Sui Yangdi (隋煬帝) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Sui Yangdi as a musician, royal family member, and ruler. This record brings together 42 passages from 10 chapters across 5 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Sui Yangdi	隋煬帝	Sui Yangdi
Title	crown prince	皇太子
Title	Emperor Yang	煬帝
Temple name	Emperor Yang	煬帝	Yángdì
Title	Emperor Yang	煬帝	Yángdì
Temple name	Emperor Yang	煬帝	Yangdi
Title	Emperor Yang	煬帝	Yangdi
Posthumous name	Emperor Yang	煬帝	Yangdi
Title	Emperor Yang of Sui	隋煬帝
Personal name	Emperor Yang of Sui	隋煬帝	Sui Yangdi
Personal name	Guang	廣	Guǎng
Personal name	Guang	廣	Guang
Title	Guang, Prince of Jin	晉王廣
Title	late Retired Emperor	大行太上皇
Title	Prince Guang of Jin	晉王廣
Title	Prince Jin Guang	晉王廣
Title	Prince of Jin	晉王
Title	Prince of Jin Guang	晉王廣	Jin Wang Guang
Title	Retired Emperor	太上皇
Personal name	Sui Yangdi	隋煬帝
Title	the emperor	帝
Posthumous	Yang	煬	Yáng
Posthumous name	Yang	煬	Yang
Temple name	Yangdi	煬帝
Temple name	Yangdi	煬帝	Yangdi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · chenshu:007:s0128, suishu:079:s0007, zhoushu:009:s0001
Sex: male
Explicit · jiutangshu:085:s0139, suishu:005:s0006, suishu:036:s0054, suishu:036:s0258, suishu:044:s0032, suishu:082:s0090, xintangshu:022:s0046, xintangshu:022:s0075

Roles

Musician
Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二年三月丙辰 · Western Year: AD 618 · Place: Jiangdu Palace / 江都宮 · Manner: killed · Authority Person Id: Yuwen Huaji (宇文化及)
Explicit · suishu:005:s0036

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二年三月丙辰 · Western Year: AD 618
Explicit · suishu:005:s0036
Source Date: Text: 大業七年 · Western Year: AD 611
Explicit · suishu:044:s0048
Source Date: Text: 大業三年 · Western Year: AD 607
Explicit · suishu:082:s0091
Source Date: Text: 大業五年 · Western Year: AD 609
Explicit · zhoushu:009:s0104
Source Date: Text: 大業六年 · Western Year: AD 610
Explicit · suishu:082:s0117
Source Date: Text: 大業十一年 · Western Year: AD 615
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:005:s0006, suishu:005:s0007
Source Date: Text: 大業十二年 · Western Year: AD 616
Explicit · suishu:082:s0178, suishu:082:s0191
Source Date: Text: 帝幸江都 · Western Year: AD 618
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:036:s0241
Source Date: Text: 晉王廣命斬 · Western Year: AD 589
Explicit · chenshu:007:s0145
Source Date: Text: 晉王廣納妃 · Western Year: AD 582
Explicit · suishu:044:s0032
Source Date: Text: 煬帝、大業年間 · Western Interval: Start: AD 605 · End: AD 618
Explicit · suishu:072:s0235, suishu:072:s0240
Source Date: Text: 煬帝即位 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit · suishu:044:s0034, suishu:082:s0090
Source Date: Text: 煬帝嗣位 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit · suishu:036:s0178
Source Date: Text: 煬帝嗣位 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:079:s0060, suishu:079:s0100
Source Date: Text: 煬帝得不以道 · Western Interval: Start: AD 604 · End: AD 618
Strongly inferred · suishu:036:s0258
Source Date: Text: 煬帝時 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:036:s0054
Source Date: Text: 立晉王廣 · Western Year: AD 600
Explicit event contextual date · suishu:036:s0143
Source Date: Text: 義寧元年 · Western Year: AD 617
Explicit · suishu:005:s0009, suishu:005:s0010
Source Date: Text: 貞觀十一年 · Western Year: AD 637
Explicit event contextual date · jiutangshu:085:s0139
Source Date: Text: 隋煬帝 · Western Interval: Start: AD 604 · End: AD 618
Explicit · xintangshu:022:s0046, xintangshu:022:s0075
Source Date: Text: 隋煬帝巡幸 · Western Interval: Start: AD 605 · End: AD 618
Explicit · chenshu:007:s0128

