Duan Ning (段凝) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Duan Ning as an administrator, general, military officer, and official. This record brings together 47 passages from 8 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Duan Ning	段凝	Duan Ning
Personal	Duan Ning	段凝
Personal name	Duan Ning	段凝	Duan Ning
Personal name	Duan Ning	段凝	Duàn Níng
Alternate name	Mingyuan	明遠	Mingyuan
Given	Ning	凝	Níng
Changed name	Shaoqin	紹欽	Shaoqin

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:057:s0028, jiuwudaishi:073:s0062, jiuwudaishi:074:s0158, xinwudaishi:003:s0073, xinwudaishi:044:s0093
Sex: male
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0027

Roles

Administrator
General
Military Officer
Official

Life and dates

Death

Manner: ordered suicide · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 明宗即位明年 · Western Year: AD 927
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0097

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 貞明六年六月 · Regnal Year: 6 · Lunar Month: 6 · Western Year: AD 920
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:010:s0041
Source Date: Text: 龍德二年八月 · Regnal Year: 2 · Lunar Month: 8 · Western Year: AD 922
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:010:s0142
Source Date: Text: 龍德三年五月至冬十月 · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:010:s0153, jiuwudaishi:010:s0170
Source Date: Text: 乾化元年十二月 · Western Year: AD 911
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0068
Source Date: Text: 同光三年四月 · Western Year: AD 925
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0093
Source Date: Text: 同光元年八月 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:074:s0158
Source Date: Text: 四年二月 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0094
Source Date: Text: 四年五月 · Western Year: AD 910
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0067
Source Date: Text: 明宗至洛陽 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0096
Source Date: Text: 段凝阻絕津路 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:057:s0028
Source Date: Text: 河上之軍 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:044:s0093
Source Date: Text: 貞明、龍德之際 · Western Interval: Start: AD 915 · End: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:016:s0134
Source Date: Text: 開平三年十月 · Western Year: AD 909
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0065
Source Date: Text: 龍德三年夏 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:032:s0027
Source Date: Text: 龙德三年秋八月 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:003:s0078
Source Date: Text: 龙德二年秋八月 · Western Year: AD 922
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:003:s0073

Family

Sibling of Younger sister of Duan Ning (凝妹)
Kinship Term: younger sister / 妹 · Subject Role: elder-brother · Object Role: younger-sister · Subject Relative Age: elder

Career and standing

Label: Northern Campaign Pacification commissioner / 北面行營招討使 · Action: appointed-as-replacement-for · Other Person Id: Wang Yanzhang (王彥章)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:010:s0159
Label: prefect of Huaizhou / 懷州刺史 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年五月 · Western Year: AD 910
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0067
Label: General of the Right Weiwu Guard / 右威衛大將軍 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開平三年十月 · Western Year: AD 909
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0065
Label: commander-in-chief of the northern-route campaign headquarters / 北面行营招讨使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 龙德三年秋八月 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit · xinwudaishi:003:s0078
Label: campaign commander-in-chief / 招討使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0082
Label: campaign commissioner / 招討使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0045
Label: deputy campaign commissioner / 招討副使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0027
Label: acting commander of the Huazhou garrison / 滑州兵马留后 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:003:s0073
Label: clerk of Mianchi / 澠池簿 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0064
Label: Manor Estates commissioner / 莊宅使 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:010:s0041
Label: military commissioner of Deng Prefecture / 鄧州節度使 · Action: transferred · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 同光三年四月 · Western Year: AD 925
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0093

Places and affiliations

Place: Kaifeng / 開封
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0062

Works and attributed material

Kind: memorial · Role: author · Quoted: true
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0044

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: captured-prefect · Other Person Id: Li Cunru (李存儒) · Place: Weizhou / 卫州 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 龙德二年秋八月 · Western Year: AD 922
Explicit · xinwudaishi:003:s0073
Kind: political · Role: actor · Action: suppressed-Yanzhang-victory-report
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0043
Kind: military · Role: surrendered · Action: surrendered-to-Tang · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 是歲 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:057:s0059
Kind: military · Role: surrenderer · Action: surrendered · Other Person Id: Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗) · Place: Bian suburbs / 汴郊 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 莊宗入汴 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0085
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: was recalled from the river but did not arrive before the Tang advance
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:010:s0168, jiuwudaishi:010:s0170
Kind: military · Role: commander · Actions: attacked Tongzhou, captured Weizhou, besieged Yangliu, maneuvered at Wang village and Gaoling
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:010:s0041, jiuwudaishi:010:s0142, jiuwudaishi:010:s0153, jiuwudaishi:010:s0160
Relation: conspired-with · Person Id: Zhao Yan (趙岩)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0041, xinwudaishi:032:s0042
Relation: rival-of · Person Id: Wang Yanzhang (王彥章)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0077

