Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Rebel and Warlord

Liu Jilian 劉季連

First attested AD 479; died AD 505

Passages: 43
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Liu Jilian was a rebel and Warlord.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Huixu	惠續	Huixu

Life and dates

Death

AD 505 四年正月
Killed · At Jianyang Gate 建陽門 · Killed by Lan Daogong (藺道恭)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passages 87-88

Attested activity

AD 503 二年正月
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 76
AD 499 其年九月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 20, passages 22, 25
AD 497 四年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 20, passages 10, 17
AD 505 四年正月
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 87
AD 502 天監元年六月
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 68
AD 479 to AD 482 建元中
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 7

Show 5 more source-backed claims

AD 494 to AD 497 建武中
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 10
AD 499 永元元年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 22
AD 483 永明初
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 8
AD 502 to AD 503 高祖受禪…西上襲劉季連
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 12, passage 260
AD 479 齊高帝受禪
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 6

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Wang Hui (王會)
clan nephew 族甥
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 14
Child of Liu Sikao (劉思考)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 4
Sibling of Liu Ziyuan (劉子淵)
younger brother 弟
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 49

Kinship Role sons · Count 2
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 49

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Supporting-the-State General and Yizhou inspector 輔國將軍、益州刺史
AD 497 四年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 17
Left Director in the Masters of Writing 尚書左丞
AD 479 to AD 482 建元中 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 7
interior governor of Jiangxia 江夏內史
AD 483 永明初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 8
Right Guard General 右衛將軍
AD 499 永元元年 · Summoned
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 22
Entered
AD 503 天監二年 · Pardoned commoner
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 86
Ordered
Execution · With Zhu Shilve (朱士略) · executed Shilve's three sons
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 67

Places and affiliations

Polity Liang 梁 · Relation Opposed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 12, passage 260
Polity Id liu-song · Relation Belonged to
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 20, passages 4, 6
At Pengcheng 彭城
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 3

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Quote true
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 78

Events and relationships

Attacked by
AD 502 to AD 503 西上襲劉季連 · Military · Target · With Deng Yuanqi (鄧元起)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 12, passage 260
Besieged in Chengdu
AD 502 天監元年 · Military · Rebel leader · With Deng Yuanqi (鄧元起)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passages 68, 71
Rebelled
AD 499 永元元年九月 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 25
Surrendered
AD 503 二年正月 · Political · Surrenderer
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 76

Assessments and attributes

Assessment jealous, narrow, harsh and cruel · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 24
Assessment literary official who could not preserve himself · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 20, passage 211

References in the histories

Search passages

History

43 passages

Book of Liang, Chapter 12Volume 12: Liu Tan; Liu Chen; Xi Chanwen; Wei Rui; Wei Ai · 1 passage

高祖受禪，進號輔國將軍，仍爲驍騎將軍，尋除寧蜀太守，與益州刺史鄧元起西上襲劉季連，行至公安，道病卒，贈衛尉卿。 When Gaozu took the throne, Ai was advanced to General Who Assists the State, then kept as General of Valiant Cavalry, made administrator of Ning Shu, and with Yizhou inspector Deng Yuanqi went west against Liu Jilian; at Gong'an he died on the road and was posthumously made Minister of the Guard.

Book of Liang, Chapter 20Volume 20: Liu Lijian; Chen Bozhi · 42 passages

劉季連陳伯之 Liu Lijian; Chen Bozhi

劉季連字惠續，彭城人也。 Liu Lijian, styled Huixu, came from Pengcheng.

季連有名譽，早歷清官。 Lijian was widely esteemed and early held clean posts.

齊高帝受禪，悉誅宋室近屬，將及季連等，太宰褚淵素善之，固請乃免。 When Qi Gaozu took the throne he meant to kill every near branch of Song; Lijian was next, but Chu Yuan, who had long favored him, pleaded until he was spared.

建元中，季連爲尚書左丞。 In Jianyuan he was Left Director in the Masters of Writing.

季連族甥琅邪王會爲遙欣諮議參軍，美容貌，頗才辯，遙欣遇之甚厚。 Lijian's clan nephew Wang Hui of Langya was Yaoqin's advising staff officer—handsome and sharp-tongued; Yaoqin favored him.

會多所慠忽，於公座與遙欣競侮季連，季連憾之，乃密表明帝，稱遙欣有異迹。 Hui was insolent; before the assembly he and Yaoqin mocked Lijian together. Lijian nursed the grudge and secretly told the Ming Emperor that Yaoqin showed suspicious signs.

明帝心德季連，四年，以爲輔國將軍、益州刺史，令據遙欣上流。 Grateful to Lijian, in year four the emperor made him Supporting-the-State General and Yizhou inspector, set to hold the upper river against Yaoqin.

季連父，宋世爲益州，貪鄙無政績，州人猶以義故，善待季連。 His father had held Yizhou in Song times, greedy and without merit, yet the people, for old friendship's sake, still treated Lijian kindly.

季連下車，存問故老，撫納新舊，見父時故吏，皆對之流涕。 On taking office he asked after elders, comforted old and new ties, and wept with his father's former clerks.

東昏卽位，永元元年，徵季連爲右衛將軍，道斷不至。 When Eastern Depravity took the throne, in Yongyuan year one Lijian was summoned as Right Guard General; the roads were cut and he never came.

季連聞東昏失德，京師多故，稍自驕矜。 Hearing Eastern Depravity's loss of virtue and the capital's many troubles, he grew proud.