Family

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

Sibling of Yang Yong (楊勇)
Kinship Term: brother / 兄弟 · Shared Parentage: full
Spouse of Lady Xiao (蕭妃)
Kinship Term: consort / 妃 · Union Category: marriage · Subject Role: husband · Object Role: wife · Relationship State: active
Spouse of Empress Xiao (蕭皇后)
Kinship Term: empress / 后 · Union Category: primary-marriage
Kinship Term: consort / 妃 · Union Category: primary-marriage
Kinship Term: husband and wife / 夫婦 · Union Category: primary-marriage · Subject Role: wife · Object Role: husband · Relationship State: active
Child of Emperor Wen (隋高祖)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Line: paternal
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
Child of Emperor Wen of Sui (隋文帝)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Child of Emperor Gaozu of Sui (隋高祖)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Yuande Heir Apparent (元德太子)
Kinship Term: imperial grandfather / 皇祖 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Child of Empress Wenxian (文獻皇后)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Parent of Yang Gao (楊杲)
Kinship Term: prince / 王 · Parentage: uncertain · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Yang Jian (齊王暕)
Kinship Term: prince / 王 · Parentage: uncertain · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Yang Hao (秦王子浩)
Kinship Term: prince / 王 · Parentage: uncertain · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Yang Dan (燕王倓)
Kinship Term: prince / 王 · Parentage: uncertain · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Career and standing

Title: Prince of Jin / 晉王 · Action: held
Explicit · suishu:036:s0143, suishu:036:s0153
Status: emperor · Action: acceded
Explicit · suishu:036:s0178
Status: emperor · Label: Emperor Yang / 煬帝 · Action: held
Explicit · suishu:036:s0258
Status: retired-emperor · Action: honored-as · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 義寧元年 · Western Year: AD 617
Explicit · suishu:005:s0009
Status: crown-prince · Action: installed
Explicit · suishu:036:s0143
Status: execution · Action: ordered · Other Person Id: Palace woman who reported rebellion (白后宮人)
Explicit · suishu:036:s0243, suishu:036:s0244
Statement: ascended the throne · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 煬帝即位 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit · suishu:082:s0090
Statement: Gained the throne by improper means. · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 煬帝得不以道 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit · suishu:036:s0258

Places and affiliations

Label: Sui / 隋 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · suishu:079:s0060
Polity: Sui / 隋 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · suishu:036:s0178, suishu:072:s0240, suishu:082:s0090, xintangshu:022:s0046
Place: Jiangdu / 江都 · Relation: died-at
Explicit · suishu:005:s0036, suishu:005:s0045

Works and attributed material

Work: Rhapsody of Spirit's Wounding / 神傷賦 · Relation: author
Explicit · suishu:036:s0180
Work: Floating Dragon Boat / 泛龍舟 · Relation: author
Explicit · xintangshu:022:s0046
Kind: edict · Role: author · About: posthumous honors for Dugu Tuo
Explicit · suishu:079:s0100, suishu:079:s0101, suishu:079:s0102, suishu:079:s0103, suishu:079:s0104, suishu:079:s0105
Kind: edict · Role: author · Quote: true
Explicit · suishu:036:s0198, suishu:036:s0199
Kind: edict · Role: author · Quoted: true
Explicit · suishu:044:s0102, suishu:044:s0103, suishu:044:s0104, suishu:044:s0105, suishu:044:s0106, suishu:044:s0107, suishu:044:s0108
Kind: historian-appraisal · Role: subject · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · suishu:036:s0253, suishu:036:s0258, suishu:036:s0259
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quote: true
Explicit · suishu:036:s0243

Events and relationships

Kind: personal · Role: offender · Action: assaulted-Lady-Xuanhua · Other Person Id: Lady Xuanhua (宣華夫人陳氏)
Explicit · suishu:036:s0159, suishu:036:s0177
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: campaigned-Liaodong · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業七年 · Western Year: AD 611
Explicit · suishu:044:s0048
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: campaigned · Place: Liaodong / 遼東 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 煬帝親征遼東 · Western Interval: Start: AD 612 · End: AD 614
Explicit · suishu:005:s0006
Kind: diplomatic · Role: ordering-authority · Action: dispatched-Chang-Jun-mission-to-Chitu · Other Person Id: Chang Jun (常駿) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業三年 · Western Year: AD 607
Explicit · suishu:082:s0091, suishu:082:s0092
Kind: political · Role: usurper-accession · Action: gained-throne-improperly
Explicit · suishu:036:s0258
Kind: legal · Role: authority · Action: ordered-execution · Other Person Id: Zhang Lihua (張麗華) · Place: Taicheng/Qingxi / 臺城
Explicit · chenshu:007:s0145
Kind: diplomatic · Role: host · Action: received-Bali-tribute · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業十二年 · Western Year: AD 616
Explicit · suishu:082:s0191
Kind: diplomatic · Role: host · Action: received-Chang-Jun-and-Nayage-at-Hongnong · Other Person Id: Chang Jun (常駿) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業六年 · Western Year: AD 610
Explicit · suishu:082:s0117
Kind: diplomatic · Role: host · Action: received-Zhenla-tribute · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大業十二年 · Western Year: AD 616
Explicit · suishu:082:s0178
Kind: diplomatic · Role: ordering-authority · Action: recruited-envoys-to-remote-lands · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 煬帝即位 · Western Year: AD 604
Explicit · suishu:082:s0090
Kind: imperial-honor · Role: ruler · Other Person Id: Hua Qiu (華秋) · Action: sent envoys to console Hua Qiu and honored his household with an imperial marker
Explicit · suishu:072:s0240
Kind: political · Role: plotter · Action: sought-succession-with-inner-help · Other Person Id: Lady Xuanhua (宣華夫人陳氏)
Explicit · suishu:036:s0153
Kind: personal · Role: offender · Action: violated-Lady-Ronghua · Other Person Id: Lady Ronghua (容華夫人蔡氏)
Explicit · suishu:036:s0187