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: defeated general of a ruined state · Provenance: Mode: named-person-report · Speaker Person Id: Guo Chongtao (郭崇韜)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0091
Assessment: ruined the state; death came too late · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0145
Assessment: treacherous and sycophantic · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0088

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · xinwudaishi:032:s0027
From: Mingyuan / 明遠 · To: Duan Ning / 段凝
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0063
To: Shaoqin / 紹欽 · Note: granted imperial surname
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0085

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 10Volume 10 Book of Later Liang 10: Later Emperors Annals 3 · 7 passages

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六月，遣兗州節度使劉鄩、華州節度使尹皓、崇州節度使溫昭圖、莊宅使段凝領軍攻同州。 In the sixth month Liu Yan of Yan, Yin Hao of Hua, Wen Zhaotu of Chong, and Duan Ning of the Manor Estates marched on Tongzhou.

八月，段凝、張朗攻衛州，下之，獲刺史李存儒以獻。 In the eighth month Duan Ning and Zhang Lang took Weizhou and sent captive commissioner Li Cunru to court.

己巳，王彥章、段凝圍楊劉城。 On jisi Wang Yanzhang and Duan Ning besieged Yangliu.

八月，以段凝代王彥章為北面行營招討使。 In the eighth month Duan Ning replaced Wang Yanzhang as northern commander.

戊子，段凝營於王村，引軍自高陵渡河，復臨河而還。 On wuzi Duan Ning camped at Wang village, crossed at Gaoling, and maneuvered along the river.

帝聞中都之敗，唐軍長驅將至，遣張漢倫馳驛召段凝於河上； Hearing of Zhongdu’s fall and Tang’s advance, the Emperor dispatched Zhang Hanlun to recall Duan Ning from the river;

時禁軍尚有四千人，朱圭請以拒唐軍，帝不從，登建國門召開封尹王瓚，謂之曰：「段凝未至，社稷係卿方略。」 Four thousand guards remained; Zhu Gui begged to fight; the Emperor refused, climbed the Founding Gate, called Wang Zan, and said: "Until Duan Ning comes the realm rests on you."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 16Volume 16 Book of Later Liang 16: Biographies 6: Ge Congzhou, Xie Yanzhang, He Zhen, Zhang Guiba, Zhang Guihou, Zhang Guibian · 1 passage

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當貞明、龍德之際，漢傑昆仲分掌權要，藩鎮除拜多出其門，段凝因之遂竊兵柄。 The Hanjie brothers dominated appointments until Duan Ning seized the army.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 57Volume 57 Book of Later Tang 33: Biographies 9: Gao Chongtao · 4 passages

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崇韜啟曰：「段凝阻絕津路，苟王師不南，鄆州安能保守！ Guo Chongtao addressed him, saying, "Duan Ning has cut the river crossings. If our army does not advance south, how can Yun be held?

又聞精兵盡在段凝麾下，王彥章日寇鄆境，彼既以大軍臨我南鄙，又憑恃決河，謂我不能南渡，志在收復汶陽，此汴人之謀也。 Their best troops are massed under Duan Ning, while Wang Yanzhang harasses Yun daily. They mean to pin us with a great army on our southern frontier while trusting the breached river to keep us from crossing south and reconquering Wenyang. That is the Liang plan.

臣謂段凝保據河壖，苟欲持我，臣但請留兵守鄴，保固楊劉； Leave Duan Ning to hold the river line while he tries to pin us down. Leave enough troops to hold Ye and secure Yangliu;

是歲，擒王彥章，誅梁氏，降段凝，皆崇韜讚成其謀也。 That year Wang Yanzhang was captured, the Liang dynasty was overthrown, and Duan Ning surrendered—all achievements that Guo Chongtao had urged and helped bring to pass.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 21 passages

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段凝，開封人也。 Duan Ning was a native of Kaifeng.

本名明遠，少穎悟，多智數。 His original name was Mingyuan. As a youth he was quick-witted and adept at intrigue.

乾化元年十二月，梁祖北征回，過郡，凝貢獻加等，梁祖大悅。 In the twelfth month of the first year of Qianhua, the Liang founder returned from a northern campaign and passed through his prefecture. Ning doubled his tribute, and the founder was greatly pleased.

