Sui and Tang · Official

Su Xun 蘇循

Attested AD 907 - AD 923

Passages: 14
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Su Xun as a courtier and official. This record brings together 14 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Su Xun	蘇循	Su Xun
Surname	Su	蘇	Su
Given	Xun	循	Xun

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0007

Roles

Courtier
Official

Life and dates

Death

Cause: illness / 病
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0090

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 明年 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:035:s0074
Source Date: Text: 明年三月 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:035:s0007
Source Date: Text: 莊宗即位 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit event contextual date · xinwudaishi:035:s0091

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Parent of Su Kai (蘇楷)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Parentage: biological · Line: paternal

Career and standing

Label: deputy military commissioner / 節度副使 · Action: appointed
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0089
Label: deputy investiture commissioner / 冊禮副使 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0074, xinwudaishi:035:s0007
Label: Minister of Rites / 禮部尚書 · Action: held
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0071
Label: Left Vice Director / 左僕射 · Action: posthumously-granted
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0091
Status: forced-return-to-village · Action: entered
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0083

Places and affiliations

Polity: Jin / 晉 · Relation: served
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0089
Polity: Later Liang / 梁 · Relation: served
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0074
Polity: Tang / 唐 · Relation: served
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0071
Place: unknown / 不知何許人 · Negated: false · Uncertain: true
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0069

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0073

Events and relationships

Kind: ritual · Role: deputy-investiture-commissioner · Action: presented-register · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四月甲子 · Western Year: AD 907
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0007, xinwudaishi:035:s0010, xinwudaishi:035:s0011
Kind: political · Role: advocate · Action: urged-abdication · Other Person Id: Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠)
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0073

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: crafty, fawning, shameless, profit-seeking · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0070
Item: day-marking brushes / 畫日筆 · Relation: presented · Quantity: 30
Explicit · xinwudaishi:035:s0089

References in the histories

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

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 35Volume 35 Biographies 15: Zhan Wenyu, Yang She, Zhang Ce, Zhao Guangfeng, Xue Yiju, Su Xun · 14 passages

明年三月，唐哀帝遜位於梁，遣中書侍郎、同中書門下平章事張文蔚為冊禮使，禮部尚書蘇循為副； Next year’s third month, Emperor Ai abdicated to Liang, sending Zhang Wenwei as investiture commissioner and Su Xun as deputy;

王袞冕南面，臣文蔚、臣循奉冊升殿，進讀已，臣涉、臣策奉傳國璽，臣貽矩、臣光逢奉金寶，以次升，進讀已，降，率文武百官北面舞蹈再拜賀。 The king faced south in full regalia; Wenwei and Xun read the register; She and Ce bore the transmission seal; Yiju and Guangfeng bore the gold treasures; then all civil and military officials faced north, danced, and bowed twice in congratulation.

蘇循 Su Xun

蘇循，不知何許人也。 Su Xun’s origin is unknown.

是時，梁太祖已弒昭宗，立哀帝，唐之舊臣皆憤惋切齒，或俯首畏禍，或去不仕，而循特附會梁以希進用。 Taizu had murdered Zhaozong and enthroned Emperor Ai; Tang’s old ministers gnashed teeth, fled, or bowed in fear—yet Xun alone clung to Liang for advancement.

梁兵攻楊行密，大敗於珝河，太祖躁忿，急於禪代，欲邀唐九錫，群臣莫敢當其議，獨循倡言：「梁王功德，天命所歸，宜即受禪。」 Liang attacked Yang Xingmi and was routed at Yu River; Taizu, irritable, sought abdication and the Nine Bestowments; none dared speak—only Xun said, “Heaven’s mandate is Liang’s; take the throne at once.”

明年，梁太祖即位，循為冊禮副使。 Next year Taizu took the throne; Xun was deputy investiture commissioner.

循有子楷，乾寧中舉進士及第，昭宗遣學士陸扆覆落之，楷常慚恨。 His son Kai passed the jinshi in the Qianning era; Zhaozong had Lu Yi strike him from the list; Kai bore lasting resentment.

唐之舊臣楊涉、張文蔚等皆慚懼俯伏不能對，獨循與張祎、薛貽矩盛稱梁王功德，所以順天應人者。 Tang’s old ministers Yang She and Zhang Wenwei bowed in shame and could not answer; only Xun, Zhang Yi, and Xue Yiju praised Liang’s merit and Heaven’s mandate.

循父子皆自以附會梁得所托，旦夕引首，希見進用，敬翔尤惡之，謂太祖曰：「梁室新造，宜得端士以厚風俗，循父子皆無行，不可立於新朝。」 Father and son thought Liang was their patron and craned their necks for office; Jing Xiang hated them and told Taizu, “The new dynasty needs upright men; the Xuns are without conduct and cannot stand in court.”

其後，友謙叛梁降晉，晉王將即帝位，求唐故臣在者，以備百官之闕，友謙遣循至魏州。 Later Youqian rebelled to Jin; the Prince of Jin sought Tang ministers to fill office; Youqian sent Xun to Weizhou.

循始至魏州，望州廨聽事即拜，謂之「拜殿」。 When Xun reached Weizhou he saw the audience hall and bowed at once—the “hall bow.”

明日又獻「畫日筆」三十管，晉王益喜，因以循為節度副使。 Next day he presented thirty “day-marking brushes”; the Prince of Jin made him deputy military commissioner.

莊宗即位，贈左僕射。 When Zhuangzong took the throne, Xun was posthumously made Left Vice Director.