During Jin Dynasty

Fu Liang became known for his literary abilities in his youth, and he served as the assistant to the general Huan Qian (桓谦), a cousin of the warlord Huan Xuan. After Huan Xuan usurped the throne in 403, Huan Xuan heard of his abilities and made him a court secretary, intending for him to reorganize the imperial archives, but before the project could get underway, Huan Xuan was overthrown by the coalition of forces led by Liu Yu. He then served as an assistant to Liu Yu's confederate Meng Chang (孟昶). He became briefly in charge of editing imperial edicts, but soon left his post as his mother died and he underwent the mandatory three-year mourning period. He resumed those responsibilities once the mourning period was over, and for a while, Liu Yu wanted to make him the governor of the rich Dongyang Commandery (东阳, roughly modern Jinhua, Zhejiang), but Fu declined, preferring to remain close to Liu Yu. Subsequently, in 415, when Liu Yu attacked the general Sima Xiuzhi (司马休之), whom he suspected of opposing him, Fu became one of his assistants, and from that point on he directly served on Liu Yu's staff.

Fu Liang continued to serve Liu Yu on the campaign where he destroyed Later Qin in 416 and 417. In late 417, after Liu Yu completed the campaign and accepted the title Duke of Song, Fu became a high-level official for the dukedom. In 420, Liu Yu, then at Shouyang, was intending to usurp the Jin throne, but could not bring himself to say it completely, and so invited his high-level staff to a feast where he talked about his achievements but his intent to retire afterwards. None of the staff members understood what he meant, but a few hours later, Fu realized what Liu Yu meant, and therefore, deep at night, went in to see Liu Yu and requested to return to the capital Jiankang. Liu Yu saw that Fu understood what he meant, and therefore did not say anything further other than approving his journey. Once Fu was at Jiankang, he hinted to Emperor Gong of Jin to first recall Liu Yu to Jiankang, and then pressured him to issue an edict offering the throne to Liu Yu. Liu Yu accepted, establishing Liu Song (as Emperor Wu) and ending Jin.

During Emperor Wus reign

After Liu Yu seized the throne, he created Fu the Duke of Jiancheng. Fu became in charge of all imperial edicts. He became famed, along with Xu Xianzhi, and the minister Zheng Xianzhi (郑鲜之) once, while observing Xu and Fu Liang, commented, "If you hear the words that Xu and Fu spoke, you will no longer consider yourself a learned person."

When Emperor Wu grew ill in 422, he entrusted his crown prince Liu Yifu to Xu, Fu, Xie Hui, and Tan Daoji, and soon died. Liu Yifu succeeded him (as Emperor Shao), and in the mourning period, he had Xu and Fu handle important matters for him.

During Emperor Shaos reign

Emperor Shao soon became known for spending much time on frivolous matters with impertinent attendants, even during the three-year mourning period, and not on studies or important matters of state. Xu, Fu, and Xie became convinced that he was not a fit emperor, and considered deposing him. However, they had even lower opinions of his oldest younger brother, Liu Yizhen (刘义真) the Prince of Luling, so they first stoke the rivalry that Emperor Shao already had with Liu Yizhen and then accused Liu Yizhen of crimes. In 424, Emperor Shao reduced Liu Yizhen to commoner rank and exiled him.

Xu, Fu, and Xie then prepared to remove Emperor Shao as well. Because they were apprehensive about the powerful armies that Tan and Wang Hong had, they summoned Tan and Wang to the capital and then informed them of the plot. They then sent soldiers into the palace to arrest Emperor Shao, after first persuading the imperial guards not to resist. Before Emperor Shao could get up from bed in the morning, the soldiers were already in his bedchamber, and he made a futile attempt to resist, but was captured. He was sent back to his old palace. The officials then, in the name of Emperor Shao's mother Empress Dowager Zhang, declared Emperor Shao's faults and demoted him to Prince of Yingyang, offering the throne to his younger brother Liu Yilong the Prince of Yidu instead. (Xu's associate Cheng Daohui (程道惠) had initially urged that Xu offer the throne to an even younger brother, Liu Yigong (刘义恭) the Prince of Jiangxia, to control power longer, but Xu and Fu believed Liu Yilong to be capable and therefore decided on him.) Xu remained at Jiankang, while Fu went to Liu Yilong's post at Jing Province (荆州, modern Hubei) to welcome him.

