A statement of thanks for the edict showing the state of affairs at Xuzhou謝詔示徐州事宜狀
1On the false charge brought by Shi Pu
右臣先奉詔旨。據時溥奏。卿本道羌兵侵境殺傷。令務止遏者。臣遂具時溥誣謗事由申奏。伏奉二月二十五日詔旨。今則寇孼不日勦除。藩方務息爭競。所宜和叶。各保封疆者。臣伏以天德旣高。側管者固難窺測。日恩至廣。戴盆者自阻照臨。是以。遠竭愚誠。動違聖慮。時溥旣銜睿獎。得縱兵威。早成熊據之謀。更展鯨呑之勢。累興師旅。來犯封疆。焚郭邑於山陽。掠資財於淮上。臣遂令捍禦。略挫兇狂。而乃時溥奸計已成根株。巧言頗有枝葉。不思已過。敢惑宸聰。今者再奉絲綸。仰遵徽纏。唯期寬則得衆。粗可和而不同。臣分閫無功。戢兵爲務。至於草寇。猶許歸降。況是隣藩。豈謀侵擾。彼無此詐。此無彼虞。臣限拘鎭守。不獲稱謝行在。無任感激屛營之至。謹奉狀陳謝以聞。謹奏。
The above. Your servant earlier received an edict which said that, according to the report of Shi Pu, the Qiang troops of your servant's own circuit had crossed the border and killed and wounded men, and that he was to take pains to hold them back. Your servant thereupon set out in full the grounds on which Shi Pu had accused him falsely, and made his report. Then he respectfully received the edict of the twenty fifth day of the second month, which said that the host of calamity would be wiped out before long, and that the commands of the marches should take pains to stop their quarreling, and ought to be in accord and each keep its own borders. Your servant bows low and considers that the virtue of heaven stands high, so that one who peers through a pipe can hardly measure it, and that the kindness of the sun is very wide, so that a man who carries a tub on his head shuts out its shining himself. And so, spending his foolish sincerity from afar, he has gone against the sage thought whenever he moved. Shi Pu, once he had taken the sage encouragement into his mouth, was able to let his troops loose, and he early carried through the plan of a crouching bear and spread besides the force of a swallowing whale. Again and again he raised armies and came to violate the borders, burning the walled towns in Shanyang and plundering the goods on the Huai, and your servant at last set men to hold them off and roughly broke their cruel madness. Yet in Shi Pu the crafty plot has already put down roots and his clever words have branches and leaves enough, and with never a thought for his own fault he has dared to confuse the sage hearing. Now your servant receives the silken word a second time and looks up to follow the fair command, and he looks only for this: that being generous a man wins the multitude, and that men may roughly be in accord without being the same. Your servant holds a share of the country beyond the gate and has no merit, and his business is to lay up his weapons. Even to the bandits of the grass he still grants surrender. How much more, when it is a neighboring command, should he plan to raid and trouble it? If there is no such deceit on that side, there will be no such fear on this. Your servant is bound to the guard of his command and cannot give his thanks at the traveling court. He cannot bear the utmost of his gratitude and his awe. He respectfully sends up this statement to set forth his thanks and make it heard. Respectfully submitted.