Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Emperor Yuan 元帝

Yuandi

Attested AD 549 - AD 554

Passages: 17
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Yuan was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 552 承聖元年十一月丙子
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 249
AD 549 to AD 554 方等敗後至江陵喪亡
Dated from the passage context · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passages 207, 224, 256

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Lady Wang (王氏)
Honored Consort 貴嬪 · Secondary marriage
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 220
Spouse of Younger Sister of Lady Wang (王氏次妹)
Honored Lady 良人 · Secondary marriage
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 220
Parent of Fanglue (方略)
son 子
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 219
Parent of Fangzhu (方諸)
son 子
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 205
Parent of Xiao Yuanliang (元良)
son 子
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 244
Parent of Fangdeng (方等)
son 子
Strongly inferred · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passages 205, 207-208

Places and affiliations

Polity Liang 梁 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 205

Works and attributed material

poem on parting from his young son 如何吾幼子勝衣已別離
Relation Author
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 222
Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Zhou Hongzheng (周弘正) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passages 252, 254
Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Fangzhu (方諸) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passages 207-208
Poem · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 222

Events and relationships

Planned deposition
Political · Planner · With Xiao Yuanliang (元良)
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 255
Posthumously titled
Ritual · Grantor · With Fangzhu (方諸)
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 218
Sought ties with Wei and sent son
Diplomatic · Sender · With Fanglue (方略)
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passages 221-222

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 205

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

History of the Southern Dynasties, Chapter 54Volume 54 Biographies 44: Sons of Emperor Jianwen of Liang, Sons of Emperor Yuan of Liang · 17 passages

貞惠世子方諸字明智，元帝第二子也。 The Chaste and Gracious Heir Apparent Fangzhu, styled Mingzhi, was the second son of Emperor Yuan.

幼聰警博學，明老、易，善談玄，風采清越，特為元帝所愛，母王氏又有寵。 As a boy he was clever, widely learned, versed in the Laozi and Changes, skilled at metaphysical discourse, of refined bearing, and especially beloved by Emperor Yuan; his mother Lady Wang was also favored.

及方等敗後，元帝謂曰：「不有所廢，其何以興。 After Fangdeng's defeat, Emperor Yuan told him, "Unless something is discarded, how can anything arise?

因拜中撫軍將軍以自副。 He was then made General of the Central Pacification Army as the Emperor's deputy.

時元帝遣徐文盛與侯景將任約相持，方諸年十五，童心未革，恃文盛在近，不恤軍政，日與鮑泉蒱酒為樂。 Emperor Yuan had sent Xu Wensheng to hold Ren Yue, Hou Jing's general; Fangzhu was fifteen, still a boy, trusting that Wensheng was near and neglecting military affairs, passing his days drinking and gambling with Bao Quan.

元帝追諡貞惠世子。 Emperor Yuan posthumously titled him the Chaste and Gracious Heir Apparent.

湣懷太子方矩字德規，元帝第四子也。 The Lamented and Cherished Crown Prince Fangju, styled Degui, was the fourth son of Emperor Yuan.

元帝承制，拜王太子，改名元良。 When Emperor Yuan acted under imperial mandate, he appointed him princely heir and changed his name to Yuanliang.

嘗入朝，公服中著碧絲布袴，摳衣高，元帝見之大怪，遣尚書周弘正責之，因使太子師弘正。 Once when he came to court in official dress he wore blue silk trousers inside, hiking up his robe high; Emperor Yuan was greatly shocked, sent Minister of the Masters of Writing Zhou Hongzheng to rebuke him, and made Hongzheng the crown prince's tutor.

佗日，弘正謁見，元帝問曰：「太子比頗受卿導不？」 Another day, when Hongzheng had an audience, Emperor Yuan asked, "Has the crown prince lately been guided by you much?"

帝曰：「卿以我父子故未直言，從容之間，無失和嶠之對。」 The Emperor said, "Because we are father and son you did not speak plainly; in your composed reply, you failed to match He Qiao's answer."

太子聰穎凶暴猜忍，俱有元帝風。 The crown prince was clever, fierce, violent, and cruelly suspicious—all in Emperor Yuan's manner.

始安王方略，元帝第十子，貞惠世子母弟也。 Prince Fanglue of Shian was Emperor Yuan's tenth son and the Chaste and Gracious Heir Apparent's younger brother by the same mother.

母王氏，王琳之次姊，元帝即位，拜貴嬪，次妹又為良人，並蒙寵倖，方略益鍾愛。 His mother Lady Wang was Wang Lin's second elder sister; when Emperor Yuan took the throne she became Honored Consort, and her younger sister became Honored Lady; both were favored, and Fanglue was especially doted on.

侯景亂，元帝結好于魏，方略年數歲便遣入關。 During Hou Jing's rebellion Emperor Yuan sought ties with Wei and sent Fanglue into the passes while he was still a small child.

元帝親送近畿，執手歔欷，既而旋駕憶之，賦詩曰：「如何吾幼子，勝衣已別離，十日無由宴，千里送遠垂。」 Emperor Yuan escorted him to the suburbs himself, took his hand and wept; turning back he missed him and wrote: "How is it with my little son—already in short coats and parted from me; ten days without a shared meal, a thousand li seeing him off in tears."

論曰：簡文提挈寇戎，元帝崎嶇危亂，諸子之備踐艱棘，蓋時運之所鍾乎。 The commentary says: Emperor Jianwen bore the realm through invasion; Emperor Yuan struggled through danger and chaos—the sons' full measure of hardship—was this not the allotment of the age?