Sun Cheng (孫晟) | 24 Histories

Overview

Sun Cheng was a statesman and Martyr.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Alternate name	Feng	鳳

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 926 to AD 930 天成中
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passages 168, 174

Family

Abandoned
Kinship Role wife-and-children · Quantity wife and children
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 175

Career and standing

Administrative aide 判官
AD 926 to AD 930 天成中 · Appointed
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 174
Assistant in the Palace Library 著作佐郎
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 173
Right Vice Director 右僕射
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 180
Minister of Works 司空
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 182
Entered
Daoist priest · At Jianji Palace, Mount Lu 廬山簡寂宮
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 170
Family exterminated
Wanted · Authority An Chonghui (安重誨)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 176

Places and affiliations

Southern Tang
Relation Served
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 178
Wu
Relation Fled to
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 177
At Mizhou 密州
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 168

Learning and skills

Skill literary composition 文辭
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 169
Skill poetry 詩
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 169

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Feng Yanji (馮延巳)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 181

Events and relationships

Driven out
Personal · Exile
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 172
Honored portrait
Religious · Devotee · With Jia Dao (賈島)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 171
Relation Served · Person Li Jing (李璟)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 180
Relation Served · Person Li Fang (李方)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 178
Relation Colleague of · Person Feng Yanji (馮延巳)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 180

Assessments and attributes

Assessment stammered-but-brilliant-in-debate · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 179
stammered at greetings
Speech impediment
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 179
Item Flesh Pedestal 肉臺盤 · Relation Used
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 33, passage 182

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies of Martyrs to Service 13: Zhang Yuande, Xia Luqi, Yao Hong, Wang Sitong, Zhang Jingda, Di Jinzong, Shen Bin, Wang Qing, Shi Yanchao, Sun Cheng · 12 passages

Open chapter

應順元年二月，潞王從珂反鳳翔，馳檄四鄰，言奸臣幸先帝疾病，賊殺秦王而立幼嗣，侵弱宗室，動搖藩方，陳己所以興兵討亂之狀。 In Yingshun’s first year, second month, Prince of Lu Congke rebelled at Fengxiang and circulated proclamations accusing treacherous ministers of murdering the Prince of Qin during the late emperor’s illness, enthroning a child, weakening the clan, and shaking the realm—and stating why he had taken arms.

三月，會諸鎮兵圍鳳翔，破東西關城。 In the third month allied commands besieged Fengxiang and took the east and west gate cities.

孫晟，初名鳳，又名忌，密州人也。 Sun Cheng—born Feng, also called Ji—was from Mizhou.

簡寂宮道士惡晟，以為妖，以杖驅出之。 The priests hated him as an occultist and drove him out with staves.

乃儒服北之趙、魏，謁唐莊宗於鎮州，莊宗以晟為著作佐郎。 He donned scholar’s robes, went north to Zhao and Wei, and met Zhuangzong at Zhenzhou, who made him Assistant in the Palace Library.

守殷反，伏誅，晟乃棄其妻子，亡命陳、宋之間。 When Shouyin rebelled and was executed, Cheng abandoned wife and children and fled between Chen and Song.

安重誨惡晟，以謂教守殷反者晟也，畫其像購之，不可得，遂族其家。 An Chonghui blamed him for teaching Shouyin rebellion, posted his likeness for reward, could not catch him, and exterminated his family.

晟奔於吳。 Cheng fled to Wu.

是時，李方篡楊氏，多招四方之士，得晟，喜其文辭，使為教令，由是知名。 Li Fang seized power in Wu and gathered talent; he prized Cheng’s prose for edicts, and Cheng became famous.

晟為人口吃，遇人不能道寒暄，已而坐定，談辯鋒生，聽者忘倦。 He stammered at greetings, yet once seated his talk blazed and listeners forgot fatigue.

晟輕延巳為人，常曰：「金碗玉杯而盛狗屎可乎？」 Cheng despised Yansi and said, “A golden bowl and jade cup full of dog shit—is that fitting?"

晟事父子二十餘年，官至司空，家益富驕，每食不設几案，使眾妓各執一器，環立而侍，號「肉臺盤」，時人多效之。 Serving father and son twenty years, he rose to Minister of Works; his house grew rich and arrogant; at meals singing girls stood in a ring each holding a dish—the “Flesh Pedestal”—and many copied him.