Round Zhao Yuan, the king of Duke Su of Zhou, was very clever when he was young, and Emperor Taizong especially liked him. Every time princes, governors and foreign envoys appeared in front of the emperor and gathered for a banquet, (Yan Yuan) mostly served beside Taizong. Emperor Taizong didn't want Yuan Yan to leave the palace prematurely, but agreed to let him go out to take office at the age of 20, so the palace called him "Twenty-eight Pacific Insurance" because Yuan Yan ranked eighth among the brothers.
Zhenzong acceded to the throne, granting (Yuan Yanyan) the posts of proofreading Taibao and General Zuo Weishang, and sealing (Yuan Yanyan) Cao Guogong. In the second year, he appointed (Yuan) Ping Shui Shi as our time envoy, awarded a captain Ping Zhang in Zhongshu, and made him king of Guangling County. Later, he was promoted many times, and later he was promoted to be in charge of the sacrifice affairs of Taiqing Palace, and was also regarded as the secretariat. Because the maid-in-waiting set fire to the palace where the emperor lived. (Yuan Yanyan was found guilty), those who were deprived of Wu Xin were reduced to Duan Wang and moved to the original residence of Xu Shi Baoji. Every time I saw the emperor, (Yan Yuan) sadly mentioned his own fault, and the emperor was (very) sympathetic. Soon (the emperor) approved (him) our time Zhenhai and Anhua Army, made (him) Wang Peng, and recommended (him) Taibao. Injong acceded to the throne, worshiped (Yuan) Qiu, made official orders, made official orders, transferred to Zhen 'an and Zhongwu, and became king. He thanked him by not signing his name when he worshipped, and did not sign his name when he gave a letter. In the second year of Jing You, (Injong) awarded a large number of titles and officials to the royal family, and (Yan Yuan) was appointed as the ambassador of Jingnan and Huainan, and also served as the shepherd of Jingzhou and Yangzhou, so that (he) could walk fast without taking small steps when entering the DPRK.
Yan Yuan has a broad forehead and big cheeks, a stern and determined face, and an inviolable face. The whole country is in awe of him, and his reputation has spread abroad. (Yuan Yanyan) Defei Wang, who serves his mother, is filial. Every time her mother is ill, (Yuan Yanyan) personally gives her medicine, washes her hands and burns incense in the morning and evening, fearing that her mother is ill and can't even eat. When my mother died, I was more sad than ordinary people. Yan Yuan had no hobbies or desires in his life. He only likes collecting books and writing articles. He is good at the calligraphy of Wang Xizhihe, a scholar of Jin Dynasty, and is good at "flying white book".
Injong acceded to the throne when he was a child. Empress Zhang Xian listened to politics in the court. (Yan Yuan) thought that he was respected and valued, but he was afraid of being suspected by the Queen Mother. He felt deeply that he should hide. So he stayed at home, refused to ask about the appointment and dismissal of officials, and deliberately talked nonsense, pretending to be crazy and selling stupidity, and no longer participated in the political affairs to visit the emperor. When the Queen Mother died, Injong was in charge of state affairs, and Yan Yuan was more respected and loved. Whenever a request is approved, (Yan Yuan) must write a thank-you letter in person. At that time, Shaanxi was at war, and (Yan Yuan) provided 500,000 yuan of public funds every year to support the border defense. The emperor didn't want to refuse him and allowed him to pay half. (Yan Yuan) once asked Wang Yishan Huan: "Is Yuan Hao settled?" (Wang Huan) A: "No", (Yan Yuan) said: "In this case, where do you need a prime minister?" Everyone who heard this was scared.
In the winter of the third year, the mountains were closed by heavy snow, especially in Chen and Chu. Soon, Yan Yuan was very ill. The emperor looked worried and went to the bedroom (Yuan Yanyan's) and personally prepared medicine for him. The emperor let others retire and talked with (Yuan Yanyan) for a long time. (Yuan Yanyan) Most of the answers are suggestions. (The emperor) gave platinum 5200 yuan, but (Yan Yuan) resolutely refused to accept it, saying, "I am thin and haggard, and I will die, which will cost the country a lot of money." The emperor wept for (him). In the first month of the second year (Yuan Yanyan), he died. After his death, he was made a general in Ce Tian, a shepherd in Yan Xu's second country, the Prince of Yan, and posthumously awarded Gong Su. When Yan Yuan was buried, Injong mourned three times.