Wen Tao (溫韜) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Wen Tao as a bandit, general, official, and warlord. 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	Wen Tao	溫韜	Wen Tao
Changed name	Shaochong	紹衝	Shaochong
Personal name	Wen Tao	溫韜	Wen Tao
Alternate name	Yan Tao	彥韜	Yan Tao
Changed name	Zhaotu	昭圖	Zhaotu

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · jiuwudaishi:073:s0044

Roles

Bandit
General
Official
Warlord

Life and dates

Death

Manner: ordered suicide · Place: Dezhou / 德州 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 明宗即位 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0055

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 同光初 · Western Year: AD 923
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0053
Source Date: Text: 天成中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 926 · End: AD 930
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0043
Source Date: Text: 明宗即位 · Western Year: AD 926
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0055

Family

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

Parent of Wen Yanjun (延浚)
Kinship Term: eldest son / 長子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 1
Parent of Wen Yanzhao (延招)
Kinship Term: second son / 次 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 2
Parent of Wen Yanmao (延袤)
Kinship Term: third son / 次 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 3

Career and standing

Label: acting Grand Commandant and Grand Councilor / 檢校太尉、平章事 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0049
Label: military commissioner of Yaozhou / 耀州節度 · Action: held
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0046
Label: military commissioner of Xuzhou / 許州節度使 · Action: transferred
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0049
Status: exile · Action: sentenced · Place: Dezhou / 德州
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0055

Places and affiliations

Place: Huayuan / 華原
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0044

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: executioner · Action: beheaded · Other Person Id: Zhao Yan (趙岩)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0052
Kind: criminal · Role: perpetrator · Action: looted-tombs · Place: Tang imperial tombs / 唐諸陵
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0046
Relation: client-of · Person Id: Li Maozhen (李茂貞)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0045
Relation: patron-client-with · Person Id: Zhao Yan (趙岩)
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0050

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: opened imperial tombs; crimes beyond execution · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0145

Source notes

From: Yan Tao / 彥韜 · To: Zhaotu / 昭圖
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0045
To: Shaochong / 紹衝 · Note: granted imperial surname
Explicit · jiuwudaishi:073:s0054

References in the histories

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

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 11 passages

Open chapter

天成中，與溫韜等同詔賜死。 During the Tiancheng era he was, by imperial edict together with Wen Tao and others, commanded to take his own life.

溫韜，華原人。 Wen Tao came from Huayuan.

少為盜，據華原，事李茂貞，名彥韜，後降於梁，更名昭圖。 As a youth he turned bandit, seized control of Huayuan, and entered Li Maozhen's service under the name Yan Tao. He later surrendered to the Liang and took the name Zhaotu.

韜素善趙岩，每依附之。 Tao had long been close to Zhao Yan and habitually relied on his patronage.

莊宗入汴，岩恃韜與己素厚，遂奔許州。 When Emperor Zhuangzong entered Bian, Yan counted on his long friendship with Tao and fled to Xuzhou.

韜延之於第，斬首傳送闕下。 Tao received him at his residence, beheaded him, and sent the head to the imperial court.

同光初，韜來朝，郭崇韜曰：「此劫陵賊，罪不可赦。」 Early in the Tongguang era, Tao came to court. Guo Chongtao said, "This tomb-raiding bandit—his crime cannot be forgiven."

韜納賂劉後，賜姓，名紹衝，遽遣還鎮。 Tao bribed Empress Liu, was granted the imperial surname and the name Shaochong, and was promptly sent back to his post.

明宗至洛陽，霍彥威怒其前事，與溫韜同收下獄，詔釋之，放歸田里。 When Emperor Mingzong reached Luoyang, Huo Yanwei, