生平

參與建義

檀道濟是檀韶最小的弟弟，由於父母早死，兄弟們都由堂叔檀憑之養育成人。元興三年（404年），劉裕在京口起兵討伐桓玄，檀道濟與檀韶、檀祗兩位兄長都有參與，並參劉裕建武軍事。隨後檀道濟隨同劉道規等西上追擊桓玄，雖不久桓玄敗死，但桓振仍然佔據江陵，並在夏口一帶布防防止自江州西上的劉道規等軍。檀道濟就參與劉毅進攻孟山圖所守的魯山城的行動，並成功攻下，配合其餘軍隊在偃月壘和江中的進攻，成功擊退桓楚軍。後檀道濟進至江陵，協助擊敗桓振，收復江陵，遂任輔國將軍劉道規參軍、南陽太守，並因功封吳興縣五等侯。

盧循之亂時，盜賊乘亂而起，作唐縣當時就有郭寄生等人作亂，檀道濟獲授揚武將軍、天門郡太守，領兵將之消滅。其時因盧循佔據江州，荊州與建康通訊斷絕，劉道規遂命王鎮之領檀道濟等領三千兵入援建康，但為後秦所派將領苟林所敗，不能前進。其時桓氏殘餘勢力的桓謙亦乘機進攻荊州，劉道規領軍提禦，檀道濟於枝江身先士卒，先陷其陣，協助劉道規擊敗桓謙，後亦參與消滅苟林。不久，盧循將徐道覆親攻江陵，檀道濟亦助劉道規擊敗他，成功保全荊州。盧循之亂期間，檀道濟戰功甚多，遂轉安遠護軍、武陵內史。後轉太尉劉裕參軍、中書侍郎以及寧朔將軍、參太尉軍事等職，並以功封作唐縣男，食邑四百。後又曾任劉裕的太尉主簿和諮議參軍。義熙十一年（415年），劉裕以長子劉義符為兗州刺史，鎮京口，讓檀道濟當他的司馬，領臨淮郡太守；次年劉義符轉豫州，檀道濟仍任其司馬，領梁國內史，不久劉義符再轉任徐兗二州刺史，檀道濟繼續當其司馬，並加冠軍將軍。

北伐建功

劉裕於義熙十二年（416年）北伐後秦，以檀道濟及王鎮惡等為前鋒，當時他們兵向許洛，各城都望風歸降，先後攻克新蔡、許昌等城，檀道濟在攻下洛陽時共俘四千多人，當時有人建議檀道濟殺光他們，將屍體堆起來，但檀道濟卻說：「伐罪弔民，正在今日」。將之全部釋放，於是令眾人歸心，相繼歸降。檀道濟及後和沈林子於陝北渡河，攻下襄邑堡，但無法攻下蒲阪，於是聽從沈林子所言與王鎮惡共攻潼關。守潼關的姚紹率兵出戰，但在檀道濟及沈林子奮力作戰之下則大敗，只好退屯定城，據險而守。不久大軍攻下長安，滅後秦，檀道濟轉征虜將軍、琅邪內史。後劉裕獲封宋公，建宋國，檀道濟任宋國侍中，領世子中庶子，兗州大中正。

永初元年（420年），劉裕篡晉即位，檀道濟轉護軍將軍，加散騎常侍，領石頭戍事，封永脩縣公，食邑二千。後以護軍將軍轉任丹陽尹。永初三年（422年）三月，劉裕患病，詔加檀道濟班劍二十人，檀道濟與太尉長沙王劉道鄰、司空徐羨之、尚書僕射傅亮、領軍將軍謝晦入侍醫藥。後檀道濟出監南徐兗之江北淮南諸郡軍事、鎮北將軍、南兗州刺史。五月，劉裕去世，檀道濟與徐羨之、傅亮及謝晦同受顧命，輔助宋少帝劉義符。少帝即位，進檀道濟為征北將軍，加散騎常侍，並加都督青州及徐州五郡軍事。

對抗北魏

同年冬，北魏乘劉裕去世的機會攻擊宋河南諸郡，虎牢及東陽二城同被魏軍攻擊，遣使告急，朝廷遂命檀道濟監征討諸軍事，與王仲德一同率兵救援。檀道濟至彭城時以兵力太少不足以分兩路援救，決定先行支援距離較近、兵力較弱的東陽城。叔孫建等人所領的圍城魏軍雖然急攻，但在青州刺史竺夔及守將垣苗堅守下仍勉強守住，而得知檀道濟將臨後，魏軍就燒毀攻城器具逃走，青州圍解。不過，叔孫建接著就去增援攻虎牢的魏軍，令虎牢形勢更為嚴峻，檀道濟想追，但軍中乏糧，延誤了行軍時間，沒能趕上，於是先停湖陸，裝治水軍。面對大量圍攻虎牢的魏軍，趕到附近的各路援軍都不敢前進，故最終虎牢還是失守，檀道濟亦只有回軍。

