Sui and Tang · General

He Ruobi 賀若弼

Died AD 607

Passages: 60
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify He Ruobi as an aristocrat, general, official, and poet. This record brings together 60 passages from 4 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	He Ruobi	賀若弼	He Ruobi
Title	Duke of Song	宋國公
Courtesy name	Fubo	輔伯	Fubo
Personal name	He Ruo Bi	賀若弼
Personal name	He Ruobi	賀若弼	He Ruobi
Personal name	He Ruobi	賀若弼
Given name	Ruobi	弼

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · chenshu:015:s0012, suishu:052:s0124, suishu:061:s0015
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · suishu:079:s0177

Roles

Aristocrat
General
Official
Poet

Life and dates

Death

Cause: executed
Explicit · suishu:079:s0177
Manner: execution · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業三年 · Western Year: AD 607
Explicit · suishu:052:s0205

Age

Age: 64 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · suishu:052:s0205

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 周武帝時 · Western Interval: Start: AD 560 · End: AD 578
Explicit · suishu:052:s0132
Source Date: Text: 大業三年 · Western Year: AD 607
Explicit · suishu:052:s0203, suishu:052:s0205
Source Date: Text: 平陳之役 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:061:s0015
Source Date: Text: 弼既被誅 · Western Interval: Start: AD 604 · End: AD 607
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:079:s0177
Source Date: Text: 開皇九年 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit · suishu:052:s0147
Source Date: Text: 開皇十九年 · Western Year: AD 599
Explicit · suishu:052:s0187
Source Date: Text: 隋師濟江 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit event contextual date · chenshu:015:s0063, chenshu:015:s0064, chenshu:015:s0065

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Spouse of Younger sister of Chen Shubao (陳叔寶妹)
Kinship Term: concubine / 妾 · Union Category: concubinage · Relationship State: formed
Sibling of He Long (賀若隆)
Kinship Term: elder brother / 兄 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-brother · Object Role: elder-brother
Child of He Dun (賀若敦)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of He Huailiang (賀若懷亮)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Spouse of Wife of He Ruobi (賀若弼妻)
Kinship Term: wife / 妻 · Union Category: marriage · Relationship State: active
Sibling of He Dong (賀若東)
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: elder · Subject Role: elder-brother · Object Role: younger-brother

Kinship Role: children · Label: wife and children enslaved / 妻子 · Quantity: unspecified
Explicit · suishu:052:s0206
Kinship Role: clansmen · Label: kinsmen exiled / 群從 · Quantity: unspecified
Explicit · suishu:052:s0206

Career and standing

Label: Campaign Commander / 行軍總管 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開皇九年 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit · suishu:052:s0147
Label: Area Commander of Wuzhou / 吳州總管 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0143
Label: General of the Right Army of the Guard / 右領軍大將軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0176
Label: Inspector of Shouzhou / 夀州刺史 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0138
Label: Junior Inner Scribe / 小內史 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0131
Label: secretariat secretary / 記室 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0130
Label: Supreme Pillar of State / 上柱國 · Action: promoted
Explicit · suishu:052:s0175
Label: General of the Right Military Guard / 右武候大將軍 · Action: transferred
Explicit · suishu:052:s0176
Title: fief at Xiangyi / 真食襄邑 · Action: granted · Fief: Households: 3000
Explicit · suishu:052:s0175
Title: Duke of Song / 宋國公 · Action: advanced
Explicit · suishu:052:s0175
Title: Duke of Xiangyi county / 襄邑縣公 · Action: changed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0138
Title: Duke of Dangting county / 當亭縣公 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0131
Status: stripped-to-commoner · Action: demoted
Explicit · suishu:052:s0184
Status: dismissed · Action: removed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0180
Status: rank-restored · Action: restored
Explicit · suishu:052:s0185
Status: imprisoned · Action: jailed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0181
Status: executed · Action: killed · Label: private criticism of imperial extravagance / 私議得失
Explicit · suishu:052:s0205
Status: handed-to-judges · Action: prosecuted · Label: fighting ahead of schedule / 先期決戰違軍命
Explicit · suishu:052:s0173

