Translation: Zōng Ài 宗愛 - Wèishū 魏書 94.1
Murder Speedrun Any% - Northern Wèi Edition [additional translations in footnotes]
Perhaps one of the most infamous regicides in China, Zōng Ài was the eunuch of Northern Wèi responsible for slaying two Emperors all for his own security and power. He is a bit of a mystery but the compilers of these historical records certainly are not a fan. It is easy to see why. Unlike the eunuchs of the Later Hàn 漢, there is not exactly anyone arguing for a more favorable treatment of Zōng Ài. Perhaps deservedly so.
宗愛,不知其所由來,以罪為閹人,歷碎職至中常侍。正平元年正月,世祖大會於江上,班賞羣臣,以愛為秦郡公。
Zōng Ài, ancestral home unknown, for his crime he was found guilty and castrated1, later becoming an Attendant. During the first month of the first year of Zhèngpíng [451] Shìzǔ2 held a great banquet above the Jiāng3 bestowing the ministers with rewards, Ài was made Duke of Qín Commandery.4
恭宗之監國也,每事精察。愛天性險暴,行多非法,恭宗每銜之。給事仇尼道盛、侍郎任平城等任事東宮,微為權勢,世祖頗聞之。二人與愛並不睦。為懼道盛等案其事,遂構告其罪。詔斬道盛等於都街。時世祖震怒,恭宗遂以憂薨。
Gōngzōng5 was in managing affairs of the state careful and thorough. Ài was corrupt and has a desire for more power, his acts often illegal (bribery), Gōngzōng for this hated him. Chóuní Dàoshèng and Rèn Píngchéng were Gentleman Attendant [shìláng] in the East Palace, together getting favor from Gōngzōng, and each had a bad relationship with Zōng Ài. Fearing they would act, Ài accused them of crimes and [Shìzǔ] ordered Dàoshèng and others beheaded in the market street. Shìzǔ was greatly angered and Gōngzōng died in grief.6
是後,世祖追悼恭宗,愛懼誅,遂謀逆。二年春,世祖暴崩,愛所為也。尚書左僕射蘭延、侍中吳興公和疋、侍中太原公薛提等祕不發喪。延、疋二人議以高宗沖幼,欲立長子,徵秦王翰置之祕室。提以高宗有世嫡之重,不可廢所宜立而更求君。延等猶豫未決。愛知其謀。始愛負罪於東宮,而與吳王余素協,乃密迎余自中宮便門入,矯皇后令徵延等。延等以愛素賤,弗之疑,皆隨之入。愛先使閹豎三十人持仗於宮內,及延等入,以次收縛,斬於殿堂。執秦王翰,殺之於永巷而立余。余以愛為大司馬、大將軍、太師、都督中外諸軍事,領中祕書,封馮翊王。
After [his death], Shìzǔ mourned Gōngzōng and Ài was fearful for his life and plotted treason. Spring of Second Year [452], Shìzǔ was murdered by Zōng Ài.7 Together Secretariat Deputy-Director Lán Yán, Internal Attendant, Duke Xìng of Wú Hé Pǐ[?], Internal Attendant Duke of Tàiyuán Xuē Tí and others did not announce the Emperor’s passing. Yán and Pǐ together felt Gāozōng8 was too young, summoning Prince Hàn of Qín to the palace. [Xuē] Tí insisted on Gāozōng, acting on propriety [son of the heir, eldest son, would succeed if the heir died], but Yán was hesitant and their discussion stalled. [Zōng] Ài feared his guilt for his crime, secretly welcomed Prince of Wú [Tuòbá Yú] through the Central Palace, the Empress summoned Yán [and others] to come. [Lán] Yán and the others did not suspect Ài and followed the order. Ài sent eunuchs numbering thirty to hide in the palace, and when Yán and the others came they were arrested and beheaded. Summoned Prince Hàn of Qín to Yǒngxiàng [confinement room for harem, often used as a prison for violent women] and killed him. [Tuòbá] Yú appointed Ài King of Féngyì, Grand Preceptor, Grand Commander, Marshal of Military Affairs in and out.
愛既立余,位居元輔,錄三省,兼總戎禁,坐召公卿,權恣日甚,內外憚之。羣情咸以為愛必有趙高、閻樂之禍,余疑之,遂謀奪其權。愛憤怒,使小黃門賈周等夜殺余,事在余傳。高宗立,誅愛、周等,皆具五刑,夷三族。
After Yú was established, Ài was honored as Foremost Assistant [Regent], control of three provinces and handling of the affairs of all ministers. The masses thought Ài would bring the disaster of Zhào Gāo and Yán Lè9, [Tuòbá] Yú grew suspicious and wanted to take power back. [Zōng] Ài was furious, dispatching Lesser Yellow Gates Attendant Jiǎ Zhōu10 and others to kill [Tuòbá] Yú at night. This is recorded in Biography of Yú. Gāozōng ascends and puts to death Ài, Zhōu and others. All bearing Five Punishments11, destroying their three families.12
Whatever crime was committed we cannot say for sure. We may be able to extrapolate from the Wèishū and its entry on Crime and Punishment in Wèishū 111 in which sons of rebels below the age of fourteen were castrated and recruited as palace attendants. That being said we don’t know who Zōng Ài’s father was and therefor we can say with any certainty that was the reason. Only a slight guess, his crime could be anything.
Shìzǔ is the temple name of Emperor Tàiwǔ of Northern Wèi 北魏太武帝, Tuòbá Dáo 拓拔燾, the ruler often credited with bringing an end the period of disunity in the north that is most commonly referred to as the Sixteen States era 十六國 after the collapse of ‘Western’ Jìn 晉. He was a celebrated conqueror and statesman, yet at the time same time he was said to be too aggressive in his expansion policies and far too harsh on his crackdowns internally. Has an entry in Wèishū 4.