其年九月，季連因聚會，發人丁五千人，聲以講武，遂遣中兵參軍宋買率之以襲中水。 That September, at a gathering, he levied five thousand men under cover of drill and sent middle army staff officer Song Mai to strike Zhongshui by surprise.

十二月，季連遣參軍崔茂祖率衆二千討之，齎三日糧。 In the twelfth month Lijian sent staff officer Cui Maozu with two thousand to suppress them, with three days' grain.

巴西太守魯休烈與涪令李膺嬰城自守，季連遣中兵參軍李奉伯率衆五千救之。 Baxi prefect Lu Xiulie and Fuling magistrate Li Ying shut the walls; Lijian sent middle army staff officer Li Fengbo with five thousand to rescue them.

季連進討之，遣長史趙越常前驅。 Lijian advanced to punish him and sent chief clerk Zhao Yuechang ahead.

兵敗，季連復遣李奉伯由涪路討之。 The army was beaten; Lijian again sent Li Fengbo by the Fuling road.

時會稽人石文安字守休，隱居鄉里，專行禮讓，代季連爲尚書左丞，出爲江夏內史，又代季連入爲御史中丞，與季連相善。 At that time Shi Wen'an of Kuaiji, styled Shouxiu, lived in seclusion practicing courtesy, had replaced Lijian as Left Director, gone out as Jiangxia interior governor, then replaced him again as Censor-in-Chief—and he and Lijian were friends.

明年春，遣左右陳建孫送季連弟通直郎子淵及季連二子使蜀，喻旨慰勞。 Next spring Gaozu sent close attendant Chen Jiansun to bring Lijian's younger brother Tongzhilang Ziyuan and Lijian's two sons into Shu with words of comfort.

季連受命，飭還裝。 Lijian accepted the charge and prepared to return.

季連爲南郡之時，素薄元起。 When Lijian had held Nanjun he had always looked down on Yuanqi.

典簽朱道琛者，嘗爲季連府都錄，無賴小人，有罪，季連欲殺之，逃叛以免。 Chief controller Zhu Daochen had once been head recorder in Lijian's office—a worthless rogue with crimes; Lijian meant to kill him but he fled and lived.

至是說元起曰：「益州亂離已久，公私府庫必多秏失，劉益州臨歸空竭，豈辦復能遠遣候遞。 Now he told Yuanqi, "Yizhou has been torn apart for years; public and private treasuries must be drained. When Inspector Liu leaves he will empty everything—how could he still send escorts from afar?

於是軍府大懼，謂元起至必誅季連，禍及黨與，競言之於季連。 The military prefecture was terrified, saying when Yuanqi came he would punish Lijian and drag down everyone linked with him; they rushed to tell Lijian.

季連亦以爲然； Lijian believed it too;

司馬朱士略說季連，求爲巴西郡，留三子爲質，季連許之。 Marshal Zhu Shilve urged Lijian to ask for Baxi commandery and leave three sons as hostages; Lijian agreed.

頃之，季連遂召佐史，矯稱齊宣德皇后令，聚兵復反，收朱道琛殺之。 Before long Lijian summoned his clerks, forged an edict in the name of Qi's Virtuous-Pacifying empress dowager, gathered troops and rebelled again, seized Zhu Daochen and killed him.

使歸，元起收兵于巴西以待之，季連誅士略三子。 When the messengers returned, Yuanqi gathered troops in Baxi to wait; Lijian executed Shilve's three sons.

天監元年六月，元起至巴西，季連遣其將李奉伯等拒戰。 In the sixth month of Tianjian year one Yuanqi reached Baxi; Lijian sent Li Fengbo and others to fight.

季連驅略居人，閉城固守。 Lijian drove out the inhabitants, shut the city, and held firm.

是冬，季連城局參軍江希之等謀以城降，不果，季連誅之。 That winter staff officer Jiang Xizhi and others plotted to yield the city but failed; Lijian executed them.

季連食粥累月，饑窘無計。 Lijian ate gruel for months, hunger and straits without plan.

二年正月，高祖遣主書趙景悅宣詔降季連，季連肉袒請罪。 In year two's first month Gaozu sent chief secretary Zhao Jingyue to announce an edict accepting Lijian's surrender; Lijian bared his torso and begged pardon.

元起遷季連於城外，俄而造焉，待之以禮。 Yuanqi moved Lijian outside the walls and soon came to visit, treating him with courtesy.

季連謝曰：「早知如此，豈有前日之事。」 Lijian said, "Had I known it would come to this, there would never have been what happened before."

元起誅李奉伯幷諸渠帥，送季連還京師。 Yuanqi executed Li Fengbo and the other ringleaders and sent Lijian back to the capital.

季連將發，人莫之視，惟龔愜送焉。 As Lijian was about to set out, none would look at him; only Gong Yi saw him off.

季連旣至，詣闕謝，高祖引見之。 When Lijian arrived he went to the palace to give thanks; Gaozu received him.

季連自東掖門入，數步一稽顙，以至高祖前。 Lijian entered by the East Flank Gate, kowtowing every few steps until he stood before Gaozu.

季連復稽顙謝。 Lijian kowtowed again in thanks.

季連在蜀，殺道恭父，道恭出亡，至是而報復焉。 In Shu Lijian had killed Daogong's father; Daogong had fled and now took revenge.

史臣曰：劉季連之文吏小節，而不能以自保全，習亂然也。 The historian writes: Liu Lijian had a literary man's polish, yet could not save himself—as habit in troubled times will do.