Places and affiliations

Label: Northern Zhou / 周 · Relation: served
Explicit · suishu:052:s0130
Label: Sui / 隋 · Relation: served
Explicit · suishu:052:s0143
Place: Luoyang in Henan / 河南洛陽
Explicit · suishu:052:s0124

Learning and skills

Skill: literary composition / 屬文 · Level: able
Explicit · suishu:052:s0129
Skill: bow and horse / 弓馬 · Level: expert
Explicit · suishu:052:s0129

Works and attributed material

Work: pentasyllabic poem at Renshou Palace / 五言詩 · Relation: author · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開皇十九年 · Western Year: AD 599
Explicit · suishu:052:s0187
Work: poem to Yuan Xiong / 遺源雄詩 · Relation: author
Explicit · suishu:052:s0145
Work: ten stratagems for taking Chen / 取陳十策 · Relation: author
Explicit · suishu:052:s0146
Kind: oath · Role: speaker
Explicit · suishu:052:s0148, suishu:052:s0149, suishu:052:s0150
Kind: poem · Role: author · Other Person Id: Yuan Xiong (源雄)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0145
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0182
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Yang Guang (楊廣)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0196, suishu:052:s0197, suishu:052:s0198, suishu:052:s0200
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wu of Zhou (周武帝)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0133
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Wuwan Gui (烏丸軌)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0135

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: crossed-Yangzi-and-took-Southern-Xuzhou · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開皇九年 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit · suishu:052:s0156, suishu:052:s0157
Kind: archery · Role: archer · Action: hit-target-on-first-shot
Explicit · suishu:052:s0191, suishu:052:s0193
Kind: travel · Role: companion · Action: northern-tour-to-Yulin · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業三年 · Western Year: AD 607
Explicit · suishu:052:s0203
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: routed-Chen-at-Baitu-Hill · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開皇九年 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit · suishu:052:s0160, suishu:052:s0163
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: seized-Jiangshan · Place: Jiangshan / 蔣山
Explicit · chenshu:015:s0064
Relation: maternal-nephew-relation-to · Person Id: Yang Su (楊素)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0182
Relation: friend-of · Person Id: Xiao Cong (蕭琮)
Explicit · suishu:079:s0177
Relation: old-acquaintance-of · Person Id: Gao Jiong (高熲)
Explicit · suishu:052:s0182

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: bold strategist who later ruined himself by boasting and loose talk · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · suishu:052:s0218, suishu:052:s0220
Item: precious sword / 寶刀 · Relation: bestowed
Explicit · suishu:052:s0146

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · chenshu:015:s0012

References in the histories

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

Book of Chen, Chapter 15Volume 15: Imperial Family · 1 passage

是時，隋將韓擒虎及賀若弼等已濟江據蔣山，慧紀聞之，留其長史陳文盛等居守，身率將士三萬人，樓船千餘乘，沿江而下，欲趣臺城。 By then Sui generals Han Qihu, He Ruobi, and others had already crossed the river and seized Jiangshan. On hearing this, Huiji left his chief clerk Chen Wensheng and others to hold his post and personally led thirty thousand troops in more than a thousand tower ships downriver, intending to reach Taicheng.

Book of Sui, Chapter 52Volume 52 Biographies 17: Han Qinhu, He Ruobi · 57 passages

隋書卷五十二列傳第十七 Book of Sui, Volume 52, Biographies 17.

任蠻奴為賀若弼所敗，棄軍降於擒虎。 Ren Man'nu, already beaten by He Ruobi, abandoned his troops and surrendered to Qinhu.

時賀若弼亦有功。 He Ruobi had won distinction as well.

