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 (桓謙), 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 (東陽, 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 (司馬休之), 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 (鄭鮮之) 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 (劉義真) 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 (劉義恭) 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 (荊州, 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 (王華), Wang Tanshou (王曇首, Wang Hong's brother), and Dao Yanzhi (到彥之), 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 (孔寧子). 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 (謝嚼) 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 光世音應驗記, 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 青蓮院 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 張演, a Buddhist layman, and Lu Gao 陸杲 (459-532).

生平

長居西省

傅亮博覽經史，尤其擅長寫文章。早年曾經擔任建威參軍及行中軍將軍桓謙的參軍。桓玄篡位時就因傅亮博學而有文採，於是選了他擔任祕書監，想要他整理好祕閣藏書。可是，傅亮還未受任，劉裕就已起兵討伐桓玄，並攻下建康，令桓玄西逃荊州。其時孟昶任建武將軍、丹陽尹，選了傅亮任其參軍。義熙元年（405年），傅亮轉員外散騎侍郎，入值中書省，掌管詔命。後來又曾任撫軍記室參軍、領軍司馬等職。至義熙七年（411年）傅亮獲授散騎侍郎，再度入值中書省，後又轉任中書黃門侍郎，並一直在中書省任職，直至義熙十一年（415年）以太尉從事中郎隨行，才由羊徽代其入值中書省。次年傅亮又隨劉裕北伐後秦。

諷帝禪讓

義熙十四年（418年），劉裕受封宋公，以十郡建了宋國，傅亮升任侍中，領世子中庶子。後再遷中書令。元熙二年（420年），劉裕欲求晉恭帝禪讓於己，卻不便啓齒，於是特意在宋國國都壽陽（今安徽壽縣）與朝臣飲宴，並說：「桓玄凶暴的篡奪帝位時，其實帝王之位已經易手了，而我第一個舉義，復興了皇室，南征北伐，平定四海，成果顯著，故此得到九錫的殊禮。今天我都老了，而獲得的崇禮以此高，不能久安呀。我就想奉還爵位，告老回京。」然而群臣聽後都只是對其歌功頌德，都沒明白劉裕話中的意思。散席後，傅亮才明白劉裕的心意，去見了一見劉裕並表示他要回京，劉裕明白傅亮是要代自己傳話，亦沒有說甚麼。傅亮回建康後不久，朝廷就召劉裕入京了。至同年六月，劉裕抵達建康後，傅亮就要晉恭帝禪讓，並將禪讓詔書的草稿上呈，要恭帝抄寫。最終恭帝欣然抄寫，並退位，劉裕則在四日後即位為帝。

南朝宋建立後，劉裕即以傅亮為中書令、領太子詹事，入值中書省，專掌詔命，並因他為開國元勳，封為建城縣公。其時傅亮掌握重權，並常在中書省與客人會面，於是客人多得令神武門外就常有數百輛車停泊。而其實自劉裕的長史王誕於義熙九年（413年）去世後，劉裕的所有文書和誥命都是傅亮起草的。永初二年（421年），傅亮加任尚書僕射。

顧命大臣

永初三年（422年），劉裕去世，遺命傅亮與徐羨之、謝晦及檀道濟為顧命大臣。宋少帝劉義符即位後進傅亮為中書監、尚書令。景平二年（424年）時又加領護軍將軍。同年，傅亮與徐羨之及謝晦以宋少帝居喪無禮，遊戲無道，合謀廢少帝為營陽王，不久更由徐羨之派人弒殺。隨後，徐羨之決意以時任荊州刺史的宜都王劉義隆為帝，傅亮於是率行臺至荊州治所江陵迎劉義隆到建康。劉義隆出發東下時引見了傅亮，期間傷心號哭，哀傷情緒連身邊的人也感受到，而在問及宋少帝及劉義真被廢殺的始末後就哭泣得更悲痛，傅亮更是全身冒汗，無法回應。其時劉義隆就聯結了心腹到彥之、王華等人，又命原荊州州府文武官員陳兵自衞，自建康派去迎接劉義隆的百官都不得接近，中兵參軍朱容子更常持刀在外守護。劉義隆到建康時，徐羨之率百官到新亭迎接，並問傅亮：「宜都王可以與誰人比擬？」傅亮答：「晉文帝、晉景帝之上那種人。」徐羨之就說：「他必定能夠明我的赤誠之心。」然而傅亮就答：「我看不是了。」劉義隆隨後即位，即宋文帝，不久即加傅亮散騎常侍、左光祿大夫、開府儀同三司，更封始興郡公，而傅亮辭讓封爵。

降罪伏誅

元嘉三年（426年），劉義隆追論徐羨之、傅亮及謝晦廢殺宋少帝及劉義真，下詔治三人罪，並召見徐羨之及傅亮。時謝晦弟黃門郎謝將劉義隆要降罪他們消息告知傅亮，傅亮於是以嫂子病重為由請求回家，並通報徐羨之。傅亮折返後使乘車出城，並策馬走到兄長傅迪的墳墓，而屯騎校尉郭泓之卻將其收捕。傅亮到建康城的北門廣莫門時，劉義隆派了中書舍人送詔書給傅亮，並傳話：「以你在江陵時表現的忠誠，你的所有兒子都會安然無恙。」傅亮看完詔書後就說：「臣本是平民，因先帝眷顧才得受顧命重任。廢黜昏君而立明君是為社稷而做的。強要給人加上罪名，難道會找不到藉口嗎！」隨後傅亮被誅殺，享年五十三歲，其妻兒都被流放到建安郡。

性格特徵

• 傅亮擅寫文章，著有《演慎論》及《感物賦》等文章，《隋書·經籍志》則載其有《傅亮集》三十一卷流傳。今有《光世音應驗記》傳世。《詩品》評傅亮之詩：「季友文，余常忽而不察。今沈特進撰詩，載其數首，亦複平美。」

子女

• 傅演，傅亮長子，早死

• 傅悝，傅演弟，傅亮被誅時逃亡，宋孝武帝在位時還京

• 傅湛，傅悝弟，傅亮被誅時逃亡，宋孝武帝在位時還京.

• 傅都，傅湛弟，傅亮被誅後流放到建安郡，宋孝武帝在位時還京.

參考書目

• 《宋書·列傳第三》