Sui and Tang · Warlord and Administrator

Tian Yun 田頵

First attested AD 902; died AD 903

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Tian Yun was a warlord and Administrator.

Life and dates

Death

AD 903 已而頵死
Killed in battle; head sent to Huainan · At Huainan 淮南
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 199

Attested activity

AD 902 to AD 903 頵與行密爭戰至死
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 189, passages 197-199, 210

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Mother of Tian Yun (頵母)
mother 母
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 197

Career and standing

able administrator 善為治
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 200
Killed
AD 903 已而頵死 · Death
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 199

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Active under
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 230

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Yuan Guan (元瓘) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 198

Events and relationships

Buried with commoner rites
Ritual · Deceased · With Yang Xingmi (楊行密) · At Huainan 淮南
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 199
Honored scholars as chief guests
Patronage · Patron
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 201
Threatened to kill hostage
Military · Commander · With Yuan Guan (元瓘)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passages 197-198
Relation Treated as sisters son · Person Yin Wengui (殷文圭)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 203
Relation Attached to · Person Zhu Quanzhong (朱全忠)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 222

Assessments and attributes

Assessment aided Zhu Quanzhong to press accountability then break with him; not loyalty to Tang; folly to seek supremacy · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passages 230-231
Assessment generous, trade-friendly, beloved by the people · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 200
Assessment lacked talent even to be steward of Wu or Shu · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 233
Item fields and residence 田宅 · Relation Bestowed · With Yin Wengui (殷文圭)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 189, passage 203

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 189Volume 189 Biographies 114: Gao, Zhao, Tian, Zhu · 11 passages

頵始以元瓘歸，戰不勝，輒欲殺之，頵母護免。 When Yuan Guan was first sent back as a hostage, Yun would threaten to kill him after every defeat, but Yun’s mother protected him.

及镠與行密合，頵曰：「今日不勝，必殺元瓘。」 When Qian Liu and Xingmi joined forces, Yun said, “If we do not win today, I will kill Yuan Guan.”

已而頵死，傳首至淮南，行密泣下，葬以庶人禮，亦葬康儒，還元瓘於杭。 But Yun died first. When his head reached Huainan, Xingmi wept, buried him with commoner rites, buried Kang Ru as well, and sent Yuan Guan back to Hangzhou.

頵善為治，資寬厚，通利商賈，民愛之。 Yun was an able administrator—generous by nature, friendly to trade, and beloved by the people.

頵置田宅，迎其母，以甥事之，故文圭為盡力。 Yun gave him land and a house, welcomed his mother, and treated him as a sister’s son—so Wengui served him with all his strength.

夔知頵不足亢行密，著《溺賦》以戒，頵不用。 Kui saw that Yun could not stand against Xingmi and wrote “The Rhapsody of Drowning” as a warning, but Yun ignored it.

頵破，行密表為檢校太保、宣州觀察使。 After Yun’s defeat, Xingmi petitioned the court to make Meng Acting Grand Guardian and commissioner of Xuanzhou.

田頵之附全忠，延壽陰約曰：「公有所為，我願執鞭。」 When Tian Yun sided with Zhu Quanzhong, Yanshou secretly pledged, “Whatever you plan, sir, I am ready to serve at your side.”

頵喜，二人謀絕行密。 Yun rejoiced, and the two plotted to destroy Yang Xingmi.

田頵使出軍賦而助之，此其謀責難而絕之，非忠於唐也。 When Tian Yun sent troops and supplies to aid Zhu, his aim was to hold Zhu accountable and then break with him—not loyalty to the Tang.

如仁厚、田、朱，材不足為吳、蜀之老，可與事天子哉！ Men like Renhou, Tian, and Zhu lacked the talent even to be stewards in the kingdoms of Wu and Shu—how could they hope to serve the Son of Heaven!