Five Dynasties · Physician and Diviner

Old Liu 劉叟

Liu sou

Attested AD 900 - AD 926

Passages: 3
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Old Liu was a Physician and Diviner.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Nickname	Liu the Mountain Man	劉山人	Liu Shanren

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 923 to AD 926 同光
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 22
AD 900 to AD 910 后生五六歲…掠成安
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 252-253

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Empress Liu (劉皇后)
father 父
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 22
Parent of Lady Liu (劉氏)
father 父
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 252

Key source chapters

Career and standing

physician and diviner 醫卜
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 252

Assessments and attributes

yellow beard
Physical description
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 252

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 252; New History of the Five Dynasties 37, passage 22

References in the histories

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 1 passage

后父劉叟，黃鬚，善醫卜，自號劉山人。 Her father, Old Liu, had a yellow beard, practiced medicine and divination, and called himself the Mountain Man Liu.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 37Volume 37 Biographies 17: · 2 passages

皇后劉氏素微，其父劉叟，賣藥善卜，號劉山人。 Empress Liu came from nothing; her father Old Liu sold herbs and told fortunes, known as Liu the Mountain Man.

莊宗乃為劉叟衣服，自負蓍囊藥篋，使其子繼岌提破帽而隨之，造其卧内，曰：「劉山人来省女。」 Zhuangzong put on Old Liu’s clothes, shouldered the diviner’s pouch and medicine chest, sent his son Jiji after him in a torn cap, and walked into her chamber: “Liu the Mountain Man is here to see his girl.”