Kou Yanqing (寇彥卿)

Overview

The translated histories identify Kou Yanqing as a courtier, envoy, general, and military officer. This record brings together 22 passages from 4 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Kou Yanqing	寇彥卿	Kou Yanqing
Courtesy name	Junchen	俊臣	Junchen
Surname	Kou	寇	Kou
Personal name	Kou Yanqing	寇彥卿	Kou Yanqing
Given	Yanqing	彥卿	Yanqing
Personal	Yanqing	彥卿	Yanqing
Given name	Yanqing	彥卿	Yanqing

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:005:s0067, jiuwudaishi:020:s0140, jiuwudaishi:020:s0162, jiuwudaishi:020:s0175, xinwudaishi:044:s0022
Sex: male
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:068:s0031

Roles

Courtier
Envoy
General
Military Officer
Official

Life and dates

Death

Place: his garrison post / 鎮 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞明四年 · Western Year: AD 918
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0173

Age

Age: 57 · Reckoning: sui · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞明四年 · Western Year: AD 918
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0173

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 天復中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 901 · End: AD 904
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0152
Source Date: Text: 太祖受禪 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162
Source Date: Text: 太祖遇弑 · Western Year: AD 912
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0167
Source Date: Text: 攻邠寧 · Western Interval: Start: AD 907 · End: AD 912
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:044:s0022
Source Date: Text: 末帝嗣位 · Western Year: AD 913
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0169
Source Date: Text: 歲餘 · Western Year: AD 908
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162, jiuwudaishi:020:s0163
Source Date: Text: 貞明初 · Western Year: AD 915
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0171
Source Date: Text: 貞明四年 · Western Year: AD 918
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0171, jiuwudaishi:020:s0173
Source Date: Text: 開平三年十一月 · Western Year: AD 909
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:005:s0067
Source Date: Text: 開平中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 907 · End: AD 911
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:068:s0031
Source Date: Text: 開平二年 · Western Year: AD 908
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0157

Family

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

Descendant of Kou Guan (寇琯)
Kinship Term: grandfather / 祖 · Generation Distance: 2 · Line: paternal
Child of Kou Yi (寇裔)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Career and standing

Label: Acting Grand Guardian / 檢校太保 · Action: added · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 太祖受禪 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162
Label: Acting Grand Tutor / 檢校太傅 · Action: added
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0166
Label: southeast campaign overall commander / 東南面行營都指揮使 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開平二年 · Western Year: AD 908
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0157
Label: city street commissioner / 街使 · Action: appointed · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 歲餘 · Western Year: AD 908
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0163
Label: defense commissioner of Xiangzhou / 相州防禦使 · Action: appointed · Place: Xiangzhou / 相州
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0165
Label: grand general of the Left Golden Crow Guard / 左金吾衛大將軍 · Action: appointed · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 歲餘 · Western Year: AD 908
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0163
Label: military commissioner of Dengzhou / 鄧州節度使 · Action: appointed · Place: Dengzhou / 鄧州 · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 貞明初 · Western Year: AD 915
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0171
Label: military commissioner of Heyang / 河陽節度使 · Action: appointed · Place: Heyang / 河陽
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0166
Label: military commissioner of Huazhou / 華州節度使 · Action: appointed · Place: Huazhou / 華州 · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 太祖受禪 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162
Label: military commissioner of Xingyuan (in absentia) / 遙領興元節度使 · Action: appointed · Place: Xingyuan / 興元 · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 末帝嗣位 · Western Year: AD 913
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0169
Label: overall commander of the southeast campaign to suppress and recruit / 東南面行營都招討使 · Action: appointed · Start Date: Source Date: Text: 末帝嗣位 · Western Year: AD 913
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0169
Label: senior general of the Right Golden Crow Guard / 右金吾衛上將軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0170
Label: middle-rank general of the Left Guard / 左衛中郎將 · Action: demoted · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 歲餘後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 908 · End: AD 912
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0163, jiuwudaishi:020:s0164
Label: Jinwu street commissioner / 金吾街使 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開平中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 907 · End: AD 911
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:068:s0031
Label: Palace Attendant / 侍中 · Action: posthumously-granted
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0174
Label: field army array marshal / 行營諸軍排陣使 · Action: retained
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0165
Label: Welcome-the-Chariot Bold and Brave Merit Subject / 迎鑾毅勇功臣 · Action: granted
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0155
Label: Palace Attendant (posthumous) / 侍中 · Action: posthumously-granted
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0174
Status: demoted · Action: entered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 歲餘後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 908 · End: AD 912
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0164
Status: frontier-lord · Action: held · Label: frontier defender / 藩後
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0179
Label: impeached by the censorate / 為御史府所彈 · Action: impeached · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 歲餘後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 908 · End: AD 912
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0163, jiuwudaishi:020:s0164
Label: demotion to General of the Patrol / 責授遊擊將軍 · Action: suffered
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:068:s0039

