Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Astrologer

Song Jingye 宋景業

Attested AD 550 - AD 550

Passages: 10
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Song Jingye as an astrologer, diviner, and official. This record brings together 10 passages from 3 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Song Jingye	宋景業	Song Jingye
Personal name	Song Jingye	宋景業
Personal name	Song Jingye	宋景業	Song Jingye

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · beiqishu:030:s0002
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · beiqishu:033:s0093

Roles

Astrologer
Diviner
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 文宣禪代前 · Western Interval: Start: AD 550 · End: AD 550
Explicit · beiqishu:033:s0093
Source Date: Text: 禪代 · Western Year: AD 550
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:030:s0100
Source Date: Text: 魏武定八年五月 / 天保初 · Western Year: AD 550
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:049:s0047

Career and standing

Office: Gentleman Attendant at the Palace Secretariat / 散騎侍郎 · Action: appointed
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0065
Office: Administrator of Beiping / 北平守 · Action: held
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0049

Places and affiliations

Place: Guangzong / 廣宗
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0047

Learning and skills

Skill: calendrics / 歷數
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0048
Skill: Changes studies / 周易
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0048
Skill: yin-yang and weft-text prognostication / 陰陽，緯候之學
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0048

Works and attributed material

Kind: political-memorial · Role: speaker · Addressee Person Id: Gao Yang (高洋) · Quoted: true
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0050, beiqishu:049:s0051
Kind: divination-interpretation · Role: speaker · Quoted: true
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0058, beiqishu:049:s0059, beiqishu:049:s0060, beiqishu:049:s0061, beiqishu:049:s0063

Events and relationships

Kind: political-prophecy · Role: interpreter · Action: urged Xianzu's accession through Gao Dezheng · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 魏武定八年五月 / 天保初 · Western Year: AD 550
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0050, beiqishu:049:s0051, beiqishu:049:s0052

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: fit to be an emperor's teacher · Provenance: Mode: speaker:p011
Explicit · beiqishu:049:s0056

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 30Volume 30 Biographies 22: Cui Xian; Gao Dezheng; Cui Ang · 2 passages

散騎常侍徐之才、館客宋景業先為天文圖讖之學，又陳山提家客楊子術有所援引，並因德政勸顯祖行禪代之事。 Regular attendant Xu Zhicai and retainer Song Jingye were versed first in astronomy and apocrypha; also Chen Shanti's household retainer Yang Zishu had connections—all through Dezheng urged Gao Yang to carry out the abdication and succession.

徐之才、宋景業等每言卜筮雜占陰陽緯侯，必宜五月應天順人，德政亦勸不已。 Xu Zhicai, Song Jingye, and others kept speaking of divination, mixed auguries, yin and yang, and omens in the weft-texts — that May was the time to answer Heaven and win men; Dezheng urged on without pause.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies 25: Xiao Yuanming; Xiao Zhi (Liang); Xiao Tui; Xiao Fang (Liang); Xu Zhicai · 1 passage

之才少解天文，兼圖讖之學，共館客宋景業參校吉兇，知午年必有革易，因高德政啟之。 Zhicai from youth understood astronomy and also the learning of prognostic texts; with lodge companion Song Jingye he compared auspice and ill omen and knew that in the wu year there would surely be change; he therefore reported this through Gao Dezheng.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 49Volume 49 Biographies 41: Arts · 7 passages

宋景業，廣宗人。 Song Jingye was from Guangzong.

顯祖作相，在晉陽，景業因高德政上言：「《易稽覽圖》曰：『《鼎》，五月，聖人君，天與延年齒，東北水中，庶人王，高得之。』 While Xianzu was chief minister at Jinyang, Jingye reported through Gao Dezheng: “The Appraisal Diagram of the Changes reads: ‘Ding, the fifth month—a sage reigns; Heaven grants long life; in the northeastern waters a commoner becomes king; Gao shall obtain it.’

賀拔仁等又云：「景業誤王，宜斬之以謝天下。」 Heba Ren urged, “Jingye misled you—behead him to satisfy the realm.”

顯祖曰：「景業當為帝王師，何可殺也。」 Xianzu said, “Jingye is fit to teach emperors—he cannot be killed.”

還至幷，顯祖令景業筮，遇《乾》之《鼎》。 Back at Bing, Xianzu had Jingye cast the hexagrams and drew Qian changing to Ding.

景業曰：「《乾》為君，天也。 Jingye said, “Qian is the ruler—it is Heaven.

景業曰：「此乃大吉，王為天子，無復下期，豈得不終於其位。」 Jingye answered, “That is excellent: as Son of Heaven you have no term to end—how would you not die in office?”