梁祖復北，凝迎奉進貢，有加於前。 When the founder marched north again, Ning received him with tribute even more lavish than before.

製云：「懷州刺史段明遠，少年治郡，庶事惟公，兩度隻奉行鑾，數程宿食本界，動無遺闕，舉必周豐，蓋能罄竭於家財，務在顯酬夫明獎。 The edict declared: "Duan Mingyuan, prefect of Huaizhou, though young in governing a commandery, conducts every affair with scrupulous fairness. Twice he alone attended the imperial carriage; for several marches he provided lodging and provisions within his jurisdiction without a single lapse, and never with less than full abundance. He has clearly drained his family fortune and seeks thereby to make plain the value of enlightened reward.

觀明遠之忠勤若此，見思安之悖慢何如！」 Compare Mingyuan's loyalty and diligence with this, and see how Si'an's insolence and neglect measure up!"

張漢倫等推功於凝，凝掎摭彥章之失以間之。 Zhang Hanlun and others credited Ning with the success, and Ning seized on Yanzhang's faults to drive a wedge between them.

遊奕將李紹興敗梁遊兵於清邱縣南，段凝以為唐兵已自上流渡，驚駭失色，麵數彥章，尤其深入。）〉 Patrol general Li Shaoxing defeated Liang scouts south of Qingqiu County. Ning concluded that Tang troops had already crossed upstream, turned pale with fright, and berated Yanzhang to his face, reproaching him above all for advancing too far.)〉

凝納賂於趙、張二族，求為招討使，敬翔、李振極言不可，竟不能止。 Ning bribed the Zhao and Zhang clans in pursuit of the post of campaign commander-in-chief. Jing Xiang and Li Zhen argued strenuously against the appointment but could not prevent it.

凝以眾五萬營於高陵津，裨將康延孝叛歸莊宗，延孝具陳梁軍虛實，莊宗遂決長驅之計。 Ning encamped fifty thousand men at Gaoling Ford. Subordinate general Kang Yanxiao defected to Emperor Zhuangzong and gave a full account of the Liang army's strengths and weaknesses, and Zhuangzong thereupon resolved on a direct advance.

未幾，莊宗入汴，凝自滑率兵而南，前鋒杜晏球至封丘，解甲聽命。 Before long Emperor Zhuangzong entered Bian. Ning led troops south from Hua, and vanguard commander Du Yanqiu reached Fengqiu, laid down his arms, and awaited orders.

翌日，凝率大軍乞降於汴郊，莊宗釋之，復以凝為滑州兵馬留後，賜姓，名紹欽。 The next day Ning led the main army to surrender in the suburbs of Bian. Emperor Zhuangzong spared him, reappointed him military reserve officer of Hua Prefecture, granted him the imperial surname, and gave him the name Shaoqin.

凝初見莊宗，因伶人景進通貨於宮掖。 When Ning first met Emperor Zhuangzong, he used the actor Jing Jin to convey gifts into the inner palace.

凝天性奸佞，巧言飾智，善候人意。 By nature Ning was treacherous and sycophantic, skilled at polished speech and feigned wisdom, and adept at reading what others wished to hear.

其年，契丹寇幽州，命宣徽使李紹宏監護諸軍，以禦契丹，凝與董璋戍瓦橋關。 That year the Khitan raided Youzhou. Li Shaohong, commissioner of the Palace Secretariat, was appointed to oversee the armies against them; Ning and Dong Zhang garrisoned Waqiao Pass.

凝巧事紹宏，紹宏嘗乘間奏凝蓋世奇才，可以大任，屢請以兵柄委之。 Ning skillfully ingratiated himself with Shaohong, who on one occasion memorialized that Ning was a rare genius fit for great responsibility and repeatedly asked that military command be entrusted to him.

郭崇韜曰：「段凝亡國敗軍之將，奸諂難狀，不要信也。」 Guo Chongtao said, "Duan Ning is a defeated general of a ruined state; his treachery and flattery are beyond description—do not trust him."

凝在藩鎮，私用庫物數萬計，有司促償，中旨貰其負。 At his fief Ning privately used treasury goods worth tens of thousands. When the relevant office pressed for repayment, an imperial order remitted his debt.

四年二月，趙在禮據鄴城，李紹宏請用凝為大將，莊宗許之，令具方略條奏。 In the second month of the fourth year Zhao Zaili seized Ye City. Li Shaohong asked that Ning be appointed commander; Emperor Zhuangzong agreed and ordered him to submit a detailed plan.

