Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · ruler of Chen invoked as a defeated precedent

Later Lord of Chen 陳後主

Chén Hòuzhǔ

Attested AD 582 - AD 589

Passages: 26
Chapters: 7
Histories: 4

Overview

Later Lord of Chen was a ruler of Chen invoked as a defeated precedent.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Chen Shubao	陳叔寶
Alternate name	Chen Shubao	陳叔寶	Chen Shubao

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 589 平陳
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 52, passage 23
AD 582 後主被瘡病篤
Dated from the passage context · Book of Chen 24, passages 177-178
AD 585 至德三年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Chen 11, passages 161-162
AD 583 to AD 589 至德至禎明
Directly stated · Book of Chen 29, passages 60, 66
AD 589 陳亡 / 陳主被擒
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 79, passages 188, 192
AD 582 to AD 589 陳後主
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 22, passage 45

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Chen Xu (陳頊)
heir 太子
Strongly inferred · Book of Chen 29, passages 91, 135
Child of Empress Liu (柳皇后)
mother 母
Strongly inferred · Book of Chen 29, passage 91
Parent of Son of the Later Lord (後主子)
son 兒
Directly stated · Book of Chen 24, passage 177
Sibling of Younger sister of Chen Shubao (陳叔寶妹)
younger sister 妹 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Sui 52, passage 175

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Chen 陳
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Sui 52, passages 23, 28
Polity Chen 陳 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Chen 11, passage 161

Works and attributed material

Jade Tree in the Rear Court 玉樹後庭花
Relation Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 22, passage 45
Stately 堂堂
Relation Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 22, passage 45
Edict · Author
Directly stated · Book of Chen 29, passage 66
Epitaph · Author · With Sima Shen (司馬申)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 29, passages 73-75
Speech · Speaker · With Yuan Xian (袁憲) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Chen 24, passage 177

Events and relationships

Captured by Qinhu
AD 589 平陳 · Military · Captive · With Han Qihu (韓擒虎)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Sui 52, passages 28, 167
invoked as the doomed last ruler of Chen 以陳末主數盡為鑒
AD 955 · Historical event · Invoked as the doomed last ruler of Chen
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 115, passage 169
Replaced Dabao with Li Yun
Political · Authority
Directly stated · Book of Chen 11, passage 161
Wounded and gravely ill
AD 582 後主被瘡病篤 · Medical · Patient
Directly stated · Book of Chen 24, passage 177

References in the histories

Search passages

History

26 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 11Volume 11: Huang Faqu; Chunyu Liang; Zhang Zhaoda · 1 passage

出為豐州刺史，在州貪縱，百姓怨酷，後主以太僕卿李暈代之。 Sent out as inspector of Feng prefecture, he ruled with greed and license until the people bitterly resented him; the Later Lord replaced him with Li Yun, grand master of the imperial stud.

Book of Chen, Chapter 24Volume 24: Zhou Hongzheng; Yuan Xian · 1 passage

後主被瘡病篤，執憲手曰：「我兒尚幼，後事委卿。」 The Later Lord, badly wounded, took Xian's hand and said, "My son is still young; I leave what follows to you."

Book of Chen, Chapter 29Volume 29: Zong Yuanrao; Sima Shen; Mao Xi; Cai Zheng · 14 passages

及叔陵之肆逆也，事既不捷，出據東府，申馳召右衛蕭摩訶帥兵先至，追斬之，因入城中，收其府庫，後主深嘉之。 When Shuling's violent outrage took place, the affair did not succeed and he went out to hold the eastern palace; Shen galloped to summon right guard Xiao Mohe to lead troops and arrive first, pursued and beheaded him, then entered the city and seized his treasury stores—Houzhu deeply commended him.

至德四年卒，後主嗟悼久之，下詔曰：「慎終追遠，欽若舊則，闔棺定諡，抑乃前典。 In the fourth year of Zhide (586) he died; Houzhu mourned him long and issued an edict: "Care in the end and remembrance of the distant, reverence for old norms, closing the coffin and fixing the posthumous title—these are indeed the former canons.

及葬，後主自製誌銘，辭情傷切。 At the burial Houzhu himself composed the epitaph inscription; the words were painfully moving.

仍迎柳皇后及後主還。 He then escorted Empress Liu and the future Last Emperor back.

喜既益親，乃言無回避，而皇太子好酒德，每共幸人為長夜之宴，喜嘗為言，高宗以誡太子，太子陰患之，至是稍見疏遠。 As Xi grew closer still, he spoke without reserve. Yet the heir apparent loved wine and nightly revels with his favorites. Xi often remonstrated; Emperor Xuan used this to warn the heir, who secretly resented him and by then had grown somewhat distant.

初，後主為始興王所傷，及瘡愈而自慶，置酒於後殿，引江總以下，展樂賦詩，醉而命喜。 Earlier Houzhu had been wounded by the Prince of Shixing. When his wounds healed he celebrated alone, set wine in the rear hall, summoned Jiang Zong and others, spread music and composed verse, and when drunk called for Xi.

