Houmo Chenying (侯莫陳穎)

Overview

Houmo Chenying was a general and Administrator.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Zundao	遵道	Zundao
Posthumous name	Ding	定	Dìng

Life and dates

Death

AD 610 to AD 616 後四歲，卒官
In office
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 283

Attested activity

AD 601 to AD 604 仁壽中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passages 274-275
AD 535 to AD 578 代人也
Strongly inferred · Book of Sui 55, passage 246
AD 561 to AD 578 周武帝時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passages 251-252
AD 589 平陳之役
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passages 268-269
AD 610 to AD 616 後四歲，卒官
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passages 283-284
AD 606 to AD 612 數年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passages 281-282

Show 4 more source-backed claims

AD 581 會受禪
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passage 265
AD 604 煬帝即位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passage 280
AD 580 高祖為丞相
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passage 264
AD 550 to AD 551 魏大統末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 55, passages 249-250

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Rui, Duke of Liang (芮)
elder brother 兄 · Uncertain siblings
elder brother 兄
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 280
Child of Chong (崇)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 248
Parent of Qianhui (虔會)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 285

Origins and identity

His family moved south with the Wei and for generations served as ranking generals.
與魏南遷，世為列將。
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 247

Career and standing

Senior Commander-in-Chief 上開府
AD 581 會受禪 · Additionally appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 265
Grandee of the Shake-the-Foe Regiment 振威中大夫
Additionally appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 263
Prefect of Raozhou 饒州刺史
Appointed but did not take office · Negated true
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 270
Administrator of Hengshan 恆山太守
AD 606 to AD 612 數年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 281
Prefect of Changzhou 昌州刺史
AD 580 高祖為丞相 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 264
Grand Master Equal to the Three Offices (kaifu yitong sansi) 開府儀同三司
AD 550 to AD 551 魏大統末 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 250

Show 19 more source-backed claims

Prefect of Xingzhou 邢州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 273
Prefect of Yanzhou 延州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 266
Provisional administrator of Fenzhou 檢校汾州事
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 273
Regional commander of Guizhou with military authority over seventeen prefectures 桂州總管十七州諸軍事
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 278
Prefect of Changzhou 昌州刺史
AD 581 會受禪 · Did not assume · Negated true
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 265
Grand General 大將軍
Promoted
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 278
Administrator of Nanhai 南海太守
AD 606 to AD 612 其年 · Reappointed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 282
Campaign Commander 行軍總管
AD 589 平陳之役 · Served
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 268
Prefect of Chenzhou 陳州刺史
AD 582 to AD 588 數年 · Transferred
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 267
Director of Martial Affairs 司武
Transferred
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 263
Prefect of Yingzhou 瀛州刺史
Transferred
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 270
Duke of Shengping Commandery 升平郡公
AD 581 會受禪 · At Shengping 升平 · Advanced
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 265
Marquis of Guangping 廣平侯
AD 550 to AD 551 魏大統末 · At Guangping 廣平 · Enfeoffed · Cause Father's military merit
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 250
gracious edict of praise 優詔褒揚
AD 601 to AD 604 仁壽中 · Bestowed · Authority Gaozu (高祖)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 275
posthumous title Ding 諡曰定
AD 610 to AD 616 後四歲，卒官 · Granted
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 284
ranked first among officials on Niu Hong's Shandong tour 以穎為第一
AD 601 to AD 604 仁壽中 · Ranked · With Niu Hong (牛弘)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 274
Duke of Shengping Commandery 升平郡公
AD 581 會受禪 · Advanced
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 265
Marquis of Guangping 廣平侯
AD 550 to AD 551 魏大統末 · Granted
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 250
Dismissed
Dismissal · Cause Associating with Prince of Qin Yang Jun · With Yang Jun, Prince of Qin (秦王俊)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 271

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Zhou 周 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 251, 263
Polity Sui 隋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 264-265
Polity Western Wei 魏 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 247, 250
At Dai 代 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 246
AD 606 to AD 612 數年
At Hengshan 恆山 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 281
AD 604 煬帝即位
At the capital 京師 · Relation Recalled to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 280

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AD 580 高祖為丞相
At Changzhou 昌州 · Relation Appointed to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 264
At Chenzhou 陳州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 267
At Dai 代 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 246
At Fenzhou 汾州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 273
At Guizhou 桂州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 278-279
At Nanhai 南海 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 282
At Xingzhou 邢州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 273
At Yanzhou 延州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 266
At Yingzhou 瀛州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 270

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Doulu Ji (豆盧勣) · Direct quotation · Units s0255, s0256, s0257, s0258, s0259, s0260
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 255-260

Events and relationships

Advanced
AD 589 平陳之役 · Military · Campaign commander · Route Lushan route 魯山道 · With Yang Jun, Prince of Qin (秦王俊)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 268
Campaigned
AD 561 to AD 578 周武帝時 · Military · Commander · With Yu, Prince of Teng (滕王逌) · At Longquan and Wencheng 龍泉、文城 · Against rebel Hu
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 251
Captured stockades
AD 561 to AD 578 周武帝時 · Military · Commander · Detail marched more than five hundred li and broke three stockades
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 252
Crossed Yangzi to settle newly submitted
AD 589 平陳之役 · Military · Commander · With Duan Wenzhen (段文振)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 269
Dissuaded executions
AD 561 to AD 578 周武帝時 · Military · Advisor · With Doulu Ji (豆盧勣) · Outcome Hu submitted and the north was pacified
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 255, 261-262
Recalled to capital
AD 604 煬帝即位 · Political · Recalled official · Cause Court feared he would be unsettled after brother's banishment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 280

