Han Tuozhou (韓侂胄)

Overview

Han Tuozhou was a Courtier and Official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1194 五年夏五月
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 70, 73-74
AD 1194 寧宗內禪之際
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 101
AD 1194 to AD 1195 寧宗即位之初
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 146, 162
AD 1194 爭用事
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 469, passage 144
AD 1205 to AD 1207 韓侂胄方謀用兵
Directly stated · History of Song 430, passage 21
AD 1195 to AD 1196 韓侂胄構陷汝愚
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 247

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Director of the Palace Gate 知閤門事
AD 1194 五年夏五月 · Held
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passage 70
Held
Inner palace access and central power
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 151

Places and affiliations

Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 70, 116, 247
Polity Southern Song 南宋 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 392, passage 146

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Presenter · With Zhang Zongyin (張宗尹) · Mode named-source-report Speaker Han Tuozhou (韓侂胄)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 102
Memorial · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 73
Order · Transmitter · Direct quotation · With Emperor Guangzong (光宗)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 70
Speech · Speaker · With Guan Li (關禮) · Paraphrased · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Han Tuozhou (韓侂胄)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 103
Speech · Addressee · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 161

Events and relationships

Adopted slander strategy against ruyu
Political · Plotter · With Zhao Ruyu (趙汝愚)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 161
Determined to oust zhu xi
Political · Actor · With Zhu Xi (朱熹)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 253-254
Drove out chen wu liu
Political · Actor
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 160
Drove wedge between ministers
Political · Instigator · With Zhao Ruyu (趙汝愚)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 146
Framed and drove out
Political · Framer · With Zhao Ruyu (趙汝愚)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 247
Impeachment planned
Political · Target of impeachment · With Zhu Xi (朱熹)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 152

Show 14 more source-backed claims

Installed jing tang
Political · Patron · With Jing Tang (京鏜)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 159
Installed liu dexiu and faction
Political · Patron · With Liu Dexiu (劉德秀)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 158
Persecution of scholar officials began
Political · Instigator
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 160
Plotted to install censorate faction
Political · Plotter · With Zhao Ruyu (趙汝愚)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 154
Plotting to use military force
AD 1205 to AD 1207 韓侂胄方謀用兵 · Military · Planner
Directly stated · History of Song 430, passage 21
Power grew after peng dismissal
Political · Beneficiary · With Peng Guinian (彭龜年)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 257
Promoted li mu
Political · Patron · With Li Mu (李沐)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 162
Recalled ministers
AD 1194 五年夏五月 · Political · Envoy
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 392, passages 73-74
Refused then received
Political · Visitor · With Zhao Ruyu (趙汝愚)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 148, 150
Requested inner abdication
AD 1194 寧宗內禪之際 · Diplomatic · Envoy · With Empress Dowager Xiansheng (憲聖)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 101-103
close kin by marriage 肺腑
Relation Marriage kin of imperial house
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 151
on good terms with 所善
Relation Associate of · Person Zhang Zongyin (張宗尹)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 102
Relation Framed · Person Zhao Ruyu (趙汝愚)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 247
Relation Co conspirator with · Person Zhao Yanyu (趙彥逾)
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 156

Assessments and attributes

Assessment credited himself with settling the succession and wielded inner-palace power · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passage 151

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Song 392, passages 66, 93, 146, 247; History of Song 430, passage 21

References in the histories

Search passages

History

31 passages

History of Song, Chapter 392Volume 392 Biographies 151: Zhao Ruyu and Son: Chongxian · 25 passages

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越二日，宰相又請對，光宗令知閤門事韓侂胄傳旨云：「宰執並出。」 Two days later the chief ministers again asked for audience. Guangzong had palace gate director Han Tuozhou announce: "All chief ministers are to leave."

侂胄奏曰：「昨傳旨令宰執出殿門，今乃出都門。」 Tuozhou reported, "Yesterday's order sent the chief ministers out of the palace gate. Now they have left the capital gate altogether."