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: Between father and son he still harbored suspicion and distrust—what bond could remain between husband and wife! · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · suishu:036:s0259
Assessment: disliked-plain-fa-tune-sound · Provenance: Mode: narrative
Explicit · xintangshu:022:s0075
Assessment: extended imperial might to the eight directions; coveted exotic treasures · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · suishu:082:s0199, suishu:082:s0200
Assessment: Having gained the throne by improper means, he thereafter believed that no one could be loyal or trustworthy. · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · suishu:036:s0258
Item: golden snakes and golden camels / 金蛇、金駝 · Relation: bestowed · Other Person Id: Lady Xuanhua (宣華夫人陳氏)
Explicit · suishu:036:s0154

References in the histories

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

Book of Chen, Chapter 7Volume 7: Empresses and Consorts · 3 passages

Open chapter

隋煬帝每所巡幸，恆令從駕。 Whenever Emperor Yang of Sui went on tour, he always ordered her to accompany the imperial carriage.

及煬帝為宇文化及所害，后自廣陵過江還鄉里，不知所終。 After Emperor Yang was killed by Yuwen Huaji, the empress crossed the Yangzi from Guangling and returned to her home district. Her end is unknown.

及隋軍陷臺城，妃與後主俱入于井，隋軍出之，晉王廣命斬貴妃，牓於青溪中橋。 When the Sui army took Taicheng, the consort and the Last Emperor hid together in a well. Sui soldiers brought them out, and Guang, Prince of Jin, ordered the noble consort beheaded and displayed at the middle bridge over Qingxi.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 85Volume 81 Biographies 31: Cui Dunli, Lu Chengqin, Liu Xiangdao, Li Jingxuan, Li Yiyan, Sun Chuyue, Le Yanwei, Zhao Renben · 1 passage

Open chapter

至如隋煬帝末年，天下喪亂，縱令改張音律，知其終不和諧。 At the end of Sui Yangdi's reign the realm was in chaos; even if you changed the pitches, they would not harmonize.

Book of Sui, Chapter 5Volume 5 Annals 5: Emperor Gong · 7 passages

Open chapter

及煬帝親征遼東，令於京師總留事。 When Emperor Yang marched personally against Liaodong, he was left in the capital to manage all affairs of state.

義兵入長安，尊煬帝為太上皇，奉帝纂業。 When the volunteer army entered Chang'an, Emperor Yang was given the title of Retired Emperor, and Yang You was enthroned to continue the dynasty.

襁褓之歲，夙遭憫凶，孺子之辰，太上播越，興言感動，實疚于懷。 Still in my swaddling clothes I suffered early bereavement; while still a child the Retired Emperor was driven into exile. The thought of it moves me, and the sorrow weighs ever on my heart.

丙寅，詔曰：「朕惟孺子，未出深宮，太上遠巡，追蹤穆滿。 On bingyin day an edict proclaimed: "I am but a child who has never left the inner palace; the Retired Emperor roams far abroad, following in the footsteps of King Mu of Zhou.

三月丙辰，右屯衞將軍宇文化及殺太上皇於江都宮，右禦衞將軍獨孤盛死之。 In the third month, on bingchen day, Right Garrison Guard General Yuwen Huaji killed the Retired Emperor at the Jiangdu Palace; Right Imperial Guard General Dugu Sheng died defending him.

天禍隋國，大行太上皇遇盜江都，酷甚望夷，釁深驪北。 Heaven has calamitously struck the Sui state: the late Retired Emperor was murdered by bandits at Jiangdu—a cruelty surpassing the death at Wangyi, an outrage deeper than the killing at Mount Li.

雪寃恥於皇祖，守禋祀為孝孫，朝聞夕殞，及泉無恨，今遵故事，遜於舊邸。 To avenge the wrong done my imperial forebear, to keep the ancestral rites as a filial grandson—if I heard of it at dawn and died at dusk I would die without regret down to the Yellow Springs. Now following precedent I yield the throne at my former residence.

Book of Sui, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 14 passages