吳城日記 translation: Diary of Inner City Suzhou, Part 3

This is Part 3 in a translation of an extract from 吳城日記 (‘Diary of Inner City Suzhou’). It’s the official log of Suzhou (specifically the small, walled area in the centre) from the year 1645, a year after the Manchus took Beijing, marking the end of the Ming dynasty and the beginning of the Qing (明末清初).

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陳太尊即於是夜避去。 Honourable Prefect Chen fled that evening. (The writer is mocking Chen with the title here.)

二十六日，本府弁等備儀從執香迎接，撫入坐府堂，告示張 掛府前，稱大清國順治二年，奉欽命定國大將軍豫王令旨，大意謂順從者秋毫無犯，抗逆者維揚為例，錢牧齋另有印記告示，詔諭慰安。 Day 26: all of the local military officials have formed a ceremonial entourage to greet the arrival, carrying incense; the Grand Co-ordinator went to occupy the yamen hall and put up an announcement in front of the yamen stating that it was the second year of the Shun Zhi Emperor’s reign of the Great Qing Dynasty; saying that we respectfully receive orders from the Great General of the Ding Kingdom, Prince Yu, and overall stated that those who complied and were obedient would not be harmed in the slightest; but those who resisted and were treacherous would follow the example of Weiyang; Qian Muzhai also put his seal to a statement saying he accepted the government’s efforts to reassure and calm.

是晚，長洲縣知縣李碩 亦棄官去。 That night, the Changzhou County magistrate Li Shuo also abandoned his post and fled.

撫安仍回寓虎邱。 The Provincial Military Commander returned again to reside at Tiger Hill.

二十七日，复迎入城，坐兵道府中。 Day 27: He was welcomed him into the city walls again, and had soldiers occupy the government intendant office.

冊籍已獻，武弁士民，接踵進見，人以為大事已定矣。 The files and household registers were presented to them; military officials, scholars and commoners all followed on one another's heels, advancing in as an audience; people believed that the major issues had been settled. (見 here is read xiàn.)

忽二十九日清晨，有常鎮監軍楊文驄 與都司朱國臣共謀令營兵進見黃安撫謝賞，出其不意，執黃家鼒、黃嘉模、吳參將，並隨從甘一人，綁去封門外，官俱斬首剖腹，親隨二人亦斬。 Suddenly in the early hours of Day 29, the Changzhou and Zhenjiang Military Supervisor Yang Wencong and Army Official Zhu Guozhen made a plan together to order the garrison [?] to go in and see Huang Jiazi and reassure and thank him, thus doing what they least expected, capturing Huang Jiazi, Huang Jiamo, Senator Wu Shenjiang and their entourage of 21 people; they were shackled and taken outside the gate; all of them were beheaded and disemboweled and their two trusted assistants were also beheaded.

周 子靜知風先遁，得免於難，急往南京報知，極言民心已歸順，此舉出楊監軍詭謀，幸其有先入之言耳。 Zhou Quan caught wind of it and fled in advance, managing to escape death; he rushed to Nanjing to report, stating strongly that the hearts of the people were already in submission, and drawing attention to Army Supervisor Yang’s devious scheme; fortunately he had heard talk of it in advance.

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