Li Yan (李衍) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Li Yan as an administrator, aristocrat, and general. This record brings together 5 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Li Yan	李衍	Li Yan
Courtesy name	Badou	拔豆
Surname	Li	李
Personal name	Li Yan	李衍
Given name	Yan	衍

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · suishu:054:s0032

Roles

Administrator
Aristocrat
General

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 歲餘 · Qualitative: more than a year later · Manner: illness · Place: his home in the capital / 家 · Age: 57
Explicit · suishu:054:s0049

Age

Age: 57 · At Event: death
Explicit · suishu:054:s0049

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 及平齊 · Western Year: AD 577
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:054:s0038
Source Date: Text: 周太祖時 · Western Interval: Start: c. AD 535 · End: c. AD 556
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:054:s0035
Source Date: Text: 大舉伐陳 · Western Interval: Start: AD 588 · End: AD 589
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:054:s0048
Source Date: Text: 開皇元年 · Western Year: AD 581
Explicit · suishu:054:s0042

Family

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

Child of Zhongwei (仲威)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Inverse: true · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Child of Bi (弼)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kin of Mi (密)
Kinship Term: grandnephew / 從孫 · Line: paternal · Note: 衍從孫 — grandnephew (great-nephew) of Li Yan
Parent of Zhongwei (仲威)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kin of Changya (長雅)
Kinship Term: younger clansman/nephew / 弟子 · Line: paternal · Note: 衍弟子 — younger-generation clansman of Li Yan; precise degree of kinship unspecified

Career and standing

Label: Campaign Commander / 行軍總管 · Action: appointed · Authority Person Id: Emperor Wen (高祖) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 王謙作亂 · Western Year: AD 580
Explicit · suishu:054:s0040
Label: Thousand-Ox Guard Attendant / 千牛備身 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 周太祖時 · Western Interval: Start: c. AD 535 · End: c. AD 556
Explicit · suishu:054:s0035
Label: Campaign Commander / 行軍總管 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大舉伐陳 · Western Interval: Start: AD 588 · End: AD 589
Explicit · suishu:054:s0048
Label: Area Commander of Anzhou / 安州總管 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:054:s0049
Label: Governor of Yizhou / 義州刺史 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:054:s0036
Label: Inspector managing the Area Commander of Lizhou / 利州總管事 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:054:s0044
Label: Left Palace Guard / 左宮伯 · Action: appointed
Explicit · suishu:054:s0038
Label: Opening of a Government Office / 開府 · Action: granted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0036
Label: Campaign Commander / 行軍總管 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 明年 (following 開皇元年) · Western Year: AD 582
Explicit · suishu:054:s0045
Label: Campaign Commander / 行軍總管 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開皇元年 · Western Year: AD 581
Explicit · suishu:054:s0042
Label: Governor of Dingzhou / 定州刺史 · Action: held
Explicit · suishu:054:s0039
Label: Governor of Fuzhou / 鄜州刺史 · Action: held
Explicit · suishu:054:s0039
Label: shipbuilding supervisor on the Xiangzhou route / 襄州道營戰船 · Action: ordered · Detail: ordered by the court to build warships in preparation for a campaign in the south
Explicit · suishu:054:s0047
Label: Grand General / 大將軍 · Action: promoted · Reason: military merit in the conquest of Qi · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 及平齊 · Western Year: AD 577
Explicit · suishu:054:s0038
Label: Grand General-in-Chief / 上大將軍 · Action: promoted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0041
Label: Governor of Jiezhou / 介州刺史 · Action: transferred
Explicit · suishu:054:s0046
Label: 2,000 bolts of fine silk / 縑二千匹 · Action: granted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0041
Label: 2,000 bolts of silk / 帛二千匹 · Action: granted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0043
Label: 3,000 bolts of silk and 600 shi of grain / 帛三千匹，米六百石 · Action: granted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0048
Label: 300 bolts of mixed silks and 20 slaves and maidservants / 雜彩三百匹，奴婢二十口 · Action: granted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0038
Title: Duke of Huairen County / 懷仁縣公 · Action: enfeoffed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 周太祖時 · Western Interval: Start: c. AD 535 · End: c. AD 556
Explicit · suishu:054:s0035
Title: Pillar of the State / 柱國 · Action: promoted
Explicit · suishu:054:s0043
Title: Duke of Zhenxiang Commandery / 真鄉郡公 · Action: re-enfeoffed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 及平齊 · Western Year: AD 577
Explicit · suishu:054:s0038
Title: Duke of Puning County / 普寧縣公 · Action: re-enfeoffed
Explicit · suishu:054:s0036

Places and affiliations

Place: Xiangping in Liaodong / 遼東襄平
Explicit · suishu:054:s0032

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: subordinate-commander · Action: attacked-and-pacified · Other Person Id: Wang Qian (王謙) · With Person Id: Liang Rui (梁睿) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 王謙作亂 · Western Year: AD 580
Explicit · suishu:054:s0040
Kind: military · Role: subordinate-commander · Action: garrisoned · Other Person Id: Wei Xiaokuan (韋孝寬) · Place: Yubi fortress / 玉壁城 · Detail: fought the enemy many times; the enemy feared him
Explicit · suishu:054:s0037
Kind: military · Role: military-commander · Action: led-punitive-campaign-against · Detail: Turkic raiders; returned without encountering the enemy · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 明年 (following 開皇元年) · Western Year: AD 582
Explicit · suishu:054:s0045
Kind: military · Role: subordinate-commander · Action: marched-via · Other Person Id: Prince Qin Jun (秦王俊) · Place: Xiangyang route / 襄陽道 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大舉伐陳 · Western Interval: Start: AD 588 · End: AD 589
Explicit · suishu:054:s0048
Kind: military · Role: military-commander · Action: suppressed-and-pacified · Detail: rebellious barbarian tribes · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 開皇元年 · Western Year: AD 581
Explicit · suishu:054:s0042

Assessments and attributes

Kind: character · Statement: from youth devoted himself to martial arts; generous of spirit, with ambition and strategic sense
Explicit · suishu:054:s0034
Kind: governance · Statement: notably benevolent policies as Area Commander of Anzhou
Explicit · suishu:054:s0049

References in the histories

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

Book of Sui, Chapter 54Volume 54 Biographies 19: Wang Zhangshu, Li Yan, Yi Louqian, Tian Rengong, Yuan Heng, Du Zheng, Li Che, Cui Peng · 5 passages

Open chapter

○李衍 Li Yan

李衍，字拔豆，遼東襄平人也。 Li Yan, styled Badou, came from Xiangping in Liaodong.

衍少專武藝，慷慨有志略。 From youth Yan devoted himself to martial arts; generous and ambitious, he had both drive and strategic sense.

及王謙作亂，高祖以衍為行軍總管，從梁睿擊平之。 When Wang Qian rebelled, Emperor Wen made Yan campaign commander and he followed Liang Rui to put down the revolt.

後數年，朝廷將有事江南，詔衍於襄州道營戰船。 Some years later, as the court prepared for action in the south, Yan was ordered to build warships along the Xiangzhou route.