Jiang Zhen (蔣鎮) | 24 Histories

Overview

Jiang Zhen was an official and Rebel.

Life and dates

Death

Beheaded · At eastern market northwest street 東市西北街
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 158

Attested activity

AD 783 其冬
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 65-67
AD 755 to AD 756 天寶末
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 141
AD 783 建中四年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 131, passages 6, 149
AD 783 建中四年冬
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passages 93-94
AD 779 to AD 805 禮儀使
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 161, passage 127

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Jiang Huan (蔣渙)
paternal uncle 叔 · paternal line · Through Jiang Lie (蔣洌)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 159
Sibling of Jiang Lian (蔣鍊)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 140
Child of Jiang Lie (蔣洌)
son 子
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 139
Sibling of Sister of Jiang Zhen (蔣鎮妹)
younger sister 妹 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 148

Key source chapters

Career and standing

bureau director 列曹郎
Formerly held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 66
nominal chancellor 偽宰相
Appointed
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 154
bureau director 曹郎
Formerly held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 94
false chancellor 偽宰相
Held
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 65; Old Book of Tang 157, passage 93

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Formerly served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 94
At Yixing in Chang Prefecture 常州義興
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 139

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Liu Nai (劉迺) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passages 94-95
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 66-67

Events and relationships

Sobbed and withdrew
Personal · Subject
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 67
Tried to recruit
Political · Envoy · With Liu Nai (劉迺) · Outcome Withdrew after failing to coerce him
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passages 93-95
Tried to recruit
Political · Envoy · With Nai (迺)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passages 65-66

Assessments and attributes

Assessment called Liu Nai a worthy sage he would not defile · Mode speech Speaker Jiang Zhen (蔣鎮)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 157, passage 94
Assessment Nai is a worthy man who should not be defiled · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Jiang Zhen (蔣鎮)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 153, passage 66
Assessment petty man clinging to salary · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 131, passage 223

References in the histories

Search passages

History

23 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 131Volume 127 Biographies 77: Yao Lingyan, Zhang Guangcheng, Yuan Xiu, Qiao Lin, Zhang She, Jiang Zhen, Hong Jinglun, Peng Yan · 18 passages

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暤尋歸朝廷，遂拜令言為四鎮北庭行營涇原節度使、涇州刺史、兼御史大夫。 When Min soon returned to court, Lingyan was appointed military governor of Jingyuan in the Four-Garrisons and Beiting campaign command, prefect of Jingzhou, and concurrent Grand Censor.

十月，詔令言率本鎮兵五萬赴援。 In the tenth month, the court ordered Lingyan to lead fifty thousand troops of his command to the relief.

涇師離鎮，多攜子弟而來，望至京師以獲厚賞，及師上路，一無所賜。 When the Jingyuan army left its garrison, many brought their sons and younger kinsmen along, expecting rich rewards when they reached the capital; but once the army was on the road, they received nothing at all.

時太尉硃泚罷鎮居晉昌裏第，是夜，叛卒謀曰：「硃太尉久囚於宅，若迎為主，大事濟矣。」 At that time Grand Preceptor Zhu Ci, having been removed from his command, lived at his mansion in Jinchang Lane. That night the mutinous soldiers said: "Grand Preceptor Zhu has long been confined in his residence—if we welcome him as our leader, the great affair will succeed."

光晟既受命，至鎮，威令甚行。 Once Guangcheng had received his commission and reached his post, his authority and commands were sternly enforced.

因小忿而離，妻族上訴，下御史臺驗理，休遲留不答款狀，除名，配流溱州。 Because of a small quarrel they separated; her clan petitioned the throne; the case was sent to the Censorate for investigation. Xiu delayed and would not answer the indictment; he was removed from office and exiled to Zhen Prefecture.

蔣鎮，常州義興人，尚書左丞洌之子也。 Jiang Zhen came from Yixing in Chang Prefecture, son of Lie, Left Assistant Minister of the Secretariat.

上以秋霖稍多，水潦為患，不宜生瑞，命鎮馳驛檢行之。 The emperor, because autumn rains had been rather heavy and flooding was a calamity, held that it was not fitting for omens to appear, and ordered Zhen to go by express relay and inspect.