景平二年（424年），徐羨之、傅亮及謝晦要以與少帝不睦為由廢掉廬陵王劉義真，以免在廢黜少帝後由劉義真繼位，徐羨之也將圖謀告訴檀道濟，但檀道濟並不同意，多次勸阻但都不果。劉義真被廢後，徐羨之等人就準備廢黜少帝，於是讓檀道濟及王弘入朝，並將計劃告訴他們。將少帝廢黜並囚於吳郡後，時傅亮到荊州迎宜都王劉義隆到建康即位，在其到達以前就由檀道濟守衛朝堂。宋文帝劉義隆登位後進檀道濟為征北將軍，加散騎常侍，鼓吹一部，增都督青州徐州之五郡諸軍事。元嘉三年（426年），劉義隆誅殺徐羨之及傅亮，並命到彥之為前鋒討伐謝晦，並由檀道濟後繼。檀道濟一直和王弘交好，劉義隆即位後亦向王弘一派靠攏；不過在決定用檀道濟參與討伐謝晦時，劉義隆親信王華一度反對，劉義隆卻說：「道濟是跟隨別人的，當年都不是主謀者，只要任用時作出招撫，不會有事的」。到彥之軍隊本敗予謝晦，被逼退守隱圻，但檀道濟和他會合後軍勢甚盛，謝晦本以為檀道濟已和徐羨之等一同被誅，亦以此在軍中宣布，現在軍士突然看見檀道濟士氣大降，其鼎盛的軍隊亦令謝晦軍中再無鬥志，謝晦對檀道濟親自領軍前來亦無計可施，最終兵敗被擒。戰後，檀道濟遷都督江州荊州之江夏豫州之西陽新蔡晉熙四郡諸軍事、征南大將軍、開府儀同三司、江州刺史，持節，又獲增封千戶。

元嘉七年（430年），到彥之受命領導北伐，本來在北魏主動撤退下收復河南地，但在該年冬天就遭北魏反攻，洛陽、虎牢都失陷，朱脩之所守的滑臺遭圍攻。到彥之則見戰事不利，軍中有疾，自己眼疾又發，經已退兵，朝廷遂於元嘉八年（431年）加檀道濟都督征討諸軍事，率軍北伐以圖救援滑臺。檀道濟進軍時正遇叔孫建等人幹擾，直到攻至濟上的二十多日間已打了三十多場戰事，檀道濟亦屢屢獲勝，更殺了北魏濟州刺史悉煩庫結，不過，攻到歷城時被叔孫建燒掉糧草，致令檀道濟無法繼續前進，終令滑臺糧盡陷落。

唱籌量沙

檀道濟遂自歷陽還軍，但就有逃兵叛歸北魏並將軍中缺糧的事實告知魏軍，讓魏軍以大軍追擊。宋軍見魏軍來攻都十分恐懼，軍中不穩，而檀道濟則故意在夜間唱籌量沙，表面上是在數米糧，實質上袋子裝的都是沙土，只有最表面一層蓋上僅餘的白米，不過卻成功騙過了魏軍，至明早，魏軍認為宋軍糧食充足，放棄繼續追擊，並殺了那告密的逃兵。不過，當時魏軍兵勢甚盛，四面都有魏軍騎兵，相反檀道濟所領宋軍並不多，他就讓所有士兵整齊步走，自己則白衣坐在車上，領軍徐徐離開，讓魏軍以為宋軍設有伏兵而不敢進逼，於是成功脫離魏軍範圍，全軍而返。元嘉九年三月丁巳（432年4月28日），檀道濟獲進位司空，仍以原都督、刺史職還鎮尋陽。

自毀長城

檀道濟作為開國功臣，亦屢建戰功，威名很高，左右心腹亦是身經百戰的人，兒子們又有才氣，當時就有些人說：「怎知是不是司馬仲達」。而當時以執政彭城王劉義康為首的朝廷也很忌憚他。其時宋文帝劉義隆常常患病，更好幾次病得很重，劉義康就更怕一旦皇帝去世，就無法再駕馭檀道濟。元嘉十二年（435年），劉義隆又病重，適逢北魏又在北方有侵邊行動，在劉義康的建議下召檀道濟入朝，不過檀道濟到後劉義隆病情又好轉了。次年，檀道濟將要還鎮，連船也上了，但此時劉義隆又病發，劉義康於是矯詔召檀道濟入祖道，並在文帝的同意下，將之收付廷尉、宣稱謀反，在三月己未（436年4月9日）將他和兒子們共八人都處死，司空參軍薛肜、高進之亦被誅殺。檀道濟被捕時十分憤怒，雙目目光如火炬一般，飲酒一斛後將頭上巾幘丟在地上，說：「這是破壞了你的萬里長城呀！」

