广。
里中社，平为宰，分肉食甚均。父老曰：“善，陈孺子之为宰！”平曰：“嗟乎，使平得宰天下，亦如是肉矣！”
陈涉起而王陈，使周巿略定魏地，立魏咎为魏王，与秦军相攻于临济。陈平固已前谢其兄伯，从少年往事魏王咎于临济。魏王以为太仆。说魏王不听，人或谗之，陈平亡去。
久之，项羽略地至河上，陈平往归之，从入破秦，赐平爵卿。项羽之东王彭城也，汉王还定三秦而东，殷王反楚。项羽乃以平为信武君，将魏王咎客在楚者以往，击降殷王而还。项王使项悍拜平为都尉，赐金二十溢。居无何，汉王攻下殷。项王怒，将诛定殷者将吏。陈平惧诛，乃封其金与印，使使归项王，而平身间行杖剑亡。渡河，船人见其美丈夫独行，疑其亡将，要中当有金玉宝器，目之，欲杀平。平恐，乃解衣裸而佐刺船。船人知其无有，乃止。
平遂至修武降汉，因魏无知求见汉王，汉王召入。是时万石君奋为汉王中涓，受平谒，入见平。平等七人俱进，赐食。王曰：“罢，就舍矣。”平曰：“臣为事来，所言不可以过今日。”于是汉王与语而说之，问曰：“子之居楚何官？”曰：“为都尉。”是日乃拜平为都尉，使为参乘，典护军。诸将尽讙，曰：“大王一日得楚之亡卒，未知其高下，而即与同载，反使监护军长者！”汉王闻之，愈益幸平。遂与东伐项王。至彭城，为楚所败。引而还，收散兵至荥阳，以平为亚将，属于韩王信，军广武。
绛侯、灌婴等咸谗陈平曰：“平虽美丈夫，如冠玉耳，其中未必有也。臣闻平居家时，盗其嫂；事魏不容，亡归楚；归楚不中，又亡归汉。今日大王尊官之，令护军。臣闻平受诸将金，金多者得善处，金少者得恶处。平，反覆乱臣也，愿王察之。”汉王疑之，召让魏无知。无知曰：“臣所言者，能也；陛下所问者，行也。今有尾生、孝己之行而无益处于胜负之数，陛下何暇用之乎？楚汉相距，臣进奇谋之士，顾其计诚足以利国家不耳。且盗嫂受金又何足疑乎？”汉王召让平曰：“先生事魏不中，遂事楚而去，今又从吾游，信者固多心乎？”平曰：“臣事魏王，魏王不能用臣说，故去事项王。项王不能信人，其所任爱，非诸项即妻之昆弟，虽有奇士不能用，平乃去楚。闻汉王之能用人，故归大王。臣裸身来，不受金无以为资。诚臣计画有可采者，愿大王用之；使无可用者，金具在，请封输官，得请骸骨。”汉王乃谢，厚赐，拜为护军中尉，尽护诸将。诸将乃不敢复言。
其后，楚急攻，绝汉甬道，围汉王于荥阳城。久之，汉王患之，请割荥阳以西以和。项王不听。汉王谓陈平曰：“天下纷纷，何时定乎？”陈平曰：“项王为人，恭敬爱人，士之廉节好礼者多归之。至于行功爵邑，重之，士亦以此不附。今大王慢而少礼，士廉节者不来；然大王能饶人以爵邑，士之顽钝嗜利无耻者亦多归汉。诚各去其两短，袭其两长，天下指麾则定矣。然大王恣侮人，不能得廉节之士。顾楚有可乱者，彼项王骨鲠之臣亚父、钟离眛、龙且、周殷之属，不过数人耳。大王诚能出捐数万斤金，行反间，间其君臣，以疑其心，项王为人意忌信谗，必内相诛。汉因举兵而攻之，破楚必矣。”汉王以为然，乃出黄金四万斤，与陈平，恣所为，不问其出入。
陈平既多以金纵反间于楚军，宣言诸将钟离眛等为项王将，功多矣，然而终不得裂地而王，欲与汉为一，以灭项氏而分王其地。项羽果意不信钟离眜等。项王既疑之，使使至汉。汉王为太牢具，举进。见楚使，即详惊曰：“吾以为亚父使，乃项王使！”复持去，更以恶草具进楚使。楚使归，具以报项王。项王果大疑亚父。亚父欲急攻下荥阳城，项王不信，不肯听。亚父闻项王疑之，乃怒曰：“天下事大定矣，君王自为之！愿请骸骨归！”归未至彭城，疽发背而死。陈平乃夜出女子二千人荥阳城东门，楚因击之，陈平乃与汉王从城西门夜出去。遂入关，收散兵复东。
其明年，淮阴侯破齐，自立为齐王，使使言之汉王。汉王大怒而骂，陈平蹑汉王。汉王亦悟，乃厚遇齐使，使张子房卒立信为齐王。封平以户牖乡。用其奇计策，卒灭楚。常以护军中尉从定燕王臧荼。
