Sui and Tang · Emperor

Suzong 肅宗

Attested AD 756 - AD 757

Passages: 12
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Suzong was an emperor.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 756 to AD 757 皇太子即位於靈武…十二月…還京
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 55, 84

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Xuanzong (玄宗)
father 父
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 55, 58

Career and standing

AD 756 是月，皇太子即位於靈武
At Lingwu 靈武
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 55-56

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 55-56
AD 756 九月…從幸彭原郡
At Pengyuan Prefecture 彭原郡 · Relation Toured to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 68
AD 757 十一月，肅宗自右輔還京
At capital 京 · Relation Returned to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 83
AD 757 明年，至鳳翔
At Fengxiang 鳳翔 · Relation Arrived at
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 71, 74
AD 756 時肅宗已回幸順化郡
At Shunhua Prefecture 順化郡 · Relation Moved court to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 67

Works and attributed material

Order · Issuer · With Wei Jiansu (韋見素)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 83

Events and relationships

Approved unverified appointments then adopted Jiansu reform
AD 757 肅宗在鳳翔…及還京 · Personnel policy · Ruler
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passages 74-75, 79-80
Proclaimed great amnesty from palace tower
AD 757 十二月…肅宗禦樓大赦 · Amnesty · Ruler
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 84
Relation Received with respect · Person Fang Guan (房琯)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 69
Relation Treated less generously · Person Wei Jiansu (韋見素)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 70

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 112, passage 55

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 112Volume 108 Biographies 58: Wei Jiansu, Cui Yuan, Cui Huan, Du Hongjian · 12 passages

是月，皇太子即位於靈武，道路艱澀，音驛未通。 That month the crown prince ascended the throne at Lingwu, but the roads were treacherous and no reliable word reached the fugitive court.

八月，肅宗使至，始知靈武即位。 In the eighth month an envoy from Suzong arrived, and only then did they learn that he had already taken the throne at Lingwu.

將行，上皇謂見素等曰：「皇帝自幼仁孝，與諸子有異，朕豈不知。 Before they set out, the retired emperor told Jiansu and the others, "The emperor has been filial and humane since childhood, unlike my other sons, and I have always known it.

今皇帝受命，朕心頓如釋負。 Now that the emperor has taken the throne, a great weight has lifted from my heart.

時肅宗已回幸順化郡。 By then Suzong had already moved his court to Shunhua Prefecture.

九月，見素等至，冊禮畢，從幸彭原郡。 In the ninth month Jiansu and his party arrived, completed the investiture, and accompanied Suzong to Pengyuan Prefecture.

肅宗在東宮，素聞房琯名重，故虛懷以待； When Suzong had been crown prince he had long heard of Fang Guan's reputation and received him with respect;

初，肅宗在鳳翔，喪亂之後，綱紀未立，兵吏三銓，簿籍煨燼，南曹選人，文符悉多偽濫。 Earlier, when Suzong's court was at Fengxiang after the rebellion, government discipline had collapsed. The personnel registers of the three selection boards had been burned, and candidates at the southern bureau submitted largely forged credentials.

上以凶醜未滅，且示招懷，據到註擬，一無檢括。 Because the rebels had not yet been crushed and the emperor wished to win support, he approved appointments on whatever papers were submitted, without any review.

上然之，未暇釐革。 The emperor agreed but had no time yet to reform the system.

十一月，肅宗自右輔還京，詔見素入蜀奉迎太上皇。 In the eleventh month, when Suzong returned to the capital from the western capital, he ordered Jiansu into Shu to escort the retired emperor home.

十二月，上皇至京師，肅宗禦樓大赦。 In the twelfth month the retired emperor reached the capital, and Suzong proclaimed a general amnesty from the palace tower.