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Overview Names Identity Roles Life and dates Places and affiliations Assessments and attributes References in the histories
Overview The translated histories identify Lai Junchen as a judge and official. This record brings together 12 passages from 3 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Lai Junchen
來俊臣
Lai Junchen
Given
Junchen
俊臣
Junchen
Personal name
Lai Junchen
來俊臣
Lai Junchen
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Life and dates Attested activity Source Date: Text: AD 684-697Western Interval: Start: AD 684End: AD 697
Source Date: Text: 唐…來俊臣Western Year: AD 690
Source Date: Text: 載初元年Western Year: AD 690
Assessments and attributes References in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 85 Volume 81 Biographies 31: Cui Dunli, Lu Chengqin, Liu Xiangdao, Li Jingxuan, Li Yiyan, Sun Chuyue, Le Yanwei, Zhao Renben · 5 passages
時酷吏周興、來俊臣、丘神勣、王弘義等構陷無辜，皆抵極法，公卿震恐，莫敢正言。
Cruel officials such as Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, Qiu Shenji, and Wang Hongyi framed the innocent to extreme punishments while the court fell silent.
俊臣、張知默等又抗表請申大法，則天不許之。
Lai Junchen and Zhang Zhimou protested for harsh law, but she refused.
俊臣乃獨引行本，重驗前罪，奏曰：“行本潛行悖逆，告張知蹇與廬陵王反不實，罪當處斬。”
Junchen alone brought Xingben back, re-examined the case, and said Xingben had falsely reported the Prince of Luling's rebellion and deserved death.
有功駁奏曰：“俊臣乖明主再生之賜，虧聖人恩信之道。
Yougong rebutted: "Junchen defies your gift of life and betrays imperial grace.
周興、來俊臣等性惟殘酷，務在誅夷，不順其情，立加誣害。
Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, and their ilk were cruel by nature, bent on slaughter, and would fabricate charges without regard to truth.
Draft History of Qing, Chapter 142 Volume 142 Treatises 117: Penal Law 1 · 1 passage
New Book of Tang, Chapter 113 Volume 113 Biographies 38: Tang, Zhang, Xu · 6 passages
於是周興、來俊臣、丘神勣、王弘義等揣識後指，置總監牧院諸獄，捕將相，俾相鉤逮，掩搦護送，楚掠凝慘。
Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, Qiu Shenji, Wang Hongyi, and others divined her intent, set up the supervisory prison system, arrested ministers and generals, forced mutual denunciations, and tortured prisoners with savage cruelty.
會沖坐逆誅，魏州人告餘慶豫沖謀，後令俊臣鞫治，以反狀聞。
When Chong was executed for treason, men of Weizhou reported that Yuqing had foreknown the plot. The empress ordered Lai Junchen to investigate and reported a finding of treason.
俊臣、張知默固請如法，後不許。
Lai Junchen and Zhang Zhimou insisted on applying the law, but the empress refused.
俊臣獨引行本更驗前罪。
Lai Junchen alone took Xingben back to reinvestigate earlier offenses.
有功奏曰：「俊臣違陛下再生之賜，不可以示信。」
Yougong memorialized, "Lai Junchen violates Your Majesty's grant of renewed life and cannot be trusted."
有功居革命之際，周興、來俊臣等掩義隱賊，崇飾惡言，以誣盛德，有功守死明道，身濱殆者數矣，此其賢於釋之明甚。」
Yougong lived in an age of revolution, when Zhou Xing, Lai Junchen, and others concealed villains and twisted words to slander the throne. He held to the Way even at the risk of death, several times on the brink of execution. In this he far surpassed Shizhi."