Wei Xuan (魏玄) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Wei Xuan as an administrator, aristocrat, general, and military officer. This record brings together 11 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	Wei Xuan	魏玄	Wei Xuan
Courtesy name	Sengzhi	僧智	Sengzhi
Surname	Wei	魏	Wei
Personal name	Wei Xuan	魏玄	Wei Xuan
Given	Xuan	玄	Xuan

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · zhoushu:043:s0001
Sex: male
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0214, zhoushu:043:s0228

Roles

Administrator
Aristocrat
General
Military Officer
Official

Life and dates

Death

Cause: illness / 疾 · Manner: died in office · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 後以疾卒於位 · Western Year: AD 570
Strongly inferred · zhoushu:043:s0227, zhoushu:043:s0228

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 保定元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 561
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0215
Source Date: Text: 天和元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 566
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0218, zhoushu:043:s0220
Source Date: Text: 天和二年 · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 567
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0218, zhoushu:043:s0222
Source Date: Text: 天和三年 · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 568
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0218, zhoushu:043:s0224
Source Date: Text: 保定四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 564
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0215, zhoushu:043:s0216
Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 564
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0216, zhoushu:043:s0217
Source Date: Text: 天和四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 569
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0218, zhoushu:043:s0226
Source Date: Text: 天和五年 · Regnal Year: 5 · Western Year: AD 570
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0218, zhoushu:043:s0227
Source Date: Text: 孝閔帝踐阼 · Western Year: AD 557
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0214
Source Date: Text: 後以疾卒於位 · Western Year: AD 570
Strongly inferred · zhoushu:043:s0227, zhoushu:043:s0228
Source Date: Text: 普泰中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 531 · End: AD 532
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0175
Source Date: Text: 魏恭帝二年 · Western Year: AD 555
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0194

Family

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

Descendant of Wei Xiu (魏休)
Kinship Term: sixth-generation ancestor / 六世祖 · Generation Distance: 6 · Line: paternal
Child of Wei Chengzu (魏承祖)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Line: paternal
Child of Mother of Wei Xuan (魏玄母)
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son
Sibling of Younger Brother of Wei Xuan (魏玄弟)
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-brother · Object Role: elder-brother

Origins and identity

Line: Wei clan from Rencheng / 任城魏氏
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0170, zhoushu:043:s0171

Career and standing

Label: defender of Baichao / 白超防主 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二年 · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 567
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0222, zhoushu:043:s0223
Label: Equal to the Three Dukes with a Separate Office / 開府儀同三司 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 564
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0216
Label: General of Agile Cavalry / 驃騎大將軍 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 564
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0216
Label: defender of Fulu / 伏流防主 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 569
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0226
Label: Attendant at Court / 奉朝請 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 普泰中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 531 · End: AD 532
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0175
Label: governor of Xiong province / 熊州刺史 · Action: transferred-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 三年 · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 568
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0224
Label: governor of He province / 和州刺史 · Action: transferred-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 569
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0226
Label: fief of nine hundred households in all / 增邑通前九百戶 · Action: increased · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝閔帝踐阼 · Western Year: AD 557
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0214
Title: marquis / 侯 · Action: advanced-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二年 · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 567
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0222
Title: duke / 公 · Action: advanced-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 569
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0226
Title: earl / 伯 · Action: advanced-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝閔帝踐阼 · Western Year: AD 557
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0214
Title: Viscount of Guangzong County / 廣宗縣子 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0188
Status: died-in-office · Action: entered
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0228

Places and affiliations

Label: Northern Zhou / 北周 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · zhoushu:043:s0214, zhoushu:043:s0215
Polity Name: Western Wei / 西魏 · Relation: served
Strongly inferred · zhoushu:043:s0188
Place: Rencheng / 任城
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0170
Place: Manggu / 蠻谷 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 保定元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 561
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0215
Place: Baichao / 白超 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二年 · Regnal Year: 2 · Western Year: AD 567
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0223
Place: Xiong province / 熊州 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 三年 · Regnal Year: 3 · Western Year: AD 568
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0224
Place: Yanhan / 閻韓 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 564
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0216
Place: Fulu / 伏流 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 569
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0226
Place: He province / 和州 · Relation: posted-to · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 569
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0226

