Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Emperor Xuan 宣帝

Attested AD 578 - AD 580

Passages: 3
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Xuan was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Regnal name	Tianyuan Emperor of Zhou	周天元

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 578 宣帝嗣位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 56, passage 173
AD 578 to AD 580 昔周天元好聲色而國亡
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 56, passage 205

Career and standing

AD 578 宣帝嗣位
Directly stated · Book of Sui 56, passage 173

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Zhou 周 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Sui 56, passage 173

Assessments and attributes

Assessment favored music and women and the state perished · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Yu Wenbi (宇文弼)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 56, passage 205

References in the histories

Book of Sui, Chapter 56Volume 56 Biographies 21: Lu Kai, Ling Huxi, Xue Zhou, Yu Wenbi, Zhang Heng, Yang Wang · 3 passages

宣帝嗣位，遷左守廟大夫。 When Emperor Xuan succeeded, he was transferred to left guardian of the ancestral temple.

時突厥寇甘州，帝令侯莫陳昶率兵擊之，弼為監軍。 At that time the Turks raided Gan prefecture. The emperor ordered Hou Mo Chen Chang to lead troops against them, with Bi as supervising general.

時帝漸好聲色，尤勤遠略，弼謂高熲曰：「昔周天元好聲色而國亡，以今方之，不亦甚乎？」 At that time the emperor gradually favored music and women and was especially zealous in distant campaigns. Bi said to Gao Jiong, "In the past the Tianyuan Emperor of Zhou favored music and women and the state perished. Compared with today, is it not even worse?"