Show 9 more source-backed claims

Seen off with tears and stele
Personal · Departing official · Outcome Commoners erected a stele praising his pure virtue
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 272
Spoke of old times and laughed
Court · Audience · With Gaozu (高祖)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 277
Summoned to court for Lingnan pacification
Political · Summoned official
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 276
Won over Yue from the hill country
Administration · Regional commander
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 279
Relation Colleague of · Person Doulu Ji (豆盧勣) · Context advanced by separate routes
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 251
Relation Subordinate of · Person Yang Jun, Prince of Qin (秦王俊) · Context conquest of Chen by the Lushan route
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 268
Relation Subordinate of · Person Yu, Prince of Teng (滕王逌) · Context Longquan-Wencheng campaign
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 251
Relation Associated with · Person Yang Jun, Prince of Qin (秦王俊) · Context traffic that caused dismissal
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 271
Relation Colleague of · Person Duan Wenzhen (段文振)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 269

Assessments and attributes

Assessment Chinese and tribesmen submitted through kindness and trust · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 279
Assessment earlier Guizhou administration trusted in the south · Mode named-person-judgment Source Person Id Emperor Yang (煬帝)
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 282
Assessment entered court from youth, served three dynasties, enjoyed rank for a full natural span, acting from the heart without affectation · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 290
Assessment good governance wherever he served · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 289
Assessment pure virtue · 清德 · Mode popular-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 272
Assessment very benevolent administration · At Yingzhou 瀛州 · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 270

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Item commemorative stele 碑 · Relation Praised on
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 272
Item granted goods 物 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passage 278

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Sui 55, passages 246, 249

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Book of Sui, Chapter 55Volume 55 Biographies 20: Du Yan, Gao Mai, Er Zhu Chang, Zhou Yao, Du Gukai, Qi Fuhui, Zhang Wei, He Hong, Houmo Chenying · 13 passages

Open chapter

侯莫陳穎，字遵道，代人也。 Houmo Chenying, courtesy name Zundao, was from Dai.

穎少有器量，風神警發，為時輩所推。 As a youth Ying was broad-minded and keen of bearing, and his contemporaries held him in high regard.

穎懸軍五百餘裡，破其三柵。 Ying marched more than five hundred li into enemy territory and captured three stockades.

有人言為胡村所隱匿者，勣將誅之，穎謂勣曰：「將在外，君命有所不行。 When someone reported that commoners were hidden in a Hu village, Ji was about to execute the villagers; Ying told him, "A general in the field is not bound to obey every command from court.

高祖為丞相，拜昌州刺史。 While Gaozu was chief minister, Ying was appointed prefect of Changzhou.

屬陳將荀法尚、陳紀降，穎與行軍總管段文振度江安集初附。 When the Chen generals Xun Fashang and Chen Ji surrendered, Ying and Campaign Commander Duan Wenzhen crossed the Yangzi to settle the newly submitted territories.

百姓將送者，莫不流涕，因相與立碑，頌穎清德。 The people who came to see him off wept openly, and together they erected a stele praising his integrity.

仁壽中，吏部尚書牛弘持節巡撫山東，以穎為第一。 During Renshou, Minister of Personnel Niu Hong toured Shandong with imperial authority and ranked Ying first among the officials.

時朝廷以嶺南刺史、縣令多貪鄙，蠻夷怨叛，妙簡清吏以鎮撫之，於是征穎入朝。 The court believed that Lingnan officials were mostly corrupt and that the tribes were rebelling; it sought upright administrators to pacify the region and summoned Ying to court.

及進見，上與穎言及平生，以為歡笑。 At his audience the emperor spoke with him of old times and they shared a warm laugh.

煬帝即位，穎兄梁國公芮坐事徙邊，朝廷恐穎不自安，征歸京師。 When Emperor Yang took the throne, Ying's elder brother Duke of Liang Rui was banished for an offense; fearing Ying might be unsettled, the court recalled him to the capital.

其年，嶺南、閩越多不附，帝以穎前在桂州有惠政，為南土所信伏，複拜南海太守。 That year Lingnan and Min-Yue were largely in revolt; because Ying's earlier rule in Guizhou had won the south's trust, the emperor reappointed him administrator of Nanhai.

周搖以質實見知，獨孤以恤人流譽，乞伏慧能以國讓，侯莫陳所居治理，或知牧人之道，或踐仁義之路，皆有可稱焉。 Zhou Yao was valued for integrity, Dugu Kai for compassion, Qi Fuhui for yielding honors to his brother, and Houmo Chenying for good governance—some knew how to rule the people, others walked the path of benevolence; each had qualities worth praise.