Places and affiliations

Label: Later Liang / 後梁 · Relation: served
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162, jiuwudaishi:020:s0169
Polity Name: Later Liang · Relation: served-or-associated
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:020:s0140
Place: Daliang / 大梁
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0140
Place: Huazhou / 華州 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 太祖受禪 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162
Place: Xingyuan / 興元 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 末帝嗣位 · Western Year: AD 913
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0169
Place: Dengzhou / 鄧州 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞明初 · Western Year: AD 915
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0171
Place: Heyang / 河陽 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0166
Place: Hua Prefecture / 華州 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:005:s0067
Place: Xiangzhou / 相州 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0165

Learning and skills

Skill: books and histories / 書史 · Level: fond
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0148
Skill: mounted archery / 騎射 · Level: skilled
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0148

Works and attributed material

Kind: ritual-act · Role: actor · Action: painted-portrait-and-offered-sacrifice · Other Person Id: Taizu (太祖)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0167
Kind: edict · Role: recipient · Action: received-edict-to-relieve-Anlu
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0172

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: appointee · Action: appointed-Huazhou-military-commissioner · Other Person Id: Taizu (太祖) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 太祖受禪 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: attacked-Bin-Ning · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開平三年十一月 · Western Year: AD 909
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:005:s0067
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: attacked-Huainan · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開平二年 · Western Year: AD 908
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0157, jiuwudaishi:020:s0158, jiuwudaishi:020:s0159
Kind: legal · Role: perpetrator · Action: caused-death · Other Person Id: Liang Xian (梁現) · Place: Tianjin Bridge / 天津橋
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:068:s0031
Kind: ritual · Role: mourner · Action: painted-imperial-portrait-and-made-offerings · Other Person Id: Taizu (太祖) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 太祖遇弑 · Western Year: AD 912
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0167
Kind: legal · Role: perpetrator · Action: pushed-old-man-from-Tianjin-Bridge-to-death · Place: Tianjin Bridge / 天津橋 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 歲餘後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 908 · End: AD 912
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0163, jiuwudaishi:020:s0164
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: relieved-Anlu-siege-and-defeated-Huai-forces · Place: Anlu / 安陸 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 貞明初 · Western Interval: Start: AD 915 · End: AD 918
Explicit event contextual date · jiuwudaishi:020:s0171, jiuwudaishi:020:s0172
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: resisted-Huai-rebels
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0170
Kind: personal · Role: speaker · Action: wept-recalling-former-court
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0168
Relation: client-of · Person Id: Youzhen (友貞)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0169
Relation: client-of · Person Id: Taizu (太祖)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162, jiuwudaishi:020:s0164, jiuwudaishi:020:s0167
Relation: peer-of · Person Id: Zhang Cunjing (張存敬)
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:020:s0179

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: abused favor, jealous, and fond of killing; despite fame, despised by men of judgment · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0175
Assessment: capable, bright, and shrewd in serving his lord · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0175
Assessment: met the occasion of climbing the dragon scales and fittingly became a frontier lord · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0179
Kind: physical-description · Statement: eight chi tall, high nose, square face, voice like a bell
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0147
Item: imperial portrait / 御容 · Relation: made · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 太祖遇弑 · Western Year: AD 912
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0167
Item: One Zhang Crow black horse / 一丈烏 · Relation: received · Other Person Id: the Founder (太祖)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0151

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:020:s0162

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 5Volume 5 Book of Later Liang 5: Taizu Annals 5 · 1 passage

Open chapter

帝遣陝州康懷英、華州寇彥卿率兵攻迫邠、寧，以緩朔方之寇。 The Emperor sent Kang Huaiying of Shaan and Kou Yanqing of Hua to strike Bin and Ning and ease the Shuofang threat.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 20Volume 20 Book of Later Liang 20: Biographies 10: Xie Tong, Si Maye, Liu Han, Wang Jinrao, Gao Shao, Ma Sixun, Zhang Cunjin, Kou Yanqing · 15 passages

Open chapter

寇彥卿，字俊臣，大梁人也。 Kou Yanqing, styled Junchen, came from Daliang.

太祖鎮汴，以彥卿將家子，擢在左右。 When the Founder governed Bian he kept Yanqing, a general's son, at his side.

羅紹威將殺牙軍，遣使告於太祖，太祖命彥卿使於魏，密與紹威謀之。 When Luo Shaowei moved against the guard corps he asked the Founder for help; the Founder sent Yanqing to Wei to conspire with him.

竟成其事，彥卿之力也。 The plot succeeded largely through Yanqing's efforts.

