Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

Liu Bing 劉秉

Attested AD 465 - AD 479

Passages: 17
Chapters: 5
Histories: 3

Overview

The translated histories identify Liu Bing as an administrator, official, rebel, and royal family member. This record brings together 17 passages from 5 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Liu Bing	劉秉	Liu Bing
Given	Bing	秉	Bing
Personal name	Liu Bing	劉秉	Liu Bing
Personal	Liu Bing	劉秉	Liú Bǐng
Personal name	Liu Bing	劉秉	Liú Bǐng

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · liangshu:052:s0110, nanqishu:056:s0035
Sex: male
Explicit · nanqishu:053:s0158, songshu:089:s0002

Roles

Administrator
Official
Rebel
Royal Family Member

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 元徽中 · Western Year: AD 475
Explicit event contextual date · songshu:089:s0054
Source Date: Text: 劉宋末期 · Western Interval: Start: AD 470 · End: AD 479
Explicit · nanqishu:056:s0035
Source Date: Text: 劉秉…齊高帝 · Western Interval: Start: AD 477 · End: AD 479
Explicit · liangshu:052:s0110, liangshu:052:s0112
Source Date: Text: 劉秉 · Western Year: AD 476
Explicit · liangshu:014:s0113
Source Date: Text: 泰始中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 465 · End: AD 471
Explicit · nanqishu:053:s0158

Family

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

Kin of Liu Yun (劉韞)
Kinship Term: younger paternal cousin / 從父弟 · Subject Role: younger-cousin · Object Role: elder-cousin · Line: paternal · Subject Relative Age: younger · Intermediary Person Ids: Father of Liu Bing (劉秉父), Father of Liu Yun (劉韞父)
Child of Father of Liu Bing (劉秉父)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Son of Liu Bing
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological

Origins and identity

Lineage: Song imperial clan / 宋代宗室
Explicit · songshu:089:s0119

Career and standing

Status: one-of-Four-Esteemed · Label: the Four Esteemed / 四貴
Explicit · songshu:089:s0054
Status: executed · Action: suffered
Explicit · liangshu:052:s0114

Places and affiliations

Polity Id: liu-song · Relation: member-of-imperial-clan
Explicit · songshu:089:s0119
Place: reburial / grave precinct / 塋兆 · Relation: burial-place
Explicit · songshu:089:s0125

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: conspirator · Action: joined · Other Person Id: Yuan Can (袁粲)
Explicit · songshu:089:s0119
Relation: employer-of · Person Id: Pei Yi (裴顗) · Context: appointed him as adjutant after he refused to yield his seat
Explicit · nanqishu:053:s0158

References in the histories

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

Book of Liang, Chapter 14Volume 14: Jiang Yan; Ren Fang · 1 passage

宋丹陽尹劉秉辟爲主簿。 Liu Bing, Song's Danyang intendant, took him as chief clerk.

Book of Liang, Chapter 52Volume 52: The Self-Sufficient · 3 passages

父憂服闋，尚書令劉秉領丹陽尹，引爲後軍主簿、領郡功曹。 When mourning for his father ended, Liu Bing, concurrently administrator of Danyang, appointed him Chief Clerk of the Rear Army and concurrently Commandery Merit Officer.

時劉秉、袁粲以齊高帝權勢日盛，將圖之，秉素重季直，欲與之定策。 At the time Liu Bing and Yuan Can, because Qi Gaozu's power grew daily, were about to plot against him; Bing had always esteemed Jizhi and wished to settle strategy with him.

俄而秉等伏誅。 Shortly afterward Bing and the others were executed.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 53Volume 53 Biographies 34: Virtuous Officials · 1 passage

泰始中，於總明觀聽講，不讓劉秉席，秉用爲參軍。 During the Taishi reign, while listening to lectures at Zongming Observatory, he would not yield his seat to Liu Bing, who then employed him as adjutant.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 56Volume 56 Biographies 37: Trusted Officials · 1 passage

乃以僧真託劉秉、周顒。 He then commended Sengzhen to the care of Liu Bing and Zhou Yong.

Book of Song, Chapter 89Volume 89 Biographies 49: Yuan Can · 11 passages

時粲與齊王、褚淵、劉秉入直，平決萬機，時謂之「四貴」。 At the time Can, with the Prince of Qi, Chu Yuan, and Liu Bing, entered duty and jointly decided state affairs; the age called them "the Four Esteemed."

丹陽尹劉秉，宋代宗室，前湘州刺史王蘊，太后兄子，素好武事，並慮不見容於齊王，皆與粲相結。 Liu Bing, Governor of Danyang, a member of the Song imperial clan, and Wang Yun, former Inspector of Xiang Province, the Empress Dowager's elder brother's son, who had always loved military affairs—all feared they would not be tolerated by the Prince of Qi—and all joined with Can in conspiracy.

時齊王入屯朝堂，秉從父弟領軍將軍韞入直門下省，伯興為直閣，黃回諸將皆率軍出新亭。 At the time the Prince of Qi entered and garrisoned the court hall; Bing's younger paternal cousin Yun, the Commander-in-Chief, went on duty in the Chancellery; Boxing served as Direct Attendant of the Pavilion; and Huang Hui and the other generals all led troops out to Xinting.

秉、候伯等並赴石頭，本期夜發。 Bing, Hou Bo, and others all went to Stone Fortress; the original plan was to set out at night.

其日秉恇擾不知所為，晡後便束裝，未闇，載婦女席捲就粲，由此事泄。 That day Bing was fearful and disturbed and did not know what to do; after mid-afternoon he at once packed; before dark he loaded women and bedding and went to Can; thereby the affair was leaked.

王蘊聞秉已奔，歎曰：「今年事敗矣！」 Wang Yun heard Bing had already fled and sighed: "This year's affair is lost!"

時粲與秉等列兵登東門，僧靜分兵攻府西門。 At the time Can and Bing and others arrayed troops and ascended the eastern gate; Sengjing divided troops to attack the headquarters' western gate.

粲與秉欲還赴府，既下城，列燭自照，僧靜挺身闇往，粲子最覺有異人，以身衛粲，僧靜直前斬之，父子俱殞，左右各分散。 Can and Bing wished to return to the headquarters; having descended the wall, they set out candles to illuminate themselves; Sengjing advanced straight through the dark; Can's son Zui felt there was an unusual man and used his body to protect Can; Sengjing went straight forward and cut him down; father and son both perished; attendants each scattered.

秉事在《宗室傳》。 Bing's affair is in the "Imperial Clan Biography."

袁粲、劉秉，並與先朝同奬宋室，沈攸之於景和之世，特有乃心，雖末節不終，而始誠可錄。 Yuan Can and Liu Bing both together with the former court supported the Song house; Shen Youzhi in the Jinghe era had a special loyal heart; although their final conduct did not run its course, their original sincerity is worth recording.

歲月彌往，宜沾優隆，粲、秉前年改葬，塋兆未修，材官可為經略，粗合周禮。 As years pass ever further, they should receive honored elevation; Can and Bing were reburied in the year before last, but their grave precincts are not yet repaired—the Works Office may plan the work, roughly in accord with the Zhou Rites.