汉六年，人有上书告楚王韩信反。高帝问诸将，诸将曰：“亟发兵阬竖子耳。”高帝默然。问陈平，平固辞谢，曰：“诸将云何？”上具告之。陈平曰：“人之上书言信反，有知之者乎？”曰：“未有。”曰：“信知之乎？”曰：“不知。”陈平曰：“陛下精兵孰与楚？”上曰：“不能过。”平曰：“陛下将用兵有能过韩信者乎？”上曰：“莫及也。”平曰：“今兵不如楚精，而将不能及，而举兵攻之，是趣之战也，窃为陛下危之。”上曰：“为之柰何？”平曰：“古者天子巡狩，会诸侯。南方有云梦，陛下弟出伪游云梦，会诸侯于陈。陈，楚之西界，信闻天子以好出游，其势必无事而郊迎谒。谒，而陛下因禽之，此特一力士之事耳。”高帝以为然，乃发使告诸侯会陈，“吾将南游云梦”。上因随以行。行未至陈，楚王信果郊迎道中。高帝豫具武士，见信至，即执缚之，载后车。信呼曰：“天下已定，我固当烹！”高帝顾谓信曰：“若毋声！而反，明矣！”武士反接之。遂会诸侯于陈，尽定楚地。还至雒阳，赦信以为淮阴侯，而与功臣剖符定封。
于是与平剖符，世世勿绝，为户牖侯。平辞曰：“此非臣之功也。”上曰：“吾用先生谋计，战胜克敌，非功而何？”平曰：“非魏无知臣安得进？”上曰：“若子可谓不背本矣。”乃复赏魏无知。其明年，以护军中尉从攻反者韩王信于代。卒至平城，为匈奴所围，七日不得食。高帝用陈平奇计，使单于阏氏，围以得开。高帝既出，其计秘，世莫得闻。
高帝南过曲逆，上其城，望见其屋室甚大，曰：“壮哉县！吾行天下，独见洛阳与是耳。”顾问御史曰：“曲逆户口几何？”对曰：“始秦时三万余户，间者兵数起，多亡匿，今见五千户。”于是乃诏御史，更以陈平为曲逆侯，尽食之，除前所食户牖。
其后常以护军中尉从攻陈狶及黥布。凡六出奇计，辄益邑，凡六益封。奇计或颇秘，世莫能闻也。
高帝从破布军还，病创，徐行至长安。燕王卢绾反，上使樊哙以相国将兵攻之。既行，人有短恶哙者。高帝怒曰：“哙见吾病，乃冀我死也。”用陈平谋而召绛侯周勃受诏床下，曰：“陈平亟驰传载勃代哙将，平至军中即斩哙头！”二人既受诏，驰传未至军，行计之曰：“樊哙，帝之故人也，功多，且又乃吕后弟吕媭之夫，有亲且贵，帝以忿怒故，欲斩之，则恐后悔。宁囚而致上，上自诛之。”未至军，为坛，以节召樊哙。哙受诏，即反接载槛车，传诣长安，而令绛侯勃代将，将兵定燕反县。
平行闻高帝崩，平恐吕太后及吕媭谗怒，乃驰传先去。逢使者诏平与灌婴屯于荥阳。平受诏，立复驰至宫，哭甚哀，因奏事丧前。吕太后哀之，曰：“君劳，出休矣。”平畏谗之就，因固请得宿卫中。太后乃以为郎中令，曰：“傅教孝惠。”是后吕媭谗乃不得行。樊哙至，则赦复爵邑。
孝惠帝六年，相国曹参卒，以安国侯王陵为右丞相，陈平为左丞相。
王陵者，故沛人，始为县豪，高祖微时，兄事陵。陵少文，任气，好直言。及高祖起沛，入至咸阳，陵亦自聚党数千人，居南阳，不肯从沛公。及汉王之还攻项籍，陵乃以兵属汉。项羽取陵母置军中，陵使至，则东乡坐陵母，欲以招陵。陵母既私送使者，泣曰：“为老妾语陵，谨事汉王。汉王，长者也，无以老妾故，持二心。妾以死送使者。”遂伏剑而死。项王怒，烹陵母。陵卒从汉王定天下。以善雍齿，雍齿，高帝之仇，而陵本无意从高帝，以故晚封，为安国侯。
安国侯既为右丞相，二岁，孝惠帝崩。高后欲立诸吕为王，问王陵，王陵曰：“不可。”问陈平，陈平曰：“可。”吕太后怒，乃详迁陵为帝太傅，实不用陵。陵怒，谢疾免，杜门竟不朝请，七年而卒。
陵之免丞相，吕太后乃徙平为右丞相，以辟阳侯审食其为左丞相。左丞相不治，常给事于中。
食其亦沛人。汉王之败彭城西，楚取太上皇、吕后为质，食其以舍人侍吕后。其后从破项籍为侯，幸于吕太后。及为相，居中，百官皆因决事。
