Jing Jin (景進) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Jing Jin as a courtier, eunuch, musician, and official. This record brings together 18 passages from 6 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Jing Jin	景進	Jing Jin
Nickname	Eighth Brother	八哥	Bage
Personal	Jin	進	Jin
Personal name	Jing Jin	景進	Jing Jin

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:031:s0132, jiuwudaishi:057:s0074, jiuwudaishi:073:s0087, jiuwudaishi:074:s0075
Sex: male
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0060

Roles

Courtier
Eunuch
Musician
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: AD 923-925 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:026:s0063
Source Date: Text: 同光 · Western Interval: Start: AD 923 · End: AD 926
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:037:s0060, xinwudaishi:037:s0064, xinwudaishi:037:s0070
Source Date: Text: 同光中京城初定 · Western Interval: Start: AD 923 · End: AD 926
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:074:s0075
Source Date: Text: 同光二年 · Western Year: AD 924
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:031:s0132
Source Date: Text: 景進 · Western Year: AD 925
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:057:s0074, jiuwudaishi:057:s0075
Source Date: Text: 莊宗入汴 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:073:s0085, jiuwudaishi:073:s0087

Career and standing

Label: Investigating Left Regular Cavalry Attendant and Censor Grandee / 檢校左散騎常侍兼御史大夫 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0077
Label: Silver Glory Light Grand Master / 銀青光祿大夫 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0077
Label: Upper Pillar of State / 上柱國 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0077

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Zhuangzong of Later Tang (後唐莊宗)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0072, xinwudaishi:037:s0075

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: slanderer · Action: denounced-cunyi · Other Person Id: Li Cunyi (李存乂)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0072
Kind: political · Role: slanderer · Action: denounced-youqian · Other Person Id: Zhu Youqian (友謙)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0075
Kind: political · Role: agent · Action: gathered-ye-beauties · Place: Ye / 鄴
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0067, xinwudaishi:037:s0068, xinwudaishi:037:s0069

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: foremost among those who ruined government · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0060
Assessment: held power as actor-official causing ministers' fear · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:031:s0132

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · xinwudaishi:037:s0060

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 31Volume 31 Book of Later Tang 7: Zhuangzong Annals 5 · 1 passage

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是時伶人景進用事，閹官競進，故重臣憂懼，拜章請退。 The actor Jing Jin then held sway and eunuchs crowded forward, so great ministers feared for themselves and begged to step down.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 57Volume 57 Book of Later Tang 33: Biographies 9: Gao Chongtao · 1 passage

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由是景進、王允平等於諸道采擇宮人，不擇良賤，內之宮掖。 As a result, Jing Jin, Wang Yunping, and others scoured the provinces for palace women, accepting anyone regardless of quality or background, and brought them into the inner quarters.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 3 passages

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凝初見莊宗，因伶人景進通貨於宮掖。 When Ning first met Emperor Zhuangzong, he used the actor Jing Jin to convey gifts into the inner palace.

帝怒其規避，將置於法，樂人景進於帝前解喻而止。 The emperor was angry at his evasion and was about to punish him by law, but the musician Jing Jin explained matters before the emperor and stopped it.

王正言風病恍惚，不能綜三司事，景進屢言於帝，乃以正言守禮部尚書，以謙為租庸使。 Wang Zhengyan suffered from wind ailment and mental confusion and could not manage the three offices. Jing Jin repeatedly spoke to the emperor, whereupon Zhengyan was made Minister of Rites and Qian was made commissioner of taxation and corvée.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 74Volume 74 Book of Later Tang 50: Biographies 126: Kang Yanxiao, Zhu Shouyin, Yang Li, Dou Tingwan, Zhang Qianzhao, Yang Yanwen · 1 passage

Open chapter

京城初定，內外警巡，恃憑主恩，蔑視勳舊，與景進互相表裏，又強作宿德之態，言語遲緩，自謂沉厚。 After the capital was secured he took charge of internal and external patrols. Secure in the emperor's favor, he scorned the old meritocrats, worked hand in glove with Jing Jin, and affected the air of a seasoned elder — speaking slowly and calling himself grave and steady.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 26Volume 26 Later Tang Biographies 6: Fu Xi, Wu Zhen, Kong Qian, Zhang Yanlang, Li Yan, Li Renju, Mao Zhang · 2 passages

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莊宗怒其避事，欲寘之法，賴伶官景進救解之，乃止。 Zhuangzong raged at his shirking and meant to punish him by law. Only Jing Jin, the court entertainer, talked him out of it.

已而正言病風，不任事，景進數以為言，乃罷正言，以謙為租庸使，賜「豐財贍國功臣」。 Before long Zhengyan was struck with paralysis and could not serve. Jing Jin kept pressing the point. Zhengyan was removed, Qian got the commission, and the throne gave him the title "Meritorious in Enriching Wealth and Nourishing the State."

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 37Volume 37 Biographies 17: · 10 passages

Open chapter

其敗政亂國者，有景進、史彦瓊、郭門高三人為最。 The men who wrecked the realm were three: Jing Jin, Shi Yanqiong, and Men Gao.

是時，諸伶人出入宫掖，侮弄縉紳，羣臣憤嫉，莫敢出氣，或反相附託，以希恩倖，四方藩鎮，貨賂交行，而景進最居中用事。 Actors wandered the inner quarters, mocking officials; the court seethed but no one spoke; some ministers flattered them for favor; governors bought their goodwill with gifts—and Jing Jin ruled from the center.

莊宗遣進等出訪民間，事無大小皆以聞。 Zhuangzong sent Jin and his crew to spy on the realm; nothing was too small to reach his ear.

每進奏事殿中，左右皆屏退，軍機國政皆與參決，三司使孔謙兄事之，呼為「八哥」。 When Jin came to report, the room was cleared; he sat in on war and policy; Kong Qian of the Three Offices called him “Eighth Brother” and bowed to him like kin.

其後幸鄴，乃遣進等採鄴美女千人，以充後宫。 On a later visit to Ye he sent Jin and the rest to collect a thousand Ye beauties for the harem.

而進等緣以為姦，軍士妻女因而逃逸者數千人。 Jin and his men turned the roundup into rape; thousands of soldiers’ wives and daughters ran.

莊宗還洛，進载鄴女千人以從，道路相屬，男女無别。 Returning to Luoyang, Jin marched a thousand Ye women in his train; the roads were choked, sex and order forgotten.

皇弟存乂，崇韜之壻也，進讒於莊宗曰：「存乂且反，為婦翁報仇。」 Imperial brother Cunyi was Chongtao’s son-in-law; Jin whispered to Zhuangzong: “Cunyi will rise to avenge his wife’s father.”

進乃讒友謙曰：「崇韜且誅，友謙不自安，必反，宜幷誅之。」 Jin accused him: “With Chongtao gone, Youqian is uneasy—he will rebel. Kill him too.”

進，官至銀青光祿大夫、檢校左散騎常侍兼御史大夫，上柱國。 Jin climbed to Silver Glory Light Grand Master, Investigating Left Regular Cavalry Attendant and Censor Grandee, Upper Pillar of State.