又下優詔於擒虎、弼曰：「申國威于萬里，宣朝化於一隅，使東南之民俱出湯火，數百年寇旬日廓清，專是公之功也。 A special edict went out to Qinhu and Bi: "You have carried our might across the realm and brought the court's civilizing rule to a distant quarter, lifting the people of the southeast out of misery. Centuries of disorder were swept away in days—and that is your doing alone.

及至京，弼與擒虎爭功於上前，弼曰：「臣在蔣山死戰，破其銳卒，擒其驍將，震揚威武，遂平陳國。 After they reached the capital, Bi and Qinhu argued over credit before the emperor. Bi said, "I fought to the death on Mount Jiang, shattered their elite forces, captured their boldest generals, and by that display of force brought Chen to its knees.

擒虎曰：「本奉明旨，令臣與弼同時合勢，以取偽都。 Qinhu replied, "I was under your explicit orders to coordinate with Bi and strike the rebel capital together.

弼乃敢先期，逢賊遂戰，致令將士傷死甚多。 Yet Bi rushed ahead on his own, met the enemy, and fought prematurely, costing us many dead and wounded.

弼至夕，方扣北掖門，臣啟關而納之。 Bi did not reach the North Side Gate until evening; I was the one who opened the gate and let him in.

○賀若弼 ○ He Ruo Bi

賀若弼，字輔伯，河南洛陽人也。 He Ruo Bi, whose courtesy name was Fubo, came from Luoyang in Henan.

臨刑，呼弼謂之曰：「吾必欲平江南，然此心不果，汝當成吾志。 At the execution block he called Bi to him and said, "I always meant to bring Jiangnan under control, but that ambition will die with me. You must finish what I began.

因引錐刺弼舌出血，誡以慎口。 He then drove an awl through Bi's tongue until it bled, warning him to guard every word he spoke.

弼少慷慨有大志，驍勇便弓馬，解屬文，博涉書記，有重名於當世。 In youth Bi was open-handed and ambitious, fierce in battle and expert with bow and horse, able to compose prose, widely read in the histories, and widely respected in his own day.

周武帝時，上柱國烏丸軌言於帝曰：「太子非帝王器，臣亦嘗與賀若弼論之。」 During the reign of Northern Zhou's Emperor Wu, Supreme Pillar of State Wuwan Gui told the emperor, "The crown prince is no emperor's material. I have discussed this with He Ruo Bi as well."

帝呼弼問之，弼知太子不可動搖，恐禍及己，詭對曰：「皇太子德業日新，未睹其闕。」 The emperor summoned Bi and questioned him. Bi knew the crown prince's position could not be moved and feared for his own life, so he evasively answered, "The crown prince's virtue grows by the day. I have seen no flaw in him."

弼既退，軌讓其背己，弼曰：「君不密則失臣，臣不密則失身，所以不敢輕議也。」 After Bi withdrew, Gui reproached him for going back on their understanding. Bi said, "When a ruler is indiscreet he loses his minister; when a minister is indiscreet he loses his life. That is why I would not speak openly."

及宣帝嗣位，軌竟見誅，弼乃獲免。 When Emperor Xuan came to the throne, Gui was eventually executed—and Bi was spared.

尋與韋孝寬伐陳，攻拔數十城，弼計居多。 He soon joined Wei Xiaokuan in the campaign against Chen, helped capture dozens of cities, and most of the plans behind those victories were Bi's.

高祖為丞相，尉迥作亂鄴城，恐弼為變，遣長孫平馳驛代之。 While Yang Jian was still Chancellor, Yu Chi rebelled at Yecheng. Fearing Bi might turn traitor, he sent Changsun Ping by fast relay to relieve him of command.

高熲曰：「朝臣之內，文武才幹，無若賀若弼者。」 Gao Jiong answered, "Among the ministers, no one matches He Ruo Bi in combined civil and military talent."

