Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Houzhu 後主

Died AD 577

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Houzhu was a ruler.

Life and dates

Death

AD 577 使並賜死
killed with pepper stuffed in the mouth 以椒塞口而死 · At Chang'an 長安 · Authority Emperor Wu of Zhou (周武)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passages 211, 213

Attested activity

AD 577 及至長安
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 11, passages 209, 211-213
AD 577 後主之傳位於太子
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 215

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Crown Prince (太子)
crown prince 太子
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 215

Career and standing

falsely charged with remotely responding to Mutipo's rebellion 誣後主及延宗等，云遙應穆提婆反
Accused · With Mu Tipo (穆提婆)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 211

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Qi 齊 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passages 209, 215

Events and relationships

Ordered to dance at Zhou banquet
Ritual · Forced dancer · At Chang'an 長安 · With Emperor Wu of Zhou (周武)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 209
Protested innocence
Legal · Defendant
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 212
Yielded the throne to the crown prince
AD 577 後主之傳位於太子 · Political · Abdicating ruler · With Crown Prince (太子)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 215

Assessments and attributes

Assessment judgment already far removed from Pingyuan · With Lord Pingyuan (平原) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 229

References in the histories

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 11Volume 11 Biographies 3: Six Princes of Wenxiang · 5 passages

及至長安，周武與齊君臣飲酒，令後主起舞，延宗悲不自持。 At Chang'an Emperor Wu of Zhou drank with the Qi lords and ministers, ordering Houzhu to dance; Yanzong's grief was beyond his control.

未幾，周武誣後主及延宗等，云遙應穆提婆反，使並賜死。 Before long Emperor Wu of Zhou falsely charged Houzhu, Yanzong, and the rest with remotely responding to Mutipo's rebellion and ordered them all put to death.

後主之傳位於太子也，孫正言竊謂人曰：「我武定中為廣州士曹，聞襄城人曹普演有言，高王諸兒，阿保當為天子，至高德之承之當滅。 When the Later Lord yielded the throne to the crown prince, Sun Zhengyan confided to someone: "In the Wuding era I was a clerical officer at Guangzhou. I heard Cao Puyan of Xiangcheng prophesy that of King Gao's sons, Abao would wear the crown; by the time of Dezhi and Chengzhi, the line would end.

阿保謂天保，德之謂德昌也，承之謂後主年號承光，其言竟信云。」 Abao meant the Tianbao reign, Dezhi meant Dechang, and Chengzhi meant the Later Lord's Chengguang era—and in the end every word came true."

廣甯請出後宮，竟不獲遂，非孝珩辭致，有謝李同，自是後主心識，去平原已遠。 Prince Xiaoheng of Guangning asked to send out the palace women, but the request was never granted. It was not that Xiaoheng lacked Li Tong's persuasiveness; the Later Lord's judgment was already far removed from Pingyuan.