Before Liu Yilong could accept or arrive at Jiankang, Xu and Fu sent assassins to kill both Emperor Shao and Liu Yizhen. (Fu had changed his mind after advice from the official Cai Kuo (蔡廓), but his letter to Xu to try to stop the assassinations arrived too late.) Liu Yilong, initially apprehensive of the officials' intentions in light of Emperor Shao's and Liu Yizhen's deaths, did not accept the throne, but after advice by Wang Hua (王华), Wang Tanshou (王昙首, Wang Hong's brother), and Dao Yanzhi (到彦之), accepted, and he advanced to Jiankang and took the throne (as Emperor Wen).

During Emperor Wens reign

Fearful that Emperor Wen would act against them, Xu and Fu, prior to Emperor Wen's arrival at Jiankang, made Xie the governor of Jing Province to replace him, with the intent that Xie and Tan can counteract against the emperor should the emperor act against them. Once Emperor Wen had ascended the throne, he kept Xu and Fu content by keeping them in their posts. In 425, Xu and Fu offered to resign, and Emperor Wen approved and began to handle important matters of state himself. However, Xu's nephew Xu Peizhi (徐佩之) and his associates Cheng and Wang Shaozhi (王韶之) persuaded him that he did not need to resign, and thereafter he reassumed his post. (While it was not explicitly stated in history, it appeared that Fu then did so as well.)

However, Emperor Wen was resentful that Xu, Fu, and Xie had killed his two older brothers, and in late 425 planned to destroy them, particularly at the urging of Wang Hua and the general Kong Ningzi (孔宁子). He therefore mobilized troops and publicly declared that he was going to attack rival Northern Wei, but was privately preparing to arrest Xu and Fu while engaging in a military campaign against Xie. In spring 426, rumors had leaked of such a plan, and so Xie began to prepare for armed resistance. Soon, Emperor Wen publicly issued an edict ordering that Xu, Fu, and Xie be arrested and killed, while issuing a separate edict summoning Xu and Fu to the palace. Xie's brother Xie Jiao (谢嚼) received news of this and quickly informed Fu. Fu tried to flee, but was arrested by imperial forces. Emperor Wen told him that because of his diligence when he arrived at Jing Province to welcome him, his sons would be spared. However, Fu defiantly responded that he, Xu, and Xie deposed an incompetent emperor and installed a capable one for the empire's sake, and that the charges against him were bogus. Emperor Wen executed him and exiled his wife and children to Jian'an (建安, in modern Nanping, Fujian).

Responsive Manifestations of Avalokitesvara

Fu Liang was instrumental in completing an important piece of Buddhist writing, Guangshiyin yingyanji 光世音应验记, by writing the preface to the work originated by Xie Fu 谢敷 (fl. mid- to late 4th century) and supplementing it with the 7th part recorded from memory. Albeit short, the text is important as the earliest known collection of the Buddhist miracle tales. Its c. 12th-century manuscript copy was preserved in the Seiren Monastery 青莲院 in Kyoto, Japan. The rediscovery was announced in 1943. The manuscript is accompanied by the sequel pieces written in the 5th century by Zhang Yan 张演, a Buddhist layman, and Lu Gao 陆杲 (459-532).

生平

长居西省

傅亮博览经史，尤其擅长写文章。早年曾经担任建威参军及行中军将军桓谦的参军。桓玄篡位时就因傅亮博学而有文采，于是选了他担任秘书监，想要他整理好秘阁藏书。可是，傅亮还未受任，刘裕就已起兵讨伐桓玄，并攻下建康，令桓玄西逃荆州。其时孟昶任建武将军、丹阳尹，选了傅亮任其参军。义熙元年（405年），傅亮转员外散骑侍郎，入值中书省，掌管诏命。后来又曾任抚军记室参军、领军司马等职。至义熙七年（411年）傅亮获授散骑侍郎，再度入值中书省，后又转任中书黄门侍郎，并一直在中书省任职，直至义熙十一年（415年）以太尉从事中郎随行，才由羊徽代其入值中书省。次年傅亮又随刘裕北伐后秦。