於是拜弼為吳州總管，委以平陳之事，弼忻然以為己任。 Bi was then made Area Commander of Wuzhou and charged with conquering Chen—a mission he accepted with evident satisfaction.

弼遺雄詩曰：「交河驃騎幕，合浦伏波營，勿使騏驎上，無我二人名。」 Bi sent Yuan Xiong a verse: "The flying-cavalry pavilion at Jiaohe, Fubo's camp at Hepu—when glory mounts the qilin's back, let not our two names be missing from the roll."

開皇九年，大舉伐陳，以弼為行軍總管。 In the ninth year of Kaihuang the empire launched a full-scale invasion of Chen, with Bi as Campaign Commander.

將渡江，酹酒而咒曰：「弼親承廟略，遠振國威，伐罪吊民，除凶翦暴，上天長江，鑒其若此。 Before crossing the Yangzi he poured wine as an offering and swore an oath: "I take the court's grand design upon myself, carry our nation's might to distant shores, punish the guilty and succor the people, root out evil and end tyranny—Heaven and the Yangzi are my witnesses.

先是，弼請緣江防人每交代之際，必集曆陽。 Earlier Bi had arranged that whenever the Yangzi garrison forces rotated duty, they must muster at Liyang.

及此，弼以大軍濟江，陳人弗之覺也。 This time Bi crossed the Yangzi with his full army, and the Chen never noticed.

有軍士于民間沽酒者，弼立斬之。 When a soldier was caught buying wine in town, Bi had him executed on the spot.

田瑞先犯弼軍，弼擊走之。 Tian Rui attacked first; Bi drove him off.

魯達等相繼遞進，弼軍屢卻。 Lu Da and the rest pressed forward one after another, and Bi's line gave ground again and again.

弼揣知其驕，士卒且惰，於是督厲將士，殊死戰，遂大破之。 Bi judged the enemy overconfident and his own men growing slack. He rallied his officers and men to a fight to the death and broke the Chen army completely.

麾下開府員明擒摩訶至，弼命左右牽斬之。 His officer Yuan Ming, holder of the title Opening the Mansion, brought Xiao Mohe as a captive. Bi ordered his guards to drag him out for execution.

摩訶顏色自若，弼釋而禮之。 Mohe's face never changed. Bi released him and received him with full courtesy.

時韓擒虎已執陳叔寶，弼至，呼叔寶視之。 By then Han Qinhu had already taken Chen Shubao prisoner. When Bi arrived he summoned Shubao to face him.

弼謂之曰：「小國之君，當大國卿，拜，禮也。 Bi told him, "A ruler of a lesser state greeting an officer of a greater one—that bow is proper etiquette.

既而弼恚恨不獲叔寶，功在韓擒虎之後，於是與擒虎相詢，挺刃而出。 Afterward Bi brooded over having missed capturing Shubao himself and taking second place to Han Qinhu. He quarreled with Qinhu and went for his blade.

上聞弼有功，大悅，下詔褒揚，語在《韓擒虎傳》。 When the emperor heard of Bi's success he was delighted and issued an edict of praise; the full account appears in the biography of Han Qinhu.

晉王以弼先期決戰，違軍命，於是以弼屬吏。 Prince Jin Guang, angry that Bi had forced a decisive battle ahead of schedule in defiance of orders, handed him over to the military judges.

弼時貴盛，位望隆重，其兄隆為武都郡公，弟東為萬榮郡公，並刺史、列將。 Bi was then at the height of power and prestige. His elder brother Long was Duke of Wudu and his younger brother Dong Duke of Wanrong; all held prefectures and field commands.

弼家珍玩不可勝計，婢妾曳綺羅者數百，時人榮之。 Bi's household overflowed with treasures, and hundreds of maidservants and concubines dressed in silks; contemporaries regarded his station as the summit of honor.

弼自謂功名出朝臣之右，每以宰相自許。 Bi believed his achievements outranked every minister at court and openly expected to be made chancellor.

