A memorial of thanks for the words of consolation and the added office of palace attendant with its true fief謝賜宣慰兼加侍中實封表
1The consolation and the patent of office brought by Liu Shuqi
臣某言。六月十六日供奉官劉叔齊至。奉宣聖旨慰諭臣及將校並賜臣勑書手詔各一封官告一通。就加臣侍中。仍加食實封一百戶。餘如故者。自天降命。無地安身。啓鳳詔而魂驚。對貂冠而股慄。臣某誠感誠懼。頓首頓首。臣早因薄效。每忝殊榮。勤王而素乏實勤。受爵而但多虛受。負山寡力。臨谷戒心。況自戎馬生郊。陣蛇出穴。妖氛蔽闕。法駕省方。臣久鎭雄藩。嘗提重柄。一無成績。兩拜寵章。前者以上將軍爲大司馬。今則兼納言之任。加眞食之榮。累年虧橫草之功。終日抱伐檀之恥。且易曰。或錫鞶帶。終朝三褫之。詩云。受爵不讓。至于己斯亡。遍覽格言。是懲貪祿。不能報國。苟欲榮家。臣實何心。有靦于目。但遇王人遠降。聖澤旁流。仰睹綸音。深嘉秕政。以爲師徒輯睦。黎庶安寧。俯念忠誠。特行懋賞。臣也方寸之地可倚。咫尺之顔不違。豈敢矯俗陳情。飾詞讓爵。難效一辭而退。唯期三命益恭。旣除勞力於利權。終願勵心於閫寄。臣伏限守藩。不獲奔赴行在稱謝。無任感恩戀聖戰汗屛營之至。謹附供奉官劉叔齊。奉表陳謝以聞。臣某誠惶誠戀。頓首頓首謹言。
Your servant So-and-so speaks. On the sixteenth day of the sixth month the attendant officer Liu Shuqi arrived. He conveyed the imperial word, comforting and instructing your servant and his officers, and bestowed on your servant an edict and a hand-written rescript, one of each, and one patent of office, adding to him the office of Palace Attendant, adding further a true fief of a hundred households, and leaving the rest as before. A command came down from heaven, and there is no ground where he can rest his body. Opening the phoenix edict, his soul was startled; facing the sable cap, his legs shook. Your servant So-and-so is truly moved and truly afraid, bowing his head to the ground, bowing his head to the ground. For slight service your servant has long presumed upon uncommon honors. He has labored for his king and yet has always lacked real labor; he has received rank, and much of it he received in vain. His strength is small for carrying a mountain, and his heart takes warning as a man does who stands above a ravine. Still more since war horses were foaled in the suburbs and the snake of the battle line came out of its hole, since baleful vapors hid the palace and the imperial carriage went out to inspect the regions. Your servant has long guarded a great command and has held heavy power in his hand, yet with not one achievement to show he has bowed twice for a patent of favor. Before, as Senior General he was made Grand Marshal; now he holds besides the duty of Nayan and gains the honor of a true fief. Year after year he has fallen short of the merit of laying the grass flat, and all day long he holds the shame of the song of cutting sandalwood. Besides, the Book of Changes says, "A great belt may be given, and three times before the morning is out it is stripped away." The Book of Songs says, "He who receives rank and does not yield will come to ruin in himself." Look through these maxims, and they are a warning against greed for emolument. If he cannot repay the state and would yet bring glory to his house, with what heart could your servant hold up his face before men? But the king's envoy has come down from afar and your sage bounty has flowed out on every side. Looking up at your word, he finds that you deeply approve his poor government, holding that his troops are in harmony and the common people at peace, and that you have bent down to think of his loyalty and granted a rich reward on purpose. Your servant has an inch of ground in his heart to lean on, and the face a foot away is not turned from him. How should he dare to go against custom, plead his feelings, and dress up words to decline the rank? It would be hard to follow the man who declined in a single word and withdrew. He looks rather to grow more respectful with each of the three commands. Now that the toil of the revenue office has been taken from him, he wishes in the end to strive with all his heart at the charge beyond the city gate. Your servant is bound to the guarding of his command and cannot hurry to your traveling palace to give his thanks. He cannot bear the utmost of gratitude for your grace, of longing for his sage ruler, of trembling and sweating and dread. By the hand of the attendant officer Liu Shuqi he respectfully presents this memorial of thanks for Your Majesty's hearing. Your servant So-and-so is truly awed and truly full of longing, bowing his head to the ground, bowing his head to the ground. Respectfully spoken.