凝所請偏裨皆取其己黨，莊宗疑之，乃止。 Every subordinate commander Ning requested was from his own faction. Emperor Zhuangzong grew suspicious and halted the appointment.

如毛璋之儔，可謂積惡而滅其身矣，況溫韜之發陵寢，段凝之敗國家，罪不容誅，死猶差晚。 Men like Mao Zhang may be said to have accumulated evil until it destroyed them; how much more Wen Tao, who opened imperial tombs, and Duan Ning, who ruined the state—their crimes were beyond what execution could answer, and even death came too late.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 74Volume 74 Book of Later Tang 50: Biographies 126: Kang Yanxiao, Zhu Shouyin, Yang Li, Dou Tingwan, Zhang Qianzhao, Yang Yanwen · 1 passage

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同光元年八月，段凝率眾五萬營於王村，時延孝為右先鋒指揮使，率百騎來奔。 In the eighth month of Tongguang 1, Duan Ning camped at Wang Village with fifty thousand men. Yanxiao, then Right Vanguard Commander, came over with a hundred riders.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 3Volume 3 Later Liang Annals 3: Later Emperors · 2 passages

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秋八月，滑州兵马留后段凝攻卫州，执其刺史李存儒。 In the eighth month of autumn Duan Ning, acting commander of the Huazhou garrison, attacked Weizhou and took its prefect Li Cunru prisoner.

秋八月，段凝为北面行营招讨使。 In the eighth month of autumn Duan Ning was appointed to command the northern campaign.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 32Volume 32 Biographies of Martyrs to Virtue 12: Wang Yanzhang · 7 passages

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末帝乃召彥章為招討使，以段凝為副。 The Last Emperor summoned Yanzhang as campaign commander and made Duan Ning his deputy.

是時，段凝已有異志，與趙巖、張漢傑交通，彥章素剛，憤梁日削，而嫉巖等所為，嘗謂人曰：「俟吾破賊還，誅奸臣以謝天下。」 By then Duan Ning was already playing a double game, dealing with Zhao Yan and Zhang Hanjie. Yanzhang was blunt; he watched Liang shrink day by day and hated the court’s petty men. He often said: "When I break the enemy and march home, I will kill the traitors and answer the realm."

巖等聞之懼，與凝葉力傾之。 Zhao Yan and the rest heard and were terrified; they and Ning united to destroy him.

其破南城也，彥章與凝各為捷書以聞，凝遣人告巖等匿彥章書而上己書，末帝初疑其事，已而使者至軍，獨賜勞凝而不及彥章，軍士皆失色。 When the south city fell, Yanzhang and Ning each sent victory dispatches. Ning’s men told Zhao Yan to bury Yanzhang’s report and push Ning’s instead. The Last Emperor doubted at first—then the envoy reached camp and rewards went to Ning alone. The soldiers went white.

及楊劉之敗也，凝乃上書言：「彥章使酒輕敵而至於敗。」 After Yang Liu, Ning wrote: "Yanzhang drank, scorned the enemy, and lost."

趙巖等從中日夜毀之，乃罷彥章，以凝為招討使。 Zhao Yan and the rest tore at him day and night. Yanzhang was stripped of command; Ning took his place.

是時，梁之勝兵皆屬段凝，京師只有保鑾五百騎，皆新捉募之兵，不可用，乃以屬彥章，而以張漢傑監之。 Liang’s best troops were all with Duan Ning. The capital had only five hundred Palace Guard cavalry—raw recruits, good for nothing. These were handed to Yanzhang, with Zhang Hanjie watching over him.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 44Volume 44 Miscellaneous Biographies 24: Liu Zhijun, Ding Hui, He Delun, Yan Bao, Kang Yanxiao · 4 passages

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末帝遣段凝軍於河上，以延孝為左右先鋒指揮使。 The Last Emperor put Duan Ning on the river with an army and made Yanxiao commander of the left and right vanguard.

段凝奸邪，以入金多為大將，自其父時故將皆出其下。 Duan Ning is treacherous; he bought rank with gold and sits above every general who served his father.

段凝以河上之軍當陛下。」 Duan Ning with the river army to hold Your Majesty.”

後董璋等雖不出兵，而梁兵悉屬段凝於河上，京師無備，莊宗卒用延孝策，自鄆入汴，凡八日而滅梁。 Dong Zhang never marched, but every Liang soldier on the river went to Duan Ning and the capital stood bare. Zhuangzong took Yanxiao’s counsel, rode from Yan into Bian, and in eight days Liang was gone.