讽帝禅让

义熙十四年（418年），刘裕受封宋公，以十郡建了宋国，傅亮升任侍中，领世子中庶子。后再迁中书令。元熙二年（420年），刘裕欲求晋恭帝禅让于己，却不便啓齿，于是特意在宋国国都寿阳（今安徽寿县）与朝臣饮宴，并说：「桓玄凶暴的篡夺帝位时，其实帝王之位已经易手了，而我第一个举义，复兴了皇室，南征北伐，平定四海，成果显著，故此得到九锡的殊礼。今天我都老了，而获得的崇礼以此高，不能久安呀。我就想奉还爵位，告老回京。」然而群臣听后都只是对其歌功颂德，都没明白刘裕话中的意思。散席后，傅亮才明白刘裕的心意，去见了一见刘裕并表示他要回京，刘裕明白傅亮是要代自己传话，亦没有说甚么。傅亮回建康后不久，朝廷就召刘裕入京了。至同年六月，刘裕抵达建康后，傅亮就要晋恭帝禅让，并将禅让诏书的草稿上呈，要恭帝抄写。最终恭帝欣然抄写，并退位，刘裕则在四日后即位为帝。

南朝宋建立后，刘裕即以傅亮为中书令、领太子詹事，入值中书省，专掌诏命，并因他为开国元勋，封为建城县公。其时傅亮掌握重权，并常在中书省与客人会面，于是客人多得令神武门外就常有数百辆车停泊。而其实自刘裕的长史王诞于义熙九年（413年）去世后，刘裕的所有文书和诰命都是傅亮起草的。永初二年（421年），傅亮加任尚书仆射。

顾命大臣

永初三年（422年），刘裕去世，遗命傅亮与徐羡之、谢晦及檀道济为顾命大臣。宋少帝刘义符即位后进傅亮为中书监、尚书令。景平二年（424年）时又加领护军将军。同年，傅亮与徐羡之及谢晦以宋少帝居丧无礼，游戏无道，合谋废少帝为营阳王，不久更由徐羡之派人弑杀。随后，徐羡之决意以时任荆州刺史的宜都王刘义隆为帝，傅亮于是率行台至荆州治所江陵迎刘义隆到建康。刘义隆出发东下时引见了傅亮，期间伤心号哭，哀伤情绪连身边的人也感受到，而在问及宋少帝及刘义真被废杀的始末后就哭泣得更悲痛，傅亮更是全身冒汗，无法回应。其时刘义隆就联结了心腹到彦之、王华等人，又命原荆州州府文武官员陈兵自衞，自建康派去迎接刘义隆的百官都不得接近，中兵参军朱容子更常持刀在外守护。刘义隆到建康时，徐羡之率百官到新亭迎接，并问傅亮：「宜都王可以与谁人比拟？」傅亮答：「晋文帝、晋景帝之上那种人。」徐羡之就说：「他必定能够明我的赤诚之心。」然而傅亮就答：「我看不是了。」刘义隆随后即位，即宋文帝，不久即加傅亮散骑常侍、左光禄大夫、开府仪同三司，更封始兴郡公，而傅亮辞让封爵。

降罪伏诛

元嘉三年（426年），刘义隆追论徐羡之、傅亮及谢晦废杀宋少帝及刘义真，下诏治三人罪，并召见徐羡之及傅亮。时谢晦弟黄门郎谢将刘义隆要降罪他们消息告知傅亮，傅亮于是以嫂子病重为由请求回家，并通报徐羡之。傅亮折返后使乘车出城，并策马走到兄长傅迪的坟墓，而屯骑校尉郭泓之却将其收捕。傅亮到建康城的北门广莫门时，刘义隆派了中书舍人送诏书给傅亮，并传话：「以你在江陵时表现的忠诚，你的所有儿子都会安然无恙。」傅亮看完诏书后就说：「臣本是平民，因先帝眷顾才得受顾命重任。废黜昏君而立明君是为社稷而做的。强要给人加上罪名，难道会找不到藉口吗！」随后傅亮被诛杀，享年五十三岁，其妻儿都被流放到建安郡。

性格特徵

• 傅亮擅写文章，著有《演慎论》及《感物赋》等文章，《隋书·经籍志》则载其有《傅亮集》三十一卷流传。今有《光世音应验记》传世。《诗品》评傅亮之诗：「季友文，余常忽而不察。今沈特进撰诗，载其数首，亦复平美。」

子女

• 傅演，傅亮长子，早死

• 傅悝，傅演弟，傅亮被诛时逃亡，宋孝武帝在位时还京

• 傅湛，傅悝弟，傅亮被诛时逃亡，宋孝武帝在位时还京.

• 傅都，傅湛弟，傅亮被诛后流放到建安郡，宋孝武帝在位时还京.

参考书目

• 《宋书·列传第三》