自吳琚之議不諧，汝愚與徐誼、葉適謀可以白意于慈福宮者，乃遣韓侂胄以內禪之意請於憲聖。 When Wu Ju's plan failed, Ruyu, Xu Yi, and Ye Shi looked for someone who could present their case at Cifu Palace and sent Han Tuozhou to ask Empress Dowager Xiansheng for an inner abdication.

侂胄因所善內侍張宗尹以奏，不獲命，明日往，又不獲命。 Through his friend the eunuch Zhang Zongyin he submitted the request but got no answer. He went again the next day and was refused again.

侂胄逡巡將退，重華宮提舉關禮見而問之，侂胄具述汝愚意。 As Tuozhou hesitated to leave, Guan Li, commissioner for Chonghua rites, saw him and asked what was wrong. Tuozhou explained Ruyu's plan in full.

憲聖問侂胄安在，禮曰：「臣已留其俟命。」 She asked where Tuozhou was. Li said, "I have kept him waiting outside for your word."

禮報侂胄，且云：「來早太皇太后于壽皇梓宮前垂簾引執政。」 Li reported to Tuozhou and added, "Tomorrow morning the Grand Empress Dowager will draw the curtain before Xiaozong's coffin and receive the chief ministers."

侂胄復命，汝愚始以其事語陳騤、余端禮，使郭杲及步帥閻仲夜以兵衛南北內，禮使其姻黨宣贊舍人傅昌朝密制黃袍。 Tuozhou brought word back. Ruyu then told Chen Tuan and Yu Duanli, had Guo Gao and infantry commander Yan Zhong post troops at both palaces, and Li had his kinsman, palace announcer Fu Changchao, secretly make the imperial yellow robe.

侂胄因而間之，出正判建康，命汝愚爲光祿大夫、右丞相。 Tuozhou drove a wedge between them, sent Zheng out as prefect of Jiankang, and appointed Ruyu Grandee for Splendid Happiness and right chief minister.

汝愚本倚正共事，怒侂胄不以告，及來謁，故不見，侂胄慚忿。 Ruyu had counted on working with Zheng and was angry that Tuozhou had not told him. When Tuozhou came to call, he refused to see him. Tuozhou was humiliated and furious.

汝愚亦悟，復見之。 Ruyu saw his error and received Tuozhou again.

侂胄終不懌，自以有定策功，且依託肺腑，出入宮掖，居中用事。 Tuozhou remained displeased. He credited himself with settling the succession, relied on his marriage tie to the imperial clan, moved freely in the inner palace, and wielded power at court.

朱熹進對，以爲言，又約吏部侍郎彭龜年同劾之，未果。 Zhu Xi remonstrated at audience and arranged with vice-minister Peng Guinian to impeach Tuozhou together, but failed.

熹白汝愚，當以厚賞酬勞，勿使預政，而汝愚謂其易制不爲慮。 Zhu Xi told Ruyu to reward Tuozhou richly and keep him from office. Ruyu thought him easy to control and paid no heed.

右正言黃度欲論侂胄，謀泄，以內批斥去。 Right Remonstrator Huang Du planned to criticize Tuozhou, but the plot leaked and an inner rescript dismissed him.

汝愚袖批還上，且諫且拜，侂胄必欲出之，汝愚退求去，不許。 Ruyu tucked the rescript into his sleeve and returned it to the throne, remonstrating and bowing; Tuozhou was determined to oust him, and Ruyu withdrew and asked to resign, but was refused.

吏部侍郎彭龜年力陳侂胄竊弄威福，爲中外所附，不去必貽患。 Vice Minister of Personnel Peng Guinian strenuously declared that Tuozhou was secretly wielding power and favor, had followers inside and outside court, and that if not removed would surely bring disaster.

既而內批龜年與郡，侂胄勢益張。 Shortly afterward an inner rescript sent Peng Guinian to a prefecture, and Tuozhou's power grew stronger still.

侂胄恃功，爲汝愚所抑，日夜謀引其黨爲臺諫，以擯汝愚。 Tuozhou, checked by Ruyu, relied on his merit and plotted day and night to install his men as censors and drive Ruyu out.

