Five Dynasties · Emperor of Southern Han

Liu Yan 龑

Yan

Attested AD 923 - AD 931

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Liu Yan was an emperor of Southern Han.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Changed name	Gong	龔	Gong

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 923 七年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 65
AD 930 三年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 78
AD 925 九年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 73
AD 924 八年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 71
AD 928 四年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 76
AD 931 四年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passages 83-84

Family

Kin of Princess of Zengcheng (增城縣主)
Yin's daughter 隱女 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 70

Career and standing

Pardoned
With Qu Chenmei (曲承美)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 80

Places and affiliations

At Qin capital region 咸秦 · Relation Claimed ancestral
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 68

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Qu Chenmei (曲承美)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 79
called Tang emperor prefect of Luozhou
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 68

Events and relationships

Built Southern Palace
AD 924 八年 · Building · Builder
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 71
Defended
AD 928 四年 · Military · Ruler · At Fengzhou 封州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 76
Sent envoy
AD 923 七年 · Diplomatic · Sender · With He Ci (何詞)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 65

Assessments and attributes

fond of boasting; displayed pearl and jade wealth to northern merchants
Character
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 67

Source notes

AD 925 九年
To Gong 龔
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 73
From Gong 龔 · To Yan 龑
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 75
From Yan 巖 · To Zhi 陟
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 65, passage 72

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 65Volume 65: Hereditary House of Southern Han · 11 passages

七年，唐莊宗入汴，龑懼，遣宮苑使何詞入詢中國虛實，稱大漢國主致書大唐皇帝。 In the seventh year, when Tang Zhuangzong entered Bian, Yan grew fearful and sent Palace Gardens Commissioner He Ci to inquire into the strength of the central state, addressing himself as lord of Great Han writing to the emperor of Great Tang.

詞還，言唐必亂，不足憂，龑大喜。 When Ci returned he reported that Tang was sure to fall into disorder and was not worth worrying about; Yan was greatly pleased.

昭淳好學有文辭，龑與遊宴賦詩，龑及群臣皆不能逮，遂以隱女增城縣主妻旻。 Zhaochun loved learning and had literary gifts. Yan feasted and composed poetry with him, but Yan and his ministers could not match him, so he gave Yin’s daughter, the Princess of Zengcheng, to Min in marriage.

龑初名巖，又更曰陟。 Yan's original name was a homophonous Yan written with a different character; he later changed it to Zhi.

九年，白龍見南宮三清殿，改元曰白龍，又更名龔，以應龍見之祥。 In the ninth year a white dragon appeared at the Three Pure Ones Hall of the Southern Palace. He changed the era name to Bailong and renamed himself Gong to respond to the auspice of the dragon’s appearance.

有胡僧言：「讖書『滅劉氏者龔也。』」 A foreign monk said, "In the prophecy book it says, 'He who will destroy the Liu clan is Gong.'"

龑乃采《周易》「飛龍在天」之義為「龑」字，音「儼」，以名焉。 Yan then took from the Book of Changes the sense of "the flying dragon is in heaven" to create the character "Yan," pronounced "yan," and adopted it as his name.

四年，楚人以舟師攻封州，封州兵敗於賀江，龑懼，以《周易》筮之，遇《大有》，遂赦境內，改元曰大有。 In the fourth year Chu sent a fleet against Fengzhou, and Fengzhou’s troops were defeated on the He River. Yan was afraid, divined with the Book of Changes, and obtained the hexagram Dayou; he then proclaimed an amnesty within his realm and changed the era name to Dayou.

承美至南海，龑登義鳳樓受俘，謂承美曰：「公常以我為偽廷，今反面縛，何也？」 When Chenmei was brought to the Southern Sea, Yan ascended Yifeng Tower to receive the captive and said to him, "You always called my court a false regime — so why are you bound with your face turned away?"

承美頓首伏罪，乃赦之。 Chenmei bowed his head to the ground and confessed his crime, and Yan pardoned him.

龑遣承旨程寶攻廷藝，寶戰死。 Yan sent Palace Secretariat Commissioner Cheng Bao against Tingyi; Bao was killed in battle.