Huo Yanwei (霍彥威) | 24 Histories

Overview

Huo Yanwei was a general.

Life and dates

Death

At his garrison 鎮
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 61

Attested activity

AD 928 天成三年冬
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 61
AD 926 趙在禮反
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 37

Career and standing

military commissioner of Pinglu 平盧
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 53
Loyal and Martial 忠武
Posthumous name
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 62
Grand Preceptor 太師
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 62

Events and relationships

Defeated Zhao Tai
Military · Commander · With Zhao Tai (趙太)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 37
Led ministers urging accession
Political · Leader
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 49
Urged Mingzong south
Political · Adviser · With Mingzong (明宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passages 46, 48
Relation Patron of · Person Chunyu Yan (淳於晏)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passages 57, 59
Relation Rival of · Person Wen Tao (溫韜)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 50
Relation Rival of · Person Duan Ning (段凝)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 50

Assessments and attributes

Assessment soldier ignorant of ritual · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 46, passage 56

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 46Volume 46 Miscellaneous Biographies 26: Zhao Zaili, Huo Yanwei, Fang Zhiwen, Wang Yanqiu, An Zhongba, Wang Jianli, Kang Fu, Guo Yanlu · 15 passages

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其後趙在禮反，彥威別討趙太於邢州，破之，還以兵屬明宗討在禮。 Zhao Zaili rebelled. Yanwei campaigned alone against Zhao Tai at Xingzhou, broke him, returned, and put his men under Mingzong against Zaili.

彥威與安重誨勸明宗許之，乃擁兵入城，與在禮合，彥威獨不入。 Yanwei and An Chonghui urged Mingzong to agree. They hustled him into the city to join Zaili; Yanwei alone stayed out.

明宗入城，與在禮置酒大會，而部兵在外者聞明宗反，皆潰去，獨彥威所將五千人營城西北隅不動。 Mingzong entered and feasted with Zaili. Troops outside heard he had rebelled and melted away; only Yanwei’s five thousand held the northwest corner of the wall and did not stir.

居二日，明宗復出，得彥威兵，乃之魏縣，謀欲還鎮州，彥威、重誨勸明宗以兵南向。 Two days later Mingzong came out, took Yanwei’s men, and went to Wei county, meaning to return to Zhenzhou. Yanwei and Chonghui urged him south with the army.

莊宗崩，彥威從明宗入洛陽，首率群臣勸進，內外機事，皆決彥威。 Zhuangzong died. Yanwei followed Mingzong into Luoyang, led the ministers in urging him to the throne, and inner and outer affairs ran through Yanwei.

彥威素與段凝、溫韜有隙，因擅捕凝、韜下獄，將殺之，安重誨曰：「凝、韜之惡，天下所知，然主上方平內難，以恩信示人，豈公報仇之時？」 Yanwei had long hated Duan Ning and Wen Tao. He seized them on his own and threw them in prison to kill them. An Chonghui said: “Ning and Tao’s crimes are known to all—but the ruler has just ended civil war and means to show grace. Is this the hour for your revenge?”

彥威乃止。 Yanwei stayed his hand.

彥威徙鎮平盧。 Yanwei was moved to Pinglu.

朱守殷反，伏誅，彥威遣使者馳騎獻兩箭為賀，明宗賜兩箭以報之。 Zhu Shouyin rebelled and was executed. Yanwei sent a rider at full gallop with two arrows in congratulation; Mingzong returned two arrows.

明宗本出夷狄，而彥威武人，君臣皆不知禮，動多此類。 Mingzong came from barbarian stock; Yanwei was a soldier. Neither knew ritual; their acts were often like this.

然彥威客有淳於晏者，登州人也，少舉明經及第，遭世亂，依彥威，自彥威為偏裨時已從之。 Yanwei kept a retainer, Chunyu Yan of Dengzhou, who had passed the classics examination in youth, met the age’s chaos, and followed Yanwei from his days as a junior officer.

彥威嘗戰敗脫身走，麾下兵無從者，獨晏徒步以一劍從之榛棘間以免。 Yanwei once fled a rout with no one behind him; only Yan walked through thorns with one sword and kept him alive.

彥威高其義，所歷方鎮，常辟以自從，至其家事無大小，皆決於晏，彥威以故得少過失。 Yanwei honored his loyalty; in every post he kept Yan at his side; household affairs great and small ran through Yan, and Yanwei therefore stumbled rarely.

天成三年冬，彥威卒於鎮。 Winter, Tiancheng 3: Yanwei died in his post.

是時，明宗方獵於近郊，青州馳騎奏彥威卒，明宗涕泣還宮，輟朝，仍終其月不舉樂，贈彥威太師，謚曰忠武。 Mingzong was hunting near the capital. Qingzhou sent riders with word of Yanwei’s death. Mingzong wept, returned to the palace, suspended court, and for the whole month held no music. They made him Grand Preceptor posthumously, styled Loyal and Martial.