檀道濟與北魏作戰屢有戰功，令魏人亦十分畏懼他，更以他的畫像驅鬼。而當他們知道檀道濟被誅殺的消息後都十分高興，說：「道濟已經死了，南方人不足為懼了。」連南侵的頻率也高了。而後來劉義隆問心腹殷景仁：「誰可以代替檀道濟呀？」殷景仁答：「道濟因為多有戰功，故此就有威名，其他人只是沒機會累積戰功而已。」但劉義隆卻說：「不是呀，昔日李廣在，匈奴人都不敢南侵，他死後有多少人能像他那樣？」元嘉二十七年（450年），宋軍北伐前，老於軍事的沈慶之於廷議時反對北伐，並舉檀道濟、到彥之與魏軍作戰失利作鑑誡，但執意北伐的劉義隆卻故意說檀道濟「養寇自重」，不理沈慶之的意見。之後魏軍反攻，兵臨江北瓜步，更聲言渡江，逼得建康戒嚴，劉義隆登石頭城望敵，憂心地歎道：「若果道濟還在，怎會這樣！」足見他深感後悔，同時也承認了檀道濟的才幹功勳，而劉宋在檀道濟死後亦無力與北魏爭衡。

性格特徴

• 檀道濟父母早死，但居喪期間亦盡禮。日後和兄姊相處亦以和謹見稱。

• 廢少帝前夕，檀道濟到謝晦府中留宿，謝晦緊張得整夜也睡不著，但檀道濟一上床就熟睡了，謝晦遂對其甚為佩服。

子女

• 檀植，給事黃門侍郎，與父同誅

• 檀粲，司徒從事中郎，與父同誅

• 檀隰，太子舍人，與父同誅

• 檀承伯，征北主簿，與父同誅

• 檀遵，秘書郎，與父同誅

• 檀夷，被誅

• 檀邕，被誅，有子檀孺獲免死

• 檀演，被誅　

軼事

中國成語「三十六計，走為上計」，源自於檀道濟，據《南齊書·王敬則傳》：「檀公三十六策，走為上計，汝父子唯應走耳。」其生平事績亦生出「唱籌量沙」、「目光如炬」、「自毀長城」等成語。唐朝詩人劉禹錫亦有《經檀道濟故壘》詩。

註解

延伸閱讀

參考書目

• 《宋書·檀道濟傳》

• 《南史·檀道濟傳》

• 《資治通鑑》（卷一二零至一二三）

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During Jin Dynasty

It is not known when Tan Daoji was born, but what is known is that he lost his parents early, and was said to be appropriate in his deeds even as a young orphan, being respectful to his older brothers and sisters. Two of his older brothers, Tan Shao (檀韶; 366 - 421) and Tan Zhi (檀祗; 368 - 418), were also generals later.

When warlord Huan Xuan seized the Jin throne from Emperor An of Jin in 403, Liu Yu rose against him in 404, and Tan joined Liu Yu's army and served as his assistant. When Huan Xuan was killed late in 404 but his nephew Huan Zhen (桓振) continued to resist Liu's army, Tan killed Huan Zhen in battle. For this achievement, he was created the Marquess of Wuxing. He continued to participate in various campaigns, including assisting Liu Yu's brother Liu Daogui against invading Later Qin and Western Shu forces commanded by Gou Lin (苟林) and Huan Xuan's cousin Huan Qian (桓謙) in 410 and battling Xu Daofu (徐道覆), the brother-in-law of the warlord Lu Xun (盧循). For this, he was created the Baron of Tang. (This might seem a demotion, but Liu Yu was reorganizing noble titles at the time, and while it was technically a demotion, he gave Tan a larger fief.)

When Liu Yu launched a major attack against Later Qin in 416, Tan was his forward commander, and he made major contributions in contributing the important cities Xuchang and Luoyang. After Later Qin's capital Chang'an fell in 417, he became the general in charge of protecting Liu Yu's heir apparent Liu Yifu.

During Emperor Wus reign

After Liu Yu seized the throne from Emperor Gong of Jin in 420, ending Jin and establishing Liu Song (as Emperor Wu), he created Tan the Duke of Yongxiu. When Emperor Wu grew ill in 422, he entrusted Liu Yifu to Xu Xianzhi, Fu Liang, Xie Hui and Tan, and he died soon after. Liu Yifu succeeded him as Emperor Shao.

During Emperor Shaos reign

Unlike Xu, Fu, and Xie, however, Tan did not remain at the capital Jiankang or involve himself with the operations of the imperial government, but became the governor of Southern Yan Province (南兗州, modern central Jiangsu). When rival Northern Wei launched a major attack on Liu Song later in 422 in light of Emperor Wu's death, seeking to capture the Liu Song provinces just south of the Yellow River, Tan Daoji commanded an army to try to save those provinces. He was able to save Qing Province (青州, modern central and eastern Shandong), but could not also save Si (司州, central Henan) and Yan (兗州, modern western Shandong) provinces.

