Sui and Tang · Crown Prince and Royal Family Member

Jiancheng 建成

Died AD 626

Passages: 5
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Jiancheng was a Crown Prince and Royal Family Member.

Life and dates

Death

AD 626 六月四日（武德九年玄武門之變）
Killed
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 72, passage 92

Attested activity

AD 626 六月四日（武德九年玄武門之變）
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 72, passages 92, 96, 108

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Taizong (太宗)
brothers 兄弟 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 72, passages 92, 102
Sibling of Yuanji (元吉)
brothers 兄弟 · paternal line
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 72, passage 96
Child of Gaozu (高祖)
father 父 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 72, passages 97, 102

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 72, passage 92

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 72, passage 92

References in the histories

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 72Volume 68 Biographies 18: Weichi Jingde, Qin Shubao, Cheng Zhijie, Duan Zhixuan, Zheng Gongjin · 5 passages

六月四日，建成既死，敬德領七十騎躡踵繼至，元吉走馬東奔，左右射之墜馬。 On the fourth day of the sixth month, after Jiancheng was killed, Jingde pursued with seventy horsemen; Yuanji fled east and was shot from the saddle by the prince's men.

其宮府諸將薛萬徹、謝叔方、馮立等率兵大至，屯於玄武門，殺屯營將軍。 The generals of Jiancheng's and Yuanji's palace establishments, Xue Wanche, Xie Shufang, Feng Li, and others, marched up in force to Xuanwu Gate and killed the garrison commander.

敬德持建成、元吉首以示之，宮府兵遂散。 Jingde displayed Jiancheng's and Yuanji's heads; the palace-establishment troops thereupon scattered.

對曰：「秦王以太子、齊王作亂，舉兵誅之，恐陛下驚動，遣臣來宿衛。」 He answered: "The Prince of Qin has put down a revolt by the crown prince and Prince of Qi. Fearing Your Majesty might be alarmed, he sent me to guard you."

時議者以建成等左右百餘人，併合從坐籍沒，唯敬德執之不聽，曰：「為罪者二凶，今已誅訖，若更及支黨，非取安之策。」 Many urged that Jiancheng's hundred-odd followers be punished and their property seized; Jingde alone objected: "Only the two culprits deserved death; to punish their whole circle is no way to secure peace."