彥卿身長八尺，隆準方面，語音如鍾。 Yanqing stood eight feet tall, with a high nose and square face, and a voice like a bell.

太祖每言曰：「敬翔、劉捏、寇彥卿，蓋為我而生。」 The Founder would say: "Jing Xiang, Liu Han, and Kou Yanqing might as well have been made for me."

太祖有所乘烏馬，號「一丈烏」，嘗以賜彥卿。 The Founder once gave him his black charger, the "Ten-foot Crow."

時彥卿為諸道馬步軍都排陣使。 Yanqing then served as overall battle-line marshal for the allied forces.

〈（案《通鑒》：開平二年，帝從吳越王錢鏐之請，以亳州團練使寇彥卿為東南面行營都指揮使，使擊淮南。 (The 《Zizhi Tongjian》 says: In Kaiping 2, at Wuyue king Qian Liu's request the Emperor named Kou Yanqing of Bozhou overall commander of the southeast campaign against Huainan.

十一月，彥卿率眾一千襲霍丘，為土豪朱景所敗； In the eleventh month Yanqing led a thousand men against Huoqiu and was beaten by the local chief Zhu Jing;

《九國誌·朱景傳》：梁祖聞景名，命寇彥卿率勁騎三千襲霍丘，圖取景，且諭梁祖之意令降，景率其徒戰於丘墟林澤中，射死者無數，彥卿兵折力殫而去。）〉 The 《Nine States Chronicle · Biography of Zhu Jing》 says the Liang Founder sent Yanqing with three thousand elite cavalry to take Huoqiu and capture Jing, offering surrender terms; Jing fought him in scrub and marsh, killing many; Yanqing withdrew with his force spent.）〉

一日，過天津橋，有老人誤衝其趨道者，排之，落橋而斃，為御史府所彈，太祖不得已，責授左衛中郎將。 Once on Tianjin Bridge an old man blundered into his path; Yanqing shoved him off the bridge to his death; the censors impeached him, and the Founder reluctantly demoted him to middle-rank general of the Left Guard.

及太祖遇弑，彥卿追感舊恩，圖御容以奠之。 After the Founder was murdered, Yanqing painted his portrait and made offerings in memory of old kindness.

彥卿貞幹明敏，善事人主，然怙寵作威，多忌好殺，雖顯立功名，而猶為識者之所鄙焉。 Yanqing was capable and shrewd in serving his prince, yet abused favor, was jealous and bloodthirsty, and despite his fame men of judgment held him in contempt.

存敬有提鼓之勞，彥卿遇攀鱗之會，俱為藩後，亦其宜哉！ Cunjin had served at the drum; Yanqing caught the rise of the dragon; each became a frontier lord—as was only fitting!

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 68Volume 68 Book of Later Tang 44: Biographies 20: Xue Tinggui, Cui Yi, Liu Yue, Liu Ye, Feng Shunqing, Dou Mengzheng, Li Baoyin, Gui Ai, Kong, Miao, Zhang Wenbao, Chen Yi, Liu Zan · 5 passages

Open chapter

開平中，金吾街使寇彥卿入朝，過天津橋，市民梁現者不時回避，前導伍伯捽之，投石欄以致斃。 During Kaiping, Jinwu street commissioner Kou Yanqing came to court and crossed Tianjin Bridge. A townsman named Liang Xian failed to clear the way in time; Kou's escort guards seized him and hurled him against a stone railing, killing him.

彥卿自前白於梁祖，梁祖命通事舍人趙可封宣諭，令出私財與死者之家，以贖其罪。 Yanqing reported the matter himself to the Liang founder, who ordered palace usher Zhao Kefeng to announce that Yanqing should pay compensation from his private funds to the victim's family in lieu of punishment.

沂奏劾曰：「彥卿位是人臣，無專殺之理。 Yi submitted an impeachment memorial: "Yanqing is a subject of the throne and has no right to kill on his own authority.

梁祖惜彥卿，令沂以過失論，沂引鬥競律，以怙勢力為罪首，下手者減一等。 The Liang founder was reluctant to punish Yanqing and told Yi to treat the case as negligence. Yi cited the statute on brawling, naming abuse of power as the principal offense and reducing the penalty by one degree for those who carried out the act.

沂表入，責授彥卿遊擊將軍、左衛中郎將。 When Yi's memorial was received, Yanqing was demoted to general of the patrol and middle general of the Left Guard.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 44Volume 44 Miscellaneous Biographies 24: Liu Zhijun, Ding Hui, He Delun, Yan Bao, Kang Yanxiao · 1 passage

Open chapter

韓遜告急，太祖遣康懷英、寇彥卿等攻邠寧以牽之。 Han Xun cried for help. The Founder sent Kang Huaiying, Kou Yanqing, and others against Bin and Ning to tie Maozhen down.