Sui and Tang · Ruler

Emperor 帝

Attested AD 900 - AD 903

Passages: 19
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 903 帝反正
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 248
AD 901 to AD 903 行在
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 183, passages 218, 224, 233
AD 900 to AD 901 陛下在東內時
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 242

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Empress (後)
empress 後
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 183, passage 242
Parent of Prince of Hui (輝王)
son 兒
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passages 241, 245

Career and standing

restored the throne 反正
AD 903 帝反正
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 248

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 218
At eastern inner palace 東內 · Relation Confined at
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 242
At traveling court 行在 · Relation Present at
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 232

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Han Wo (韓偓) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passages 241, 262
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passages 240, 244-245

Events and relationships

Restored chancellor from fear
Political · Issuer · With Maozhen (茂貞)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 227
Restored throne
AD 903 帝反正 · Political · Sovereign
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 248
Wept at departure
Personal · Sovereign · With Han Wo (韓偓)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 262

Assessments and attributes

Assessment isolated-among-flatterers-and-unable-to-stop-collapse · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 183, passage 269

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 183Volume 183 Biographies 108: Bi, Cui, Liu, Lu, Zheng, Zhu, Han · 19 passages

陛下誠惜貽範才，俟變缞而召可也。 If Your Majesty truly values Yifan's talent, you may summon him after he has completed the period of hemp mourning.

茂貞入見帝曰：「命宰相而學士不草麻，非反邪？」 Maozhen entered to see the emperor and said, "A chancellor has been appointed, yet the academician refuses to draft the edict—is this not rebellion?"

既而帝畏茂貞，卒詔貽範還相，洎代草麻。 Before long the emperor, fearing Maozhen, at last issued an edict restoring Yifan to the chancellorship, and Ji drafted the appointment edict in Wo's place.

茂貞疑帝間出依全忠，以兵衛行在。 Maozhen suspected that the emperor might secretly slip away to place himself under Quanzhong's protection, and he posted troops to guard the traveling court.

帝行武德殿前，因至尚食局，會學士獨在，宮人招偓，偓至，再拜哭曰：「崔胤甚健，全忠軍必濟。」 The emperor was walking before Wude Hall and then went to the Food Service Bureau. Finding the academician alone there, palace women summoned Wo. When Wo arrived he bowed twice and wept, saying, "Cui Yin is in excellent health. Quanzhong's army is sure to prevail."

帝喜，偓曰：「願陛下還宮，無為人知。」 The emperor was delighted. Wo said, "I pray that Your Majesty return to the palace without anyone knowing."

帝賜以面豆而去。 The emperor gave him noodles and beans, and he departed.

帝欲盡去餘黨，偓曰：「禮，人臣無將，將必誅，宮婢負恩不可赦。 The emperor wished to remove all the remaining faction. Wo said, "By ritual law, when a minister harbors rebellious intent he must be executed, and palace maids who betray their sovereign's grace cannot be pardoned.

帝曰：「善。」 The emperor said, "Well said."

崔胤請以輝王為元帥，帝問偓：「它日累吾兒否？」 Cui Yin asked that the Prince of Hui be made commander-in-chief. The emperor asked Wo, "Will this bring trouble upon my son in days to come?"

偓曰：「陛下在東內時，天陰雺，王聞烏聲曰：『上與後幽困，烏雀聲亦悲。』 Wo said, "When Your Majesty was confined in the eastern inner palace, the sky was dark and misty. The prince heard the cry of crows and said, 'The sovereign and empress are confined in gloom—even the cries of crows and sparrows sound mournful.'

陛下聞之惻然，有是否？」 Did Your Majesty not hear this and feel moved to compassion—is that not so?"

帝曰：「然。 The emperor said, "It is so.

帝反正，勵精政事，偓處可機密，率與帝意合，欲相者三四，讓不敢當。 When the emperor restored the throne he devoted himself diligently to government. Wo handled confidential matters and usually agreed with the emperor's intent. Three or four times the emperor wished to make him chancellor, but Wo declined and dared not accept.

會逐王溥、陸扆，帝以王贊、趙崇為相，胤執贊、崇非宰相器，帝不得已而罷。 At that time Wang Pu and Lu Yi were driven out. The emperor appointed Wang Zan and Zhao Chong as chancellors, but Yin insisted that neither was fit for the chancellorship, and the emperor had no choice but to dismiss them.

全忠見帝，斥偓罪，帝數顧胤，胤不為解。 Quanzhong saw the emperor and denounced Wo's crimes. The emperor repeatedly looked toward Yin for help, but Yin offered no defense.

帝執其手流涕曰：「我左右無人矣。」 The emperor took his hand with tears streaming down his face and said, "I have no one left at my side."

偓貶之明年，帝宴文思球場，全忠入，百官坐廡下，全忠怒，貶儀棣州司馬，侍御史歸藹登州司戶參軍。 In the year after Wo's demotion the emperor gave a feast at the Wensi ball ground. When Quanzhong entered, the officials were all seated beneath the corridor, and Quanzhong grew angry. He demoted Yi to militia vice-prefect of Di Prefecture and the attendant censor Gui Ai to registrar of Dengzhou.

天子塊然，所與者，惟佞愎庸奴，乃欲鄣橫流、支已顛，寧不殆哉！ The Son of Heaven stood isolated. Those around him were only flatterers, obstinate fools, and servile men. Yet he wished to block the rushing torrent and prop up a throne already toppling—how could he not be brought to ruin!