于時山陵初畢，未及踰年，喜見之不懌，欲諫而後主已醉，喜升階，陽為心疾，仆于階下，移出省中。 The imperial tomb had only just been completed and a full year had not yet passed. Xi was displeased and wished to remonstrate, but Houzhu was already drunk. Xi mounted the steps, feigned heart trouble, collapsed on the steps, and was carried out of the secretariat.

後主醒，乃疑之，謂江總曰：「我悔召毛喜，知其無疾，但欲阻我懽宴，非我所為，故姦詐耳。」 When Houzhu woke he grew suspicious and said to Jiang Zong, "I regret calling Mao Xi. I know he is not ill—he only wanted to spoil my feast. That is not my way; he is deceitful."

後主曰：「當乞一小郡，勿令見人事耳。」 Houzhu said, "Give him a small commandery and keep him from court affairs."

後主器其材幹，任寄日重，遷吏部尚書、安右將軍，每十日一往東宮，於太子前論述古今得喪及當時政務。 Houzhu valued his talent and relied on him more each day. He was made minister of personnel and secure-the-right general; every ten days he went to the eastern palace and before the heir discussed gain and loss in history and current affairs.

中令清簡無事，或云徵有怨言，事聞後主，後主大怒，收奪人馬，將誅之，有固諫者獲免。 The secretariat director's post was pure and light; some said Zheng had complained. When Houzhu heard, he was furious, seized his men and horses, and was about to kill him; only firm remonstrance saved him.

禎明三年，隋軍濟江，後主以徵有幹用，權知中領軍。 In Zhenming year 3 the Sui army crossed the Yangzi. Houzhu, trusting Zheng's ability, had him provisionally direct the central army supervisor's office.

徵日夜勤苦，備盡心力，後主嘉焉，謂曰「事寧有以相報」。 Zheng labored day and night with all his strength. Houzhu praised him and said, "When this is over I shall repay you."

初拜吏部尚書，啟後主借鼓吹，後主謂所司曰「鼓吹軍樂，有功乃授，蔡徵不自量揆，紊我朝章，然其父景歷既有締構之功，宜且如所啟，拜訖即追還」。 When he was first made minister of personnel he asked Houzhu to lend him ceremonial music. Houzhu told the office, "Ceremonial music is military music, granted only for merit. Cai Zheng does not know his place and confuses court rules—yet since his father Jingli helped found the state, grant it for now, but take it back as soon as the appointment rite is done."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 115Volume 115 Book of Later Zhou 17: Shizong Annals 2 · 1 passage

陳叔寶之數盡，何處偷生！ when Chen Shubao’s fate was spent, where could he hide!

Book of Sui, Chapter 52Volume 52 Biographies 17: Han Qinhu, He Ruobi · 6 passages

晉王遣行軍總管杜彥與擒虎合軍，步騎二萬，陳叔寶遣領軍蔡徵守朱雀航，聞擒虎將至，眾懼而潰。 The Prince of Jin sent Campaign Commander Du Yan to join Qinhu with twenty thousand foot and horse. Chen Shubao ordered Palace Guard Director Cai Zheng to hold the Zhuque crossing, but at word that Qinhu was approaching the army panicked and broke.

遂平金陵，執陳主叔寶。 He then took Jinling and captured Chen's ruler, Shubao.

臣以輕騎五百，兵不血刃，直取金陵，降任蠻奴，執陳叔寶，據其府庫，傾其巢穴。 I took five hundred light cavalry, entered Jinling without shedding blood, received Ren Man'nu's surrender, seized Chen Shubao, and occupied the treasuries and the heart of their power.

時韓擒虎已執陳叔寶，弼至，呼叔寶視之。 By then Han Qinhu had already taken Chen Shubao prisoner. When Bi arrived he summoned Shubao to face him.

叔寶惶懼流汗，股慄再拜。 Shubao broke out in a cold sweat, his legs trembling as he kowtowed again and again.

既而弼恚恨不獲叔寶，功在韓擒虎之後，於是與擒虎相詢，挺刃而出。 Afterward Bi brooded over having missed capturing Shubao himself and taking second place to Han Qinhu. He quarreled with Qinhu and went for his blade.

Book of Sui, Chapter 79Volume 79 Biographies 44: Imperial Affines · 2 passages

陳主以為侍中、安東將軍、吳州刺史，甚得物情，三吳父老皆曰：「瓛吾君子也。」 The Chen ruler made him attendant-in-ordinary, General Who Pacifies the East, and governor of Wu prefecture. He won great favor, and the elders of the Three Wu said, "Huan is our true gentleman."

及陳主被擒，異奔於瓛，由是益為眾所歸。 When the Chen ruler was captured, Yi fled to Huan, and Huan gained still more support.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 22Volume 22 Treatises 12: Rites and Music 12 · 1 passage

《玉樹後庭花》、《堂堂》，陳後主作也； "Jade Tree in the Rear Court" and "Stately," by Chen's last emperor;