Ming · Statesman and Rebel

Hu Weiyong 胡惟庸

Hú Wéiyōng

Died AD 1380

Passages: 21
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Hu Weiyong as an official, rebel, and statesman. This record brings together 21 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Hu Weiyong	胡惟庸	Hú Wéiyōng
Title	Chancellor	丞相
Personal name	Hu Weiyong	胡惟庸

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · mingshi:127:s0059

Roles

Official
Rebel
Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Manner: execution · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十三年 · Western Year: AD 1380
Explicit · mingshi:127:s0074

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 十三年，惟庸謀反伏誅 · Western Year: AD 1380
Explicit · mingshi:127:s0074
Source Date: Text: 洪武三年…胡惟庸 · Western Year: AD 1370
Explicit event contextual date · mingshi:127:s0132

Family

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

Parent of Daughter of Hu Weiyong (胡惟庸女)
Kinship Term: daughter / 女 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: daughter · Object Role: father

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: conspirator · Action: plotted-rebellion-and-executed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 十三年 · Western Year: AD 1380
Explicit · mingshi:127:s0074

References in the histories

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

History of Ming, Chapter 127Volume 127 Biographies 15: Li Shanzhang, Wang Guangyang · 21 passages

太祖所任張昶、楊憲、汪廣洋、胡惟庸皆獲罪，善長事寄如故。 Zhang Chang, Yang Xian, Wang Guangyang, and Hu Weiyong, whom the throne had raised, all fell for crime, yet Shanzhang's trust held.

丞相胡惟庸初為甯國知縣，以善長薦，擢太常少卿，後為丞相，因相往來。 Hu Weiyong had been magistrate of Ningguo; Shanzhang recommended him, he rose to Vice Director of Imperial Sacrifices and then chancellor, and the two kept up ties.

而善長弟存義子佑，惟庸從女婿也。 Shanzhang's nephew You, son of his brother Cunyi, was married to Hu Weiyong's daughter.

十三年，惟庸謀反伏誅，坐党死者甚眾，善長如故。 In year thirteen Hu Weiyong's treason was uncovered and he was executed; many partisans perished, but Shanzhang was untouched.

十八年，有人告存義父子實惟庸黨者，詔免死，安置崇明。 In year eighteen informers named Cunyi and his son as Hu's partisans; an edict spared their lives and exiled them to Chongming.

帝怒按斌，斌故給事惟庸家，因言存義等往時交通惟庸狀。 The Emperor had Bin interrogated; Bin, once a servant in Hu's house, described Cunyi's earlier contacts with Hu.

命逮存義父子鞫之，詞連善長，云：「惟庸有反謀，使存義陰說善長。 Cunyi and his son were arrested; their testimony touched Shanzhang: "Hu had plotted rebellion and sent Cunyi to win him over.

已，又使善長故人楊文裕說之云：『事成當以淮西地封為王。』 Later Hu sent Shanzhang's old friend Yang Wenyu, promising, 'If the plot succeeded he would be made king of the Huai-west lands.'

惟庸乃自往說善長，猶不許。 Hu Weiyong came in person to persuade him, and still he would not agree.

居久之，惟庸復遣存義進說，善長歎曰：『吾老矣。 Long afterward Hu sent Cunyi again; Shanzhang sighed, 'I am old.

或又告善長云：「將軍藍玉出塞，至捕魚兒海，獲惟庸通沙漠使者封績，善長匿不以聞。」 Another informer said to Shanzhang, "General Lan Yu, campaigning beyond the frontier, had seized Hu's messenger Feng Ji at Buyur Lake, and Shanzhang had hidden the fact without reporting it."

而善長奴盧仲謙等，亦告善長與惟庸通賂遺，交私語。 Slaves such as Lu Zhongqian also testified to bribes and secret talk between Shanzhang and Hu.

而吉安侯陸仲亨、延安侯唐勝宗、平涼侯費聚、南雄侯趙庸、滎陽侯鄭遇春、宜春侯黃彬、河南侯陸聚等，皆同時坐惟庸黨死，而已故營陽侯楊璟、濟甯侯顧時等追坐者又若干人。 Marquis Lu Zhongheng of Ji'an, Tang Shengzong of Yan'an, Fei Ju of Pingliang, Zhao Yong of Nanxiong, Zheng Yuchun of Xingyang, Huang Bin of Yichun, Lu Ju of Henan, and others died as Hu's partisans; deceased Marquis Yang Jing of Yingyang, Gu Shi of Jining, and more were condemned posthumously.

藉令欲自圖不軌，尚未可知，而今謂其欲佐胡惟庸者，則大謬不然。 Even if one imagined he might plot on his own account, that would still be doubtful; to claim he meant to aid Hu Weiyong is simply wrong.

善長與惟庸，猶子之親耳，于陛下則親子女也。 Shanzhang's tie to Hu Weiyong was no closer than that of sons-in-law; toward Your Majesty he was bound by a daughter of the imperial house.

使善長佐惟庸成，不過勳臣第一而已矣，太師國公封王而已矣，尚主納妃而已矣，寧復有加於今日？ Had Shanzhang helped Hu Weiyong succeed, he would still be only first among ministers, Grand Preceptor, duke, king, imperial marriage—nothing beyond what he already possessed?

及善長以病去位，遂以廣洋為右丞相，參政胡惟庸為左丞。 When Shanzhang retired ill, Guangyang became Right Chancellor and Hu Weiyong Left Vice Director.

廣洋頗耽酒，與惟庸同相，浮沉守位而已。 He drank heavily; sharing power with Hu Weiyong, he merely floated along in office.

十二年十二月，中丞塗節言劉基為惟庸毒死，廣洋宜知狀。 In the twelfth month of year twelve, Vice Censor-in-Chief Tu Jie reported that Liu Ji had been poisoned by Hu Weiyong and that Guangyang should have known.

其從容丞弼之任者，李善長、汪廣洋、胡惟庸三人而已。 Only Li Shanzhang, Wang Guangyang, and Hu Weiyong truly bore the steady work of assisting rule.

惟庸敗後，丞相之官遂廢不設。 After Hu Weiyong's fall the chancellorship was abolished for good.