Five Dynasties · General

Shi Jingtang 石敬瑭

Attested AD 934 - AD 936

Passages: 8
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Shi Jingtang was a general.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Temple name	Jin Gaozu	晉高祖

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passages 138-140, 151, 153-154
AD 936 晉高祖即位
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 184

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Li Siyuan (李嗣源)
son-in-law 婿 · Through Daughter of Mingzong, wife of Shi Jingtang (明宗女、石敬瑭妻)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 151
Kin of Wang Hongzhi (王宏贄)
kinsman 戚屬
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passages 141, 149
Spouse of Daughter of Mingzong, wife of Shi Jingtang (明宗女、石敬瑭妻)
son-in-law 婿 · Marriage
wife 妻
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 151

Career and standing

military commissioner of Zhenzhou 鎮州節度使
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 138
executed the emperor's fifty-odd attending horsemen 盡誅帝之從騎五十餘輩
AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜 · Ordered
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 154
Took the throne as Jin Gaozu
AD 936 晉高祖即位
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 184

Places and affiliations

AD 936 晉高祖即位
Polity Later Jin 後晉 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 184
Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 138

Works and attributed material

AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Addressed to Wang Hongzhi (王宏贄)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 141
AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Addressed to Emperor Min (閔帝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 140

Events and relationships

Galloped toward Luoyang
AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜 · Travel · Commander · At Luoyang 洛
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 154
Met emperor east of Weizhou
AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜 · Travel · Commander · With Emperor Min (閔帝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passages 138-139
Stabbed at by Sha and Ben
AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜 · Violent · Target · With Sha Shourong (沙守榮)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 153
Waited on emperor at post station
AD 934 應順元年三月二十九日夜 · Political · Planner · With Emperor Min (閔帝)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 150

Source notes

later appears as Jin Gaozu
To Jin Gaozu 晉高祖
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 184

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 45Volume 45 Book of Later Tang 21: Emperor Min Annals 1 · 8 passages

是月二十九日夜，帝至衛州東七八里，遇騎從自東來不避，左右叱之，乃曰：「鎮州節度使石敬瑭也。」 On the night of the twenty-ninth of that month the Emperor reached a point seven or eight li east of Weizhou and met horsemen riding from the east who did not give way. When attendants shouted at them, they answered, "It is Shi Jingtang, military commissioner of Zhenzhou."

帝喜，敬瑭拜舞於路，帝下馬慟哭，諭以「潞王危社稷，康義誠以下叛我，無以自庇，長公主見教，逆爾於路，謀社稷大計。」 The Emperor rejoiced. Jingtang bowed and danced in the road. The Emperor dismounted and wept bitterly, telling him, "The Prince of Lu endangers the realm. Kang Yicheng and those below have betrayed me, and I have no means to protect myself. The Grand Princess gave me counsel and sent me to meet you on the road to plan the great design for the realm."

敬瑭曰：「衛州王宏贄宿舊諳事，且就宏贄圖之。」 Jingtang said, "Wang Hongzhi of Weizhou is an old acquaintance who knows how affairs are managed. Let us first go to Hongzhi and devise a plan."

敬瑭即馳騎而前，見宏贄曰：「主上播遷，至此危迫，吾戚屬也，何以圖全？」 Jingtang immediately galloped ahead, saw Hongzan, and said, "The sovereign is in flight and has come to this desperate pass. We are kinsmen—how can we find a way to preserve him?"

敬瑭以宏贄所陳以聞，弓箭庫使沙守榮、奔洪進前謂敬瑭曰：「主上即明宗愛子，公即明宗愛婿，富貴既同受，休戚合共之。 Jingtang reported what Hongzan had said. Sha Shourong and Ben Hongjin, commissioners of the Bow-and-Arrow Store, stepped forward and said to Jingtang, "The sovereign is Mingzong's beloved son, and you are Mingzong's beloved son-in-law. You have shared fortune alike—glory and peril ought to be borne together.

乃抽佩刀刺敬瑭，敬瑭親將陳暉捍之，守榮與暉單戰而死，洪進亦自刎。 They then drew their girdle daggers to stab Jingtang. Chen Hui, Jingtang's personal guard, parried them. Shourong and Hui fought one-on-one and died, and Hongjin cut his own throat.

是日，敬瑭盡誅帝之從騎五十餘輩，獨留帝於驛，乃馳騎趨洛。 That day Jingtang had all fifty-odd of the Emperor's attending horsemen executed, left the Emperor alone at the post station, and galloped toward Luoyang.

晉高祖即位，諡曰閔，與秦王及末帝子重吉並葬於徽陵域中，封才數尺，路人觀者悲之。 When Jin Gaozu took the throne, he was given the posthumous title Min. He was buried together with the Prince of Qin and the Last Emperor's son Chongji within the precinct of Huiling Mausoleum. The mound was only a few feet high, and passersby who saw it were moved to grief.