Jiāng 江 on it’s own would refer to Yángzǐ Jiāng 揚子江.
I have absolutely no idea why he was given this title. As far as I am aware there is next to no information anywhere else on Zōng Ài’s life. We don’t know his life span so sometime between his castration and then, he must’ve been an exemplary servant or perhaps just favored heavily at the time.
Gōngzōng is the temple name of the posthumous Emperor Jǐngmù 景穆皇帝, Tuòbá Huǎng 拓拔晃, the eldest son of Emperor Tàiwǔ. He is also the father to the famous Gāozōng 高宗, Emperor Wénchéng 文成皇帝, Tuòbá Jùn 拓拔俊. He was known for his strict opposition to corrupt officials, as well as his own plannings for war with the north. Tuòbá Huǎng is perhaps most famous for his falling out with his father, which the Wèishū traces back to Zōng Ài. Has an entry in Wèishū 4.2.
Dying of grief is often a euphemism for suicide. Given the extent of their falling out which includes this, as well as the incident with Cuī Hào 崔浩 [WS 35], it is possible the Prince took his own life. However in Wèishū 4.2 it is said that he fell ill, and one can truly die from grief. It is difficult to say one way or another.
Alternative account of Shìzǔ’s death is in Sòngshū 宋書 95 records that he merely fell ill and died. This is obviously in sharp contrast to the Wèishū. One would expect the hostile state to throw the heavy claim of murder around, whilst the home state would cover it with illness if there was something to the story. At the same time we have so little information about the actual death of the Emperor himself. It is a confusing mess to say the least. Is it possible that the compilers of the Wèishū, in an effort to make Zōng Ài more guilty, decided to use The Emperor’s sudden passing and the chaos in the aftermath a scapegoat and a warning against trusting eunuchs too much? It is possible. Zōng Ài is not accused of killing The Emperor by the ministers, but instead of slaying Prince Yǐn of Nán'ān. Why is this the case? I wish I had an answer to give. It isn’t as if Prince Yǐn was enthroned righteously, was it? There is nothing that hints at it. In fact the Sòngshū further disagrees with the fate of Yǐn and Ài, but that is to be covered in a separate footnote.
是歲,燾病死,諡為太武皇帝。
That year [452 AD], [Tuòbá] Dáo fell ill and passed, posthumously named Emperor Taiwu.
Gāozōng is the temple name of the posthumous Emperor Wénchéng 北魏文成帝, Tuòbá Jùn 拓拔俊, the eldest son of Emperor Jǐngmù. He was set upon the throne as a young child and the early part of his reign was filled with in-fighting and court intrigue. Yet the power struggle in court died down as the Emperor grew older. He ended the Buddhist prohibition the former Emperor employed, launched a moderetly successful attack on the north and battlig the southern forces. He was a succesful and beloved Emperor, although he died young and was greatly mourned.
Infamous ministers of the state of Qín 秦, often accredited with the downfall of the state and each responsible for the death of the state’s two Emperors.
I just want to point out that Jiǎ Zhōu has the exact same family name Jiǎ 賈 as Jiǎ Chōng 賈充 [JS 40.1], and both men are accused of murdering Emperors. Neither man slain was buried as a Emperor either. Their relation cannot be confirmed as next to no information on Zhōu exists. Just a very curious fact that two Wèi Emperors were murdered by men named Jiǎ.
The Five Punishments [wǔxíng] 五刑 was an ancient capitol punishment that was dolled out in five phases for the most heinous of crimes. Their face was branded with a tattoo, their nose was removed, a hand and foot was severed, they were castrated and then cut in half at the waist. I would assume Zōng Ài only faced Four Punishments as he had already been castrated. Or maybe they removed something else. How do you castrate that which has already been castrated?
Yet again Sòngshū 95 disagrees with what the Wèishū records, and again it is wildly different. Here we have the Emperor passing away and Zōng Ài together working with Bózhēn, Tuòbá Yú, to assume the throne. As well we have the ministers together murdering the pair, rather than Tuòbá Yú being a victim of Zōng Ài, and Ài being put to death for the murder. I have zero explanation for this other than either the southerners had the worlds worst intelligence operatives monitoring their aggressive norther neighbor, or the compilers of the records in the north really wanted to hide the “truth” for whatever reason. I have no honest idea. I have nothing. Fuck it. Let’s write different shit! JFK’s head just did that, he wasn’t shot!
會燾死,使嬖人宗愛立博真為後,宗愛、博真恐為弈肝所危,矯殺之而自立,號年承平。博真懦弱,不為國人所附,晃子濬字烏雷直懃,素為燾所愛,燕王謂國人曰:「博真非正,不宜立,直懃嫡孫,應立耳。」乃殺博真及宗愛,而立濬為主,號年為正平。
[Tuòbá] Dáo died suddenly, his favored Zōng Ài installed Bózhēn as successor. Zōng Ài and Bózhēn together feared [Wū] Yìgān, therefor accused and killed him. Zōng Ài installed Bózhēn as Emperor, established reign Inherited Peace [Chéngpíng]. Bózhēn was weak and young, did not have the loyalty of the state's people. Huǎng’s son Jùn, appellation Wūléizhíqín, had long been loved by Dáo. King of Yàn said to the state's people "Bózhēn is not righteous, he should not have ascended. [Wūléi]zhíqín is the direct grandson. We should install him and nothing more." Together they then killed Zōng Ài and Bózhēn, installing Jùn as the ruler, establishing the new reign era of Proper Peace [Zhèngpíng].