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: ambushed · Other Person Id: Dugu Yongye (獨孤永業) · Place: south of Lulu Crossing / 鹿盧交南 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天和元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 566
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0218, zhoushu:043:s0220, zhoushu:043:s0221
Kind: military · Role: participant · Action: besieged · Other Person Id: Yuchi Jiong (尉遲迥) · Place: Luoyang / 洛陽 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 四年 · Regnal Year: 4 · Western Year: AD 564
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:043:s0216, zhoushu:043:s0217
Kind: military · Role: scout-commander · Action: fought-skirmish · Other Person Id: Dugu Yongye (獨孤永業) · Outcome: killed and wounded dozens; captured horses, armor, and spears; Yongye withdrew · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天和元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 566
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0221
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: resisted-and-defeated · Other Person Id: Hulu Guang (斛律光) · Place: Yiyang / 宜陽 · Outcome: won every engagement · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 五年 · Regnal Year: 5 · Western Year: AD 570
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0227
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: returned south of passes prioritizing loyalty over retrieving mother and brother · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 邙山之役 · Western Year: AD 543
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0186, zhoushu:043:s0187
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: suppressed Yong Fangjun rebellion · Other Person Id: Yong Fangjun (雍方雋) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 大統十六年 · Western Year: AD 550
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0192, zhoushu:043:s0193
Relation: subordinate-of · Person Id: Yuchi Jiong (尉遲迥)
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0217
Relation: subordinate-of · Person Id: Yuchi Gang (尉遲綱)
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0220
Relation: opponent-of · Person Id: Hulu Guang (斛律光)
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0227
Relation: commander-of · Person Id: Yuwen Neng (宇文能)
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0220
Relation: commander-of · Person Id: Zhao Gan (趙乾)
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0220

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: among the several generals whose strength held the Yi and Luo and eased Zhou concern for the east · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Strongly inferred · zhoushu:043:s0196, zhoushu:043:s0199
Assessment: His rule was simple and generous, and the people were content · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0225
Item: horses, armor, and spears / 馬并甲矟等 · Relation: captured · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 天和元年 · Regnal Year: 1 · Western Year: AD 566
Explicit · zhoushu:043:s0221

References in the histories

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

Book of Zhou, Chapter 43Volume 43 Biographies 35: Li Yansun; Wei You; Han Xiong; Chen Xin; Wei Xuan · 11 passages

Open chapter

李延孫韋祐韓雄陳忻魏玄 Biographies of Li Yansun, Wei You, Han Xiong, Chen Xin, and Wei Xuan

魏玄字僧智，任城人也。 Wei Xuan, whose courtesy name was Sengzhi, came from Rencheng.

玄少慷慨，有膽略。 From youth Xuan was high-spirited and bold, with courage and resource.

玄遂率募鄉曲，立義于關南，卽從韋法保與東魏司徒高敖曹戰於關口。 Xuan raised a loyal militia south of the passes and fought with Wei Fabao against Gao Aocao, Eastern Wei's Minister of Works, at the pass.

而玄母及弟並在宜陽。 Yet Xuan's mother and younger brother were both in Yiyang.

玄以為忠孝不兩立，及率義徒還關南鎮撫。 Xuan believed loyalty and filial duty could not both be fully honored, and he led his volunteers back south of the passes to hold the frontier.

玄率弘農、九曲、孔城、伏流四城士馬討平之。 Xuan led the forces of Hongnong, Jiuqu, Kong city, and Fulu and put down the rebellion.

孝閔帝踐阼，進爵為伯，增邑通前九百戶。 When Emperor Xiaomin took the throne, Xuan was raised to earl and his fief increased to a total of nine hundred households.

〔州〕總管尉遲綱遣玄率儀同宇文能、趙乾等步騎五百於鹿盧交南，邀擊東魏洛州刺史獨孤永業。 [zhou [in the received text]] Commander-in-Chief Yuchi Gang sent Xuan with Yitong Yuwen Neng, Zhao Gan, and five hundred foot and horse south of Lulu Crossing to ambush Dugu Yongye, Eastern Wei's governor of Luo province.

永業有眾二萬餘人，玄輕將五騎行前覘之，卒與之遇，便即交戰，殺傷數十人，獲馬并甲矟等，永業遂退。 Yongye had more than twenty thousand men. Xuan rode ahead with only five horsemen to scout, ran into them unexpectedly, and fought at once, killing and wounding dozens and seizing horses, armor, and spears before Yongye withdrew.

五年，齊將斛律明月率眾向宜陽，兵威甚盛，玄率兵禦之，每戰輒剋。 In the fifth year the Qi general Hulu Mingyue marched on Yiyang with overwhelming force; Xuan met him in battle and won every engagement.