既而楊素為右僕射，弼仍為將軍，甚不平，形於言色，由是免官，弼怨望愈甚。 When Yang Su became Right Vice Director while Bi remained only a general, Bi's displeasure showed plainly in words and face. He was stripped of office, and his resentment only deepened.

後數年，下弼獄，上謂之曰：「我以高熲、楊素為宰相，汝每倡言，雲此二人惟堪啖飯耳，是何意也？」 A few years later Bi was thrown into prison. The emperor confronted him: "I made Gao Jiong and Yang Su my chancellors, yet you kept saying they were fit for nothing but filling their bowls. What did you mean by that?"

弼曰：「熲，臣之故人，素，臣之舅子，臣並知其為人，誠有此語。」 Bi replied, "Jiong is an old friend of mine, and Su is my nephew by marriage. I know both men well, and I did say it."

公卿奏弼怨望，罪當死。 The officials reported that Bi's resentful talk amounted to a capital crime.

上亦忌之，不復任使，然每宴賜，遇之甚厚。 The emperor still mistrusted him and gave him no further appointments, yet at every banquet and grant he treated Bi with unusual generosity.

開皇十九年，上幸仁壽宮，宴王公，詔弼為五言詩，詞意憤怨，帝覽而容之。 In the nineteenth year of Kaihuang the emperor feasted the princes at Renshou Palace and ordered Bi to compose a pentasyllabic poem. The verses were bitter and resentful, but the emperor let them pass.

上曰：「非賀若弼無能當此。」 The emperor said, "Only He Ruo Bi can answer this."

於是命弼。 He then summoned Bi.

弼再拜祝曰：「臣若赤誠奉國者，當一發破的。 Bi bowed twice and prayed aloud: "If I serve the state with a loyal heart, let my first arrow find the mark.

煬帝之在東宮，嘗謂弼曰：「楊素、韓擒虎、史萬歲三人，俱稱良將，優劣如何？」 While he was still crown prince, Emperor Yang once asked Bi, "Yang Su, Han Qinhu, and Shi Wansui are all called great generals—how do they rank against one another?"

弼曰：「楊素是猛將，非謀將； Bi answered, "Yang Su is a fierce fighter, not a strategist;

弼拜曰：「唯殿下所擇。」 Bi bowed and said, "That is for Your Highness to decide."

弼意自許為大將。 In his own mind, Bi was already the supreme commander.

及煬帝嗣位，尤被疏忌。 Once Emperor Yang took the throne, Bi was kept at an even greater distance and watched with suspicion.

弼以為大侈，與高熲、宇文弼等私議得失，為人所奏，竟坐誅，時年六十四。 Bi considered the display outrageously lavish and privately debated its folly with Gao Jiong, Yuwen Bi, and others. Someone informed on them, and Bi was executed at the age of sixty-four.

坐弼為奴，俄亦誅死。 Implicated in his father's fall, he was enslaved and soon executed as well.

賀若弼慷慨，申必取之長策，韓擒虎奮發，賈餘勇以爭先，勢甚疾雷，鋒逾駭電。 He Ruobi, bold and high-spirited, laid out the strategy that would surely win; Han Qinhu threw himself into the fight and spent his last reserves of daring to lead the charge. Their momentum was like thunder, their blades swifter than lightning.

Book of Sui, Chapter 61Volume 61 Biographies 26: Yu Wenshu, Guo Yan · 1 passage

時韓擒、賀若弼兩軍趣丹陽，述進據石頭，以為聲援。 At that time the armies of Han Qin and He Ruobi were pressing toward Danyang. Shu advanced and seized Shitou to serve as a supporting position.

Book of Sui, Chapter 79Volume 79 Biographies 44: Imperial Affines · 1 passage

嘗與賀若弼深相友善，弼既被誅，複有童謠曰：「蕭蕭亦複起。」 He had been close friends with He Ruobi. After Ruobi was executed, a children's song ran, "Xiao, xiao—they rise again."