趙彥逾以嘗達意于郭杲，事定，冀汝愚引與同列，至是除四川制置，意不愜，與侂胄合謀。 Zhao Yanyu, who had once conveyed the plan to Guo Gao, hoped Ruyu would bring him into the chief ministers' circle. Instead he was sent to Sichuan as commissioner, was dissatisfied, and joined Tuozhou's plot.

汝愚請令近臣舉御史，侂胄密諭中司，令薦所厚大理寺簿劉德秀，內批擢德秀爲察官，其黨牽聯以進，言路遂皆侂胄之人。 Ruyu asked close ministers to recommend censors. Tuozhou secretly told the chief supervising secretary to nominate his protégé Liu Dexiu of the Grand Court. An inner rescript made Dexiu investigating censor, and Tuozhou's men took over the remonstrance offices.

會黃裳、羅點卒，侂胄又擢其黨京鏜代點，汝愚始孤，天子益無所倚信。 When Huang Shang and Luo Dian died, Tuozhou installed his man Jing Tang in Luo's place. Ruyu was isolated, and the emperor had no one left to trust.

侂胄欲逐汝愚而難其名，或教之曰：「彼宗姓，誣以謀危社稷，則一網無遺。」 Tuozhou wanted to oust Ruyu but lacked a charge. Someone advised him, "He is of the imperial clan. Accuse him of plotting against the realm and you can sweep up the whole faction."

侂胄然之，擢其黨將作監李沐爲正言。 Tuozhou agreed and made his man Li Mu of the Directorate of Palace Buildings chief remonstrator.

然不幾時，卒爲韓侂胄所構，一斥而遂不復返，天下聞而冤之。 Yet within little time he was framed by Han Tuozhou, driven out once, and never returned. The realm heard and judged it a grievous wrong.

History of Song, Chapter 430Volume 430 Biographies 189: Taoist Scholars 4: Zhu Shimenren, Huang Gan, Li Fan, Zhang Qia, Chen Chun, Li Fangzi, Huang Hao · 1 passage

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時韓侂胄方謀用兵，吳獵帥湖北，將赴鎮，訪以兵事。 At that time Han Tuozhou was plotting war; Wu Lie, commanding Hubei, was about to take up his post and asked Gan about military affairs.

History of Song, Chapter 469Volume 469 Biographies 228: Eunuchs 4: Shao Chengzhang, Lan Gui Kanglu, Feng Yi, Zhang Quwei, Chen Yuan, Gan Bian, Wang Deqian, Guan Li, Dong Songchen · 5 passages

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韓侂胄與德謙爭用事，德謙屢以計勝，侂胄擠之，詔與外祠，台諫又交章論駁。 Han Tuozhou fought him for power; Deqian outmaneuvered him until Tuozhou forced an outer temple stipend; censors piled on.

汝愚遣戚裏韓侂胄因內侍張宗尹以禪位之議奏，太皇太後曰：“此豈可易言！” Ruyu sent his kinsman Han Tuozhou through eunuch Zhang Zongyin to propose abdication; the Grand Empress Dowager said, “How can such a thing be spoken of lightly!”

明日，汝愚再遣侂胄附宗尹以奏，未獲命而侂胄退，與禮遇，禮知其意，問之，侂胄不以告。 Next day Ruyu sent Tuozhou again through Zongyin; before an answer came Tuozhou met Li; Li sensed the plot and asked; Tuozhou would not tell.

禮指天自誓不言，侂胄遂白其事，禮即入宮，泣告太后以時事可憂之狀，且曰：“留丞相已去，所恃者趙知院耳。 Li swore by Heaven he would keep silent; Tuozhou then confided; Li rushed in weeping to tell the empress dowager the realm was in peril: “Chancellor Liu is gone—we have only Director Zhao.

太后悟，遂命禮傳旨侂胄以諭汝愚，約明日太后垂簾上其事。 She understood, ordered Li to tell Tuozhou to inform Ruyu, and set the morrow for a curtained audience.