鎮奏與滉同，仍上表賀，請宣付史館，並請置神祠，錫其嘉號寶應靈慶池。 Zhen reported in agreement with Huang, still submitted a congratulatory memorial, asked that it be proclaimed to the History Office, and also asked to establish a spirit shrine, bestowing the honorable title Pool of Treasure Response and Spiritual Blessing.

韓滉慮鹽戶減稅，詐奏雨不壞池，池生瑞鹽，鎮庇之飾詐，識者醜之。 Han Huang, fearing reduced salt-tax from the salt households, falsely reported that rain did not harm the ponds and that the ponds produced auspicious salt; Zhen shielded him and embellished the fraud—those who knew were ashamed of them.

涇師之叛，鎮潛竄，夜至鄠縣西，馬躓墮溝澗中，傷足不能進。 When the Jingyuan army rebelled, Zhen fled in secret; by night he reached west of Hu County, his horse stumbled and fell into a ditch, injuring his foot so he could not advance.

鎮僕人有逃歸投鍊，云鎮病足在鄠。 A servant of Zhen escaped and surrendered to Lian, saying Zhen's injured foot was in Hu.

泚素慕鎮清名，即令騎二百求之鄠縣西。 Ci had long admired Zhen's pure reputation and at once sent two hundred horsemen to seek him west of Hu County.

明日，擁鎮而至，署為偽宰相。 The next day they escorted Zhen in and appointed him nominal chancellor.

然源休與泚頻議，欲逼脅潛藏衣冠，大加殺戮，鎮輒力爭救，獲全者甚眾。 Yet Yuan Xiu and Ci often discussed forcing hidden gentry and officials into service and slaughtering them on a great scale; Zhen repeatedly strove to save them, and very many were spared.

初鎮父洌，叔渙，當祿山、思明之亂，並授偽職，然以家風修整，為士大夫所稱。 Earlier Zhen's father Lie and uncle Huan, during the rebellions of Lushan and Siming, had both accepted nominal offices, yet because the family style was well ordered they were praised by scholar-officials.

鎮兄弟亦以教義禮法為己任，而貪祿愛死，節隳身戮，為天下笑。 The Zhen brothers also took teaching righteousness and ritual law as their charge, yet they clung to salary and loved life; their integrity was ruined and their persons executed, and the realm laughed at them.

蔣鎮貪祿隳節，皆曰小人。 Jiang Zhen, clinging to salary and ruining integrity—all are called petty men.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 153Volume 149 Biographies 99: Yu Xiulie, Ling Huhuan, Gui Chongjing, Xi Zhi, Zhang Jian, Jiang Yi, Liu Deng, Shen Chuanshi · 2 passages

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又令其偽宰相蔣鎮自來招誘，迺托喑疾，灸灼遍身。 Ci also sent his false chancellor Jiang Zhen in person to recruit him. Nai feigned aphasia and had moxibustion burns applied all over his body.

鎮再至，知不可劫脅，乃嘆息曰：「鎮亦嘗忝列曹郎，茍不能死，以至於斯，寧以自辱膻腥，復欲汙穢賢哲乎？」 When Zhen came again and saw coercion would not work, he sighed and said, 'I too once served among the bureau directors. Having failed to die then, I have come to this. How can I further shame myself with the rebels' stench and again try to defile a worthy man?

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 157Volume 153 Biographies 103: Yao Nanzhong, Liu Nai, Yuan Gao, Duan Pingzhong, Xue Cuncheng, Lu Tan · 2 passages

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又令其偽宰相蔣鎮自來招誘，迺托喑疾，灸灼遍身。 Ci also sent his false chancellor Jiang Zhen in person to recruit him. Nai feigned aphasia and had moxibustion burns applied all over his body.

鎮再至，知不可劫脅，乃嘆息曰：「鎮亦嘗忝列曹郎，茍不能死，以至於斯，寧以自辱膻腥，復欲汙穢賢哲乎？」 When Zhen came again and saw coercion would not work, he sighed and said, 'I too once served among the bureau directors. Having failed to die then, I have come to this. How can I further shame myself with the rebels' stench and again try to defile a worthy man?

New Book of Tang, Chapter 161Volume 161 Biographies 86: Zhang, Zhao, Li, Zheng, Xu, Wang, Feng, Yu · 1 passage

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禮儀使蔣鎮薦為太常博士，專掌禮事。 Ritual commissioner Jiang Zhen recommended him as doctor of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, put in charge of ritual affairs.