Sui and Tang · Official and Scholar

Liu Fen 劉蕡

Attested AD 820 - AD 835

Passages
26
Chapters
1
Histories
1

Overview

Liu Fen was an official and Scholar.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Other names

TypeEnglishChinesePinyin
Courtesy name Quhua 去華 Quhua

Life and dates

Death

Attested activity

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Family

Career and standing

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Places and affiliations

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Learning and skills

Works and attributed material

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Events and relationships

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Assessments and attributes

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Source notes

References in the histories

26 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 178Volume 178 Biographies 103: Liu Fen · 26 passages
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是時，第策官左散騎常侍馮宿、太常少卿賈餗、庫部郎中龐嚴見蕡對嗟伏，以為過古晁、董，而畏中官眥睚，不敢取。 At that time the examination graders — Left Regular Attendant of the Cavalry Feng Su, Vice Minister of Rites Jia Su, and Bureau Director of the Storehouses Pang Yan — seeing Fen's answers sighed in admiration, holding them to surpass the ancient Chao Cuo and Dong Zhongshu; yet fearing the inner eunuchs' resentment, they dared not select him.
自詔書下，萬口籍籍，嘆其誠鯁，至於垂泣，謂蕡指切左右，畏近臣銜怒，變興非常，朝野惴息，誠恐忠良道窮，綱紀遂絕，季漢之亂，復興於今。 Since the edict was issued, ten thousand mouths clamored, sighing at his sincere bluntness, even to shedding tears — saying Fen's finger pointed at those at Your Majesty's side, fearing intimate ministers would harbor anger and extraordinary change arise; court and countryside held their breath, truly fearing the loyal and good had reached a dead end, law and order were cut off, and the chaos of late Han would revive in our day.
始，帝恭儉求治，誌除兇人，然懦而不睿，臣下畏禍不敢言，故蕡對極陳晉襄公殺陽處父以戒帝，又引閽弒吳子，陰贊帝決。 At the beginning the emperor was respectful and frugal in seeking governance, resolved to remove vicious men — yet timid and not perspicacious; ministers feared disaster and dared not speak; therefore in his answers Fen fully set forth how Duke Xiang of Jin killed Yang Chufu to warn the emperor, and again cited how a gate guard murdered the Prince of Wu, secretly urging the emperor's resolve.
及昭宗誅韓全誨等，左拾遺羅袞上言：「蕡當太和時，宦官始熾，因直言策請奪爵土，復掃除之役，遂罹譴逐，身死異土，六十餘年，正人義夫切齒飲泣。 When Emperor Zhaozong executed Han Quanhui and others, Left Reminder Luo Gun submitted words: "In the Taihe era, when eunuchs were just growing fierce, Fen in his straightforward examination answers asked to strip them of noble ranks and fiefs and restore the task of sweeping them away — thereby he suffered reprimand and exile and died in a foreign land; for more than sixty years upright men and men of righteousness gnashed their teeth and wept.