A letter to the chief minister congratulating him on the recovery of the capital賀收復京城狀
1Yang Fuguang and Li Keyong take back Chang'an
右得河中節度使王司空牒報。四月十日。當道與雁門節度使李僕射及都監楊驃騎下諸道馬軍。齊入京城。與賊軍交戰。約殺賊步軍一萬餘人。其馬軍賊便走出城。黃巢亦未知存亡。其逃遁賊徒。尋差兵馬追奔。並已收復京闕訖者。伏以逆賊黃巢。藏姦匿暴。惡積禍盈。久於輦下偸生。固是檻中待死。楊驃騎受聖君之重寄。李僕射傳飛將之雄名。旣無慮於二心。果有成於一力。想其霜鋒電擊。月羽風驅。壓雀卵之威高。燎鴻毛之勢猛。遂使賊巢。困不能鬪。亂無所歸。雖爲漏網之鱗。已是傷弓之翼。則期加顯戮。永掃群兇。加以熊據六宮。豕豗九陌。今玆克復。免致焚燒。佇望翠華。便歸丹闕。稍豁上天之怒。實除下土之災。此皆相公靜運廟謀。遠揚戎略。旣叶一匡之妙道。北極何憂。將流萬古之美談。東封可俟。某登壇有忝。仗鉞無功。遠聽歡聲。始除慙色。限拘守鎭。陳賀末由。下情無任抃躍之至。謹錄狀上。
For the above: a dispatch has come from Minister of Works Wang, the Military Commissioner of Hezhong, saying that on the tenth day of the fourth month this circuit, together with Vice Director Li, the Military Commissioner of Yanmen, and the horse troops of the several circuits under the Supervisor, General of Cavalry Yang, entered the capital side by side, joined battle with the rebel army, and killed about ten thousand of the rebel foot; that the rebel horse then ran out of the city; that of Huang Chao it is not yet known whether he lives or dies; that troops were at once sent to pursue the rebels who had fled; and that the capital has now been wholly recovered. I humbly consider that the rebel Huang Chao hid his treachery and concealed his cruelty until his wickedness was heaped high and his calamity full, and that he long stole a life beneath the imperial carriage. Truly he was a beast in a cage awaiting death. General of Cavalry Yang received the heavy trust of a sagely ruler, and Vice Director Li carries on the bold name of the Flying General. Since there was no fear of a divided heart, they achieved their end with a single strength. I think of their frost-bright blades striking like lightning and their moon-bright plumes driving on like wind, of the height of a majesty that crushes a sparrow's egg and the fierceness of a force that burns a wild goose's down. So at last they left the rebel Chao too hard pressed to fight and too confounded to have anywhere to turn. Though he is a fish that has slipped the net, he is already a bird hurt by the bow, and so an open execution is to be looked for, and a sweeping away of all the vile for ever. Besides, a bear had squatted in the six palaces and a boar had charged down the nine avenues, and now that victory is won and the city recovered it has been spared from burning. We wait for the kingfisher banner to turn back at once to the vermilion palace, a little easing the anger of high Heaven and truly clearing away the disaster of the land below. All this is Your Excellency moving the court's plans in quiet and sending forth its strategies of war afar. Since it accords with the rare way of setting all to rights at a stroke, what has the North Star to fear? And since it will pass into a fair tale for ten thousand ages, the sacrifice in the east may be awaited. I myself have mounted the altar unworthily and held the axe without merit, and only on hearing the glad voice from afar does the shame leave my face. Held to the guard of my garrison, I have no way to set forth my congratulation. A lowly servant cannot contain his clapping and leaping. I respectfully set this down and send it up.