Li Cunxian (李存賢) | 24 Histories

Overview

Li Cunxian was a general and Adopted Son.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Wang Xian	王賢	Wang Xian

Life and dates

Death

AD 924 同光二年
Age 65 · At Youzhou 幽州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 202

Age

65
AD 924 年六十五 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 202

Attested activity

AD 924 同光二年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 197
AD 921 天祐十八年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 175
AD 880 to AD 884 太祖擊黃巢於陳州
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 168

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Taizu (太祖)
adopted as son 養為子 · Adoptive parentage · paternal line
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 168

Career and standing

military commissioner of the Lu Long Army 盧龍軍節度使
AD 924 同光二年 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 201
general of the Right Martial Guard 右武衛上將軍
AD 923 莊宗即位 · Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 194
prefect of Ci 慈州
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 174
prefect of Qin 沁州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 169
prefect of Wu and Shanbei circuit regent 武州刺史、山北團練使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 174
deputy commander of the Adopted Sons Army 義兒軍副兵馬使
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 169

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Grand Tutor 太傅
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 203
Held
Adopted son
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 168

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 168
At Xu Prefecture 許州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 167

Learning and skills

Skill wrestling 角牴 · Level renowned
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 168

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passages 171, 177-178

Events and relationships

Wrestled and beat Zhuangzong
Contest · Winner · With Zhuangzong (莊宗)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passage 196

Source notes

From Wang Xian 王賢 · To Li Cunxian 存賢
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 36, passages 167-168

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies of Righteous Sons 16: Li Sizhao, Li Siben, Li Si'en, Li Cunxin, Li Cunxiao, Li Cunjin, Li Cunzhang, Li Cunxian · 11 passages

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存賢，許州人也，本姓王名賢。 Li Cunxian was from Xu Prefecture; his original surname was Wang and his given name was Xian.

少為軍卒，善角牴，太祖擊黃巢於陳州，得之，賜以姓名，養為子。 He began as a common soldier and excelled at wrestling; Taizu took him fighting Huang Chao at Chenzhou, gave him the Li name, and adopted him.

至存賢為刺史，曰：「徙城避敵，豈勇者所為？」 As prefect Cunxian said: "Abandoning a city to dodge the foe—is that courage?"

梁兵屢攻之，存賢力自距守，卒不能近。 Liang struck again and again; Cunxian held hard until they could not come near.

天祐十八年，梁兵攻朱友謙於河中，莊宗遣存賢援友謙。 In Tianyou 18 (921) Liang besieged Zhu Youqian at Hezhong; Zhuangzong sent Cunxian to his aid.

是時，友謙新叛梁歸晉，而河中食少，人心多貳，諜者因謂存賢曰：「河中人欲殺子以歸梁，宜亟去。」 Youqian had only just left Liang for Jin; Hezhong was short of grain and loyalty wavered; a spy warned Cunxian: “They will kill you and go back to Liang—flee now.”

存賢曰：「死王事，吾志也。 Cunxian said: “To die for the prince is what I want.

莊宗即位，拜右武衛上將軍。 When Zhuangzong took the throne he made Cunxian general of the Right Martial Guard.

莊宗亦好角觝，嘗與王較而屢勝，頗以自矜，因顧存賢曰：「爾能勝我，與爾一鎮。」 Zhuangzong also loved wrestling; he often wrestled Wang and kept winning until he grew proud. He turned to Cunxian and said: "Beat me and I will give you a command."

存賢搏而勝之。 Cunxian wrestled and beat him.

因顧存賢曰：「無以易卿。 He turned to Cunxian and said: "No one can replace you.