吕媭常以前陈平为高帝谋执樊哙，数谗曰：“陈平为相非治事，日饮醇酒，戏妇女。”陈平闻，日益甚。吕太后闻之，私独喜。面质吕媭于陈平曰：“鄙语曰‘儿妇人口不可用’，顾君与我何如耳。无畏吕媭之谗也。”
吕太后立诸吕为王，陈平伪听之。及吕太后崩，平与太尉勃合谋，卒诛诸吕，立孝文皇帝，陈平本谋也。审食其免相。
孝文帝立，以为太尉勃亲以兵诛吕氏，功多；陈平欲让勃尊位，乃谢病。孝文帝初立，怪平病，问之。平曰：“高祖时，勃功不如臣平。及诛诸吕，臣功亦不如勃。愿以右丞相让勃。”于是孝文帝乃以绛侯勃为右丞相，位次第一；平徙为左丞相，位次第二。赐平金千斤，益封三千户。
居顷之，孝文皇帝既益明习国家事，朝而问右丞相勃曰：“天下一岁决狱几何？”勃谢曰：“不知。”问：“天下一岁钱谷出入几何？”勃又谢不知，汗出沾背，愧不能对。于是上亦问左丞相平。平曰：“有主者。”上曰：“主者谓谁？”平曰：“陛下即问决狱，责廷尉；问钱谷，责治粟内史。”上曰：“苟各有主者，而君所主者何事也？”平谢曰：“主臣！陛下不知其驽下，使待罪宰相。宰相者，上佐天子理阴阳，顺四时，下育万物之宜，外镇抚四夷诸侯，内亲附百姓，使卿大夫各得任其职焉。”孝文帝乃称善。右丞相大惭，出而让陈平曰：“君独不素教我对！”陈平笑曰：“君居其位，不知其任邪？且陛下即问长安中盗贼数，君欲强对邪？”于是绛侯自知其能不如平远矣。居顷之，绛侯谢病请免相，陈平专为一丞相。
孝文帝二年，丞相陈平卒，谥为献侯。子共侯买代侯。二年卒，子简侯恢代侯。二十三年卒，子何代侯。二十三年，何坐略人妻，弃市，国除。
始陈平曰：“我多阴谋，是道家之所禁。吾世即废，亦已矣，终不能复起，以吾多阴祸也。”然其后曾孙陈掌以卫氏亲贵戚，愿得续封陈氏，然终不得。
太史公曰：陈丞相平少时，本好黄帝、老子之术。方其割肉俎上之时，其意固已远矣。倾侧扰攘楚魏之间，卒归高帝。常出奇计，救纷纠之难，振国家之患。及吕后时，事多故矣，然平竟自脱，定宗庙，以荣名终，称贤相，岂不善始善终哉！非知谋孰能当此者乎？
Volume 56 · The Hereditary House of Chen, Chancellor, Twenty-sixth
司马迁
Chen Ping, the Chancellor, was a man of Huyou village in Yangwu. When he was young his family was poor, and he was fond of reading books. He had thirty mu of fields, and lived alone with his elder brother Bo. Bo always worked the fields, and let Ping go off to study where he pleased. Ping was tall and large and of handsome colour. Someone said to Chen Ping: "Being poor, what do you eat to be as fat as this?" His elder brother's wife, who hated Ping for not looking after the household's production, said: "He eats bran and husks, that is all. To have a younger brother-in-law like this is worse than having none." Bo heard of it and drove his wife out and cast her off.