In 424, Xu, Fu, and Xie, dissatisfied with Emperor Shao's tendencies to trust people lacking virtues and believing him to be unfit to be emperor, resolved to depose him. 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. Liu Yilong, after some hesitation, took the throne as Emperor Wen.

During Emperor Wens reign

Emperor Wen tried to pacify the officials who made him emperor by giving them greater titles and fiefs, and he tried to create Tan the Duke of Wuling (a commandery, as opposed to the county that he was the duke of), but Tan insisted on refusing, and returned to his post at Guangling (廣陵, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu).

Emperor Wen, angry that Xu, Fu, and Xie had, immediately after they deposed Emperor Shao, assassinated both Emperor Shao and another brother of his, Liu Yizhen the Prince of Luling, had Xu and Fu arrested and killed in 426, and declared Xie, then the governor of Jing Province (荊州, modern Hubei) a renegade. Believing that neither Tan nor Wang Hong was involved in the plot to depose and kill Emperor Shao, he summoned them to the capital, and he put Tan in charge of the army to attack Xie. Xie, while a talented strategist, was unaccustomed to commanding large armies, and Tan defeated him; he was subsequently captured and executed. In light of his victory, Emperor Wen promoted Tan to greater titles and made him the governor of Jiang Province (江州, modern Jiangxi and Fujian).

When Emperor Wen launched a major campaign against Northern Wei in 430 to try to regain provinces south of the Yellow River, Tan was not in command of the army—Dao Yanzhi (到彥之) was. Dao was initially able to recover the provinces, as Northern Wei chose to abandon them temporarily, waiting for winter to counterattack. When it did so in winter 430, Dao retreated after Luoyang and Hulao fell, leaving Huatai (滑台, in modern Anyang, Henan) and its commanding general Zhu Xiuzhi (朱脩之) under Northern Wei siege and totally without support. Emperor Wen replaced Dao with Tan in spring 431, requesting that he try to advance to Huatai to save it. Tan was initially successful in his attempts to advance toward Huatai, winning several battles against Northern Wei forces. However, after he reached Licheng (歷城, in modern Jinan, Shandong), his supply route was cut off by the Northern Wei general Yizhan Jian (乙旃建), and he was no longer able to reach Huatai. Huatai soon fell, Zhu was captured, and Tan retreated. On the way, Northern Wei forces became aware that Tan was out of food, and so trailed him, ready to attack. Tan then used a trick that made him famous in Chinese history—at night, he had the soldiers pretend that sand was grain and yell out the measurements, and then covered the sand with grain. In the morning, when Northern Wei forces saw the pile of sand covered with grain, they mistakenly thought that Tan's forces did not lack food at all, and therefore decided not to pursue him further. Tan was able to withdraw his forces without major losses. Emperor Wen gave him greater titles and returned him to Jiang Province.

However, because of Tan's abilities and because his sons and subordinates were also all capable, he eventually became suspected by Emperor Wen and his brother, the prime minister Liu Yikang, particularly because Emperor Wen was ill for several years. Liu Yikang, who presumed that he would be regent if Emperor Wen were to die, was particularly concerned that he would be unable to control Tan. In late 435, when Emperor Wen became very ill, Liu Yikang summoned Tan to Jiankang, and despite misgivings by Tan's wife, Tan went to Jiankang anyway. He remained about a month, and as Emperor Wen grew better, he considered ordering Tan to return to Jiang Province or to put him in charge of another army against Northern Wei, but then suddenly grew sicker. At that time, Tan was already on the dock ready to depart for Jiang Province, and Liu Yikang summoned him back to Jiankang and arrested him. Emperor Wen then issued an edict falsely accusing Tan of preparing treason and executed him with his sons, but spared his grandsons. Emperor Wen also killed two of Tan's trusted generals, Xue Tong (薛彤) and Gao Jinzhi (高進之), who were capable soldiers and compared by their admirers to Guan Yu and Zhang Fei.

When Tan was arrested, he angrily threw his scarf on the ground and stated bitterly, "You have destroyed your Great Wall." When Northern Wei officials heard of Tan's death, they celebrated. In 450, when Northern Wei made a major incursion into Liu Song and destroyed six provinces, Emperor Wen lamented that if Tan were still alive, he would have prevented Northern Wei advances.

Tan was said to have had 36 military strategies—although it was later semi-derogatorily noted by the Southern Qi general Wang Jingze (王敬則), that of Tan's best strategies, "Retreat" was the last and best strategy—because the people had satirized Tan's retreat from Northern Wei forces after Huatai's fall.