When Ping was grown and might take a wife, none of the rich would give him one, and to take a poor one Ping himself thought shameful. After a long time there was in Huyou a rich man Zhang Fu, whose granddaughter had married five times and each time her husband had died, so that no one dared take her. Ping wanted to get her. There was a funeral in the town; and Ping being poor, he attended the funeral and helped by going first and leaving last. Zhang Fu, having seen him there at the funeral, was the only one who looked at Ping as a great man; and Ping too on that account was the last to go. Fu followed Ping to his house, and the house was in a poor lane backing on the outer wall, with a worn mat for a door; yet outside the door were many wheel-ruts of great men's carriages. Zhang Fu went home and said to his son Zhong: "I wish to give my granddaughter to Chen Ping." Zhang Zhong said: "Ping is poor and does no work, and the whole county laughs at what he does; why on earth give him your daughter?" Fu said: "Is there ever a man of fine looks like Chen Ping who stays long poor and low?" In the end he gave him the girl. Because Ping was poor, he lent him the money for the betrothal gifts, and gave him the means for wine and meat to bring the wife home. Fu admonished his granddaughter: "Do not, because he is poor, serve your people without care. Serve his elder brother Bo as you would serve a father, and serve his elder brother's wife as a mother." Ping having married the Zhang girl, his means and his spending grew the more ample, and his range of travel widened day by day.
At the village altar of the soil Ping was the carver, and he divided the meat and the food most evenly. The elders said: "Good — young master Chen as carver!" Ping said: "Ah, if Ping could get to carve the empire, it would be just like this meat!"
When Chen She rose and was king at Chen, he sent Zhou Fu to overrun and settle the land of Wei and set up Wei Jiu as King of Wei; and he and the Qin army attacked one another at Linji. Chen Ping had already taken his leave of his elder brother Bo beforehand, and with some young men went to serve Jiu, King of Wei, at Linji. The King of Wei made him Grand Coachman. He urged the King of Wei and was not listened to, and someone slandered him, and Chen Ping fled away.
After a long time Xiang Yu overran the country as far as the banks of the He, and Chen Ping went and joined him, and followed him in entering and breaking Qin; and he was granted the rank of noble. When Xiang Yu went east and was king at Pengcheng, the King of Han came back and settled the Three Qin and went east, and the King of Yin revolted from Chu. Xiang Yu then made Ping Lord of Xinwu, and he led those retainers of Jiu, King of Wei, who were in Chu, and went and struck and made the King of Yin surrender, and came back. The King of Xiang sent Xiang Han to appoint Ping Commandant, and granted him twenty ingots of gold. Not long after, the King of Han attacked and took Yin. The King of Xiang was angry and was about to put to death the generals and officers who had settled Yin. Chen Ping feared being put to death, and so sealed up his gold and his seal and sent a messenger to return them to the King of Xiang, while he himself made off by byways with a sword. Crossing the He, the boatman saw that he was a handsome fellow travelling alone, suspected him of being a general in flight and of having gold and jade and precious things at his waist, eyed him, and meant to kill Ping. Ping was afraid, and so undid his clothes, stripped naked and helped to pole the boat. The boatman knew that he had nothing, and so stopped.
Ping then came to Xiuwu and surrendered to Han, and through Wei Wuzhi asked to see the King of Han, and the King of Han called him in. At this time Fen, the Lord of Ten Thousand Piculs, was household attendant to the King of Han; he received Ping's card and went in and presented Ping. Ping and six others went forward together, and food was granted them. The King said: "Be done, and go to your lodgings." Ping said: "Your servant has come on a matter, and what he has to say cannot go past today." Thereupon the King of Han talked with him and was pleased with him, and asked: "What office did you hold when you were in Chu?" He said: "I was Commandant." That same day he appointed Ping Commandant, made him ride as his companion in the carriage, and put him in charge of overseeing the army. All the generals were in an uproar and said: "In one day the Great King gets a runaway soldier of Chu's, and without knowing whether he is high or low he at once has him ride in the same carriage, and turns him round to be the elder who oversees and guards the army!" The King of Han heard of it and favoured Ping the more. Then he went east with him to strike down the King of Xiang. They reached Pengcheng and were defeated by Chu. He drew off and came back, gathered his scattered troops and reached Xingyang, and made Ping second general, attached to Xin, King of Han, encamped at Guangwu.
The Marquis of Jiang, Guan Ying and the rest all slandered Chen Ping: "Though Ping is a handsome fellow, he is like a cap-jewel and no more: there is not necessarily anything inside. Your servants have heard that when Ping was at home he had to do with his elder brother's wife; that serving Wei he was not tolerated and fled and joined Chu; that joining Chu he did not fit, and fled again and joined Han. Now today the Great King honours him with office and has him oversee the army. Your servants have heard that Ping takes gold from the generals: those who give much gold get a good post, those who give little gold get a bad post. Ping is a turncoat and a disorderly minister; we would have the King look into it." The King of Han was suspicious of him and summoned Wei Wuzhi and reproved him. Wuzhi said: "What your servant spoke of was ability; what Your Majesty asks about is conduct. Now if a man had the conduct of Weisheng or of Xiaoji but was of no advantage to the reckoning of victory and defeat, what leisure would Your Majesty have to use him? Chu and Han stand against each other, and your servant puts forward a man of extraordinary plans, looking only to whether his plans are truly enough to profit the state or not. And as for having to do with his brother's wife and taking gold — what is there in that to be suspicious of?" The King of Han summoned Ping and reproved him: "You, sir, served Wei and did not fit, then served Chu and left; and now you keep company with me. Does a man to be trusted have so many minds?" Ping said: "Your servant served the King of Wei, and the King of Wei could not use your servant's counsels, and so he left and served the King of Xiang. The King of Xiang cannot trust men; those he charges and loves are either the several Xiangs or his wife's brothers, and though he has extraordinary gentlemen he cannot use them; and so Ping left Chu. He heard that the King of Han can use men, and so he joined the Great King. Your servant came with a bare body; without taking gold he would have had no means. If truly there is anything in your servant's plans worth taking, I would have the Great King use it; and if there is nothing worth using, the gold is all here, and I beg to seal it and hand it over to the government, and to ask leave for my bones." The King of Han thereupon made his excuses, gave him rich presents, and appointed him Commandant Protector of the Army, to oversee all the generals. The generals then dared say no more.
After this Chu attacked hard, cut Han's walled supply road, and besieged the King of Han in the city of Xingyang. After a long time the King of Han was troubled by it, and asked to cut off the land west of Xingyang and make peace. The King of Xiang would not listen. The King of Han said to Chen Ping: "The empire is in confusion; when will it be settled?" Chen Ping said: "As a man, the King of Xiang is respectful and reverent and loves men, and gentlemen of integrity and restraint who are fond of ritual mostly join him. But when it comes to giving out merits and ranks and towns, he is grudging of them, and gentlemen for this reason too do not attach themselves. Now the Great King is careless and short of ritual, and gentlemen of integrity and restraint do not come; yet the Great King can be liberal to men with ranks and towns, and gentlemen who are dull and blunt and greedy for gain and without shame also mostly join Han. If each side truly put away its two shortcomings and took over the other's two strong points, the empire could be settled with a wave of the hand. But the Great King is wanton in insulting men, and cannot get gentlemen of integrity and restraint. Consider, though, that there is something in Chu that can be thrown into disorder: the King of Xiang's ministers of backbone and gristle — the Second Father, Zhongli Mei, Long Ju, Zhou Yin and their sort — are no more than a few men. If the Great King could truly bring out and give up several tens of thousands of catties of gold and work a counter-espionage, setting a rift between their lord and his ministers so as to make their hearts suspicious — the King of Xiang, being a man given to suspicion and believing slanders, they will surely destroy one another within. Han may then raise troops and attack them, and the breaking of Chu is certain." The King of Han thought this right, and so brought out forty thousand catties of yellow gold and gave it to Chen Ping, to do with as he pleased, without asking about its going out and coming in.
Chen Ping having thus used much gold to loose counter-espionage in the Chu army, it was put about that the several generals Zhongli Mei and the rest, being generals to the King of Xiang, had merits many, and yet in the end could not get land carved out and be made kings, and wished to be one with Han, so as to destroy the Xiang clan and share out their land as kings. Xiang Yu did indeed come to mind it and not to trust Zhongli Mei and the rest. The King of Xiang having grown suspicious of them, sent an envoy to Han. The King of Han had a full sacrificial feast prepared and brought forward. Seeing the Chu envoy, he at once pretended to be startled and said: "I took you for the Second Father's envoy; but it is the King of Xiang's envoy!" He had it carried back again, and served the Chu envoy instead with coarse and poor fare. The Chu envoy went back and reported the whole of it to the King of Xiang. The King of Xiang did indeed grow greatly suspicious of the Second Father. The Second Father wished to attack and take the city of Xingyang with all speed; the King of Xiang did not trust him and would not listen. The Second Father heard that the King of Xiang suspected him, and so said in anger: "The empire's business is broadly settled; let the lord king do it himself! I beg leave for my bones, to go home!" On the way home, before he reached Pengcheng, an abscess broke out on his back and he died. Chen Ping then by night sent out two thousand women by the east gate of the city of Xingyang, and Chu accordingly struck at them; and Chen Ping with the King of Han went out and away by night through the city's west gate. So they entered the Pass, gathered the scattered troops, and went east again.
The next year the Marquis of Huaiyin broke Qi and set himself up as King of Qi, and sent an envoy to tell the King of Han. The King of Han was greatly enraged and cursed; Chen Ping trod on the King of Han's foot. The King of Han also came to himself, and so treated the Qi envoy generously, and sent Zhang Zifang to go and set Xin up as King of Qi after all. He enfeoffed Ping with the village of Huyou. He used his extraordinary plans and schemes, and in the end destroyed Chu. He constantly followed as Commandant Protector of the Army in settling Zang Tu, King of Yan.
In Han's sixth year someone sent up a document denouncing Han Xin, King of Chu, for revolt. Emperor Gao asked the generals, and the generals said: "Send out troops at once and bury the young whelp alive, that is all." Emperor Gao was silent. He asked Chen Ping; Ping firmly declined and excused himself, and said: "What did the generals say?" His Majesty told him the whole of it. Chen Ping said: "As for the man who sent up the document saying Xin is in revolt, does anyone know of it?" He said: "No one." He said: "Does Xin know of it?" He said: "He does not." Chen Ping said: "Whose crack troops are better, Your Majesty's or Chu's?" His Majesty said: "They cannot be surpassed." Ping said: "Among Your Majesty's generals is there one who can surpass Han Xin in the use of troops?" His Majesty said: "None comes up to him." Ping said: "Now your troops are not so crack as Chu's and your generals cannot come up to him, and yet you would raise troops and attack him: this is urging him to fight, and privately I think it dangerous for Your Majesty." His Majesty said: "What is to be done about it?" Ping said: "In old times the Son of Heaven made progresses of inspection and gathered the feudal lords. In the south there is the Yunmeng; let Your Majesty merely go out on a pretended journey to the Yunmeng and gather the feudal lords at Chen. Chen is Chu's western border; and when Xin hears that the Son of Heaven has gone out on a pleasure journey, the circumstances must be such that with nothing amiss he will come to the outskirts to meet and greet you. And when he greets you, Your Majesty may seize him on the spot: this is merely the business of a single strong man." Emperor Gao thought this right, and so sent out envoys to tell the feudal lords to gather at Chen: "I am going south to travel in the Yunmeng." His Majesty accordingly followed after and set out. Before he reached Chen, Xin, King of Chu, did indeed come to the outskirts to meet him on the road. Emperor Gao had warriors prepared beforehand, and when he saw Xin come, he at once had him seized and bound and put in a rear carriage. Xin cried out: "The empire being already settled, I was bound to be boiled!" Emperor Gao turned and said to Xin: "Be silent! That you are in revolt is plain!" The warriors bound his hands behind him. So he gathered the feudal lords at Chen and settled the whole land of Chu. Coming back to Luoyang, he pardoned Xin and made him Marquis of Huaiyin, and with the ministers of merit he split tallies and fixed the enfeoffments.
Thereupon he split a tally with Ping, to be handed down generation after generation without being cut off, as Marquis of Huyou. Ping declined, saying: "This is not your servant's merit." His Majesty said: "I used your plans and schemes, sir, won battles and overcame the enemy; if this is not merit, what is?" Ping said: "Without Wei Wuzhi, how could your servant have got forward?" His Majesty said: "You, sir, may be called one who does not turn his back on the root." And so he rewarded Wei Wuzhi again. The next year, as Commandant Protector of the Army, he followed him in attacking the rebel Xin, King of Han, in Dai. They came at last to Pingcheng and were surrounded by the Xiongnu, and for seven days could get no food. Emperor Gao used Chen Ping's extraordinary plan, sending word to the Chanyu's consort, and the siege was thereby opened. Emperor Gao having got out, the plan was kept secret, and the world has never been able to hear of it.
Emperor Gao, passing south by Quni, went up on its wall and looked out and saw that its houses and chambers were very great, and said: "What a splendid county! In my travels through the empire I have seen only Luoyang and this." He turned and asked the Imperial Secretary: "How many households and mouths has Quni?" He answered: "At the beginning, in Qin's time, more than thirty thousand households; of late arms have been raised several times and many have fled and hidden, and now there appear to be five thousand households." Thereupon he decreed to the Imperial Secretary to make Chen Ping instead Marquis of Quni, to have the whole of it to eat from, and struck off Huyou, which he had eaten from before.
After this he constantly followed as Commandant Protector of the Army in attacking Chen Xi and Qing Bu. In all he brought out six extraordinary plans, and each time his town was increased; six times in all his fief was increased. Some of the extraordinary plans were quite secret, and the world has not been able to hear of them.
When Emperor Gao came back from breaking Bu's army, he was ill of his wound and went slowly to Chang'an. Lu Wan, King of Yan, revolted, and His Majesty sent Fan Kuai as Chancellor of State to lead troops and attack him. When he had already set out, someone disparaged and spoke ill of Kuai. Emperor Gao was angry and said: "Kuai has seen that I am ill, and so hopes for my death." He used Chen Ping's plan and summoned Zhou Bo, Marquis of Jiang, to receive the decree below his couch, saying: "Let Chen Ping ride post with all speed carrying Bo to take Kuai's place in command, and the moment Ping reaches the army let him cut off Kuai's head!" The two men having received the decree, they rode post, and before they reached the army they reckoned it over as they went, and said: "Fan Kuai is an old friend of the Emperor's and his merits are many; and besides he is the husband of Lü Xu, the Empress Lü's younger sister, so that he is kin and honoured as well. The Emperor, out of a fit of anger, wishes to cut him down; but then he may come to regret it. Better to bind him and deliver him up to His Majesty, and let His Majesty put him to death himself." Before they reached the army they made an altar and summoned Fan Kuai with the tally. Kuai received the decree, and at once they bound his hands behind him and put him in a cage-cart, to be sent post to Chang'an; and they had Bo, Marquis of Jiang, take his place in command, and lead the troops to settle the counties of Yan that had revolted.
On the road Ping heard that Emperor Gao had passed away, and Ping, fearing the slanders and anger of the Empress Dowager Lü and of Lü Xu, went ahead post-haste. He met an envoy with a decree for Ping and Guan Ying to encamp at Xingyang. Ping received the decree, and at once galloped on again to the palace, wailed most mournfully, and thereupon reported his business before the bier. The Empress Dowager Lü pitied him and said: "You are worn out, sir; go out and rest." Ping, fearing that the slanders would succeed, thereupon firmly asked to be allowed to keep guard within. The Empress Dowager then made him Prefect of the Gentlemen, saying: "Be tutor and teacher to Xiaohui." After this Lü Xu's slanders could not take effect. When Fan Kuai arrived, he was pardoned and his rank and town restored.
In the Emperor Xiaohui's sixth year the Chancellor of State Cao Can died, and Wang Ling, Marquis of Anguo, was made Chancellor of the Right, and Chen Ping Chancellor of the Left.
Wang Ling was formerly a man of Pei, and at first was a leading man of the county. When Gaozu was obscure he served Ling as an elder brother. Ling was short on letters, gave rein to his temper, and was fond of blunt speech. When Gaozu rose at Pei and went in as far as Xianyang, Ling too had gathered a party of several thousand men of his own and was at Nanyang, and would not follow the Duke of Pei. And when the King of Han came back and attacked Xiang Ji, Ling then attached his troops to Han. Xiang Yu took Ling's mother and put her in his camp; and when Ling's envoy came, he seated Ling's mother facing east, wishing thereby to call Ling in. Ling's mother, having privately seen the envoy off, wept and said: "Say to Ling for this old handmaid: serve the King of Han with care. The King of Han is a great man; do not, on this old handmaid's account, hold two minds. Your handmaid sees the envoy off with her death." Then she fell on a sword and died. The King of Xiang was angry and had Ling's mother boiled. Ling in the end followed the King of Han and settled the empire. Because he was friendly with Yong Chi — and Yong Chi was Emperor Gao's enemy, and Ling had at bottom had no mind to follow Emperor Gao — for this reason he was enfeoffed late, as Marquis of Anguo.
The Marquis of Anguo having become Chancellor of the Right, two years later the Emperor Xiaohui passed away. The Empress Dowager Gao wished to set up the several Lüs as kings, and asked Wang Ling; Wang Ling said: "It will not do." She asked Chen Ping; Chen Ping said: "It will do." The Empress Dowager Lü was angry, and so pretended to move Ling up to be Grand Tutor to the Emperor, in fact not using Ling. Ling was angry, excused himself on grounds of illness and was relieved, shut his gate and in the end did not come to court or to the levees; and after seven years he died.
On Ling's relief from the chancellorship, the Empress Dowager Lü then shifted Ping to be Chancellor of the Right, and made Shen Yiji, Marquis of Biyang, Chancellor of the Left. The Chancellor of the Left did not govern, but constantly attended on business within the palace.
Yiji too was a man of Pei. When the King of Han was defeated west of Pengcheng, Chu took the Supreme August One and the Empress Lü as hostages, and Yiji as a retainer attended on the Empress Lü. Afterwards he followed in breaking Xiang Ji and was made a marquis, and was favoured by the Empress Dowager Lü. And when he became chancellor, he dwelt within the palace, and all the hundred officials settled their business through him.
Lü Xu, on account of Chen Ping's having formerly planned for Emperor Gao the seizing of Fan Kuai, several times slandered him: "Chen Ping as chancellor does not govern business, but drinks strong wine daily and dallies with women." Chen Ping heard it, and did so the more each day. The Empress Dowager Lü heard of it and privately, alone, was glad. She confronted Lü Xu with it face to face before Chen Ping and said: "There is a common saying, 'The words of children and women are not to be used'; it depends only on what you and I are to each other. Have no fear of Lü Xu's slanders."
The Empress Dowager Lü set up the several Lüs as kings, and Chen Ping falsely went along with it. And when the Empress Dowager Lü passed away, Ping and the Grand Commandant Bo laid plans together and in the end put the several Lüs to death and set up the August Emperor Xiaowen; and Chen Ping was at the bottom of the plan. Shen Yiji was relieved of the chancellorship.
When the Emperor Xiaowen was set up, he held that the Grand Commandant Bo had himself with arms put the Lü clan to death and that his merits were many; and Chen Ping, wishing to yield the honourable place to Bo, excused himself on grounds of illness. The Emperor Xiaowen, being newly set up, wondered at Ping's illness and asked him about it. Ping said: "In Gaozu's time Bo's merits were not equal to your servant Ping's. And when it came to putting the several Lüs to death, your servant's merits were also not equal to Bo's. I would yield the Chancellorship of the Right to Bo." Thereupon the Emperor Xiaowen made Bo, Marquis of Jiang, Chancellor of the Right, first in order of place; and Ping was shifted to be Chancellor of the Left, second in order of place. He granted Ping a thousand catties of gold and increased his fief by three thousand households.
Some time after, when the August Emperor Xiaowen had grown more and more clear and practised in the state's affairs, he asked at court of Bo, Chancellor of the Right: "How many cases at law are decided in the empire in a year?" Bo excused himself: "I do not know." He asked: "How much money and grain goes out and comes in in the empire in a year?" Bo again excused himself as not knowing, and the sweat came out and soaked his back, and he was ashamed that he could not answer. Thereupon His Majesty also asked Ping, Chancellor of the Left. Ping said: "There are men in charge of these." His Majesty said: "Who are the men in charge?" Ping said: "If Your Majesty asks about deciding cases at law, hold the Commandant of Justice to account; if about money and grain, hold the Interior Scribe of Grain to account." His Majesty said: "If each has its man in charge, then what business is it that you are in charge of?" Ping excused himself: "Master and subject! Your Majesty, not knowing how poor and dull your servant is, has had him await punishment as chancellor. As for a chancellor: above, he assists the Son of Heaven in ordering the yin and the yang and according with the four seasons; below, he nurtures all things in their fitness; without, he holds down and soothes the four barbarians and the feudal lords; within, he draws the hundred families close and attached, and makes the ministers and grandees each able to hold his own office." The Emperor Xiaowen then pronounced it good. The Chancellor of the Right was greatly ashamed, and going out he reproached Chen Ping: "Why did you alone not teach me the answer beforehand!" Chen Ping laughed and said: "You hold the place, sir, and do not know what it charges you with? And if Your Majesty had asked the number of robbers and thieves in Chang'an, would you have wished to force an answer?" Thereupon the Marquis of Jiang knew of himself that his ability fell far short of Ping's. Some time after, the Marquis of Jiang excused himself on grounds of illness and asked to be relieved of the chancellorship, and Chen Ping was sole chancellor alone.
In the Emperor Xiaowen's second year the Chancellor Chen Ping died, with the posthumous title Marquis Xian. His son Marquis Gong, named Mai, succeeded to the marquisate. He died after two years, and his son Marquis Jian, named Hui, succeeded to the marquisate. He died after twenty-three years, and his son He succeeded to the marquisate. After twenty-three years He was charged with carrying off another man's wife, was executed in the marketplace, and the state was abolished.
At the beginning Chen Ping had said: "I have made many hidden plots, and this is what the school of the Way forbids. If my line is cast down, that will be the end of it, and it will never be able to rise again, because of the many hidden calamities I have brought on." And indeed afterwards his great-grandson Chen Zhang, through the Wei clan, being kin to an honoured consort, wished to have the enfeoffment of the Chens continued, but in the end could not get it.
The Lord Grand Astrologer says: Chen Ping the Chancellor, when he was young, was fundamentally fond of the arts of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi. At the time when he was carving meat on the block, his mind was already set far off. Tossed and shaken about between Chu and Wei, he in the end joined Emperor Gao. He constantly brought out extraordinary plans, rescued him from the troubles of confusion and tangle, and relieved the state's distresses. And in the Empress Lü's time, when affairs were full of mishaps, Ping in the end got himself clear, settled the ancestral temple, and ended with a name of honour and was called a worthy chancellor: is that not to begin well and end well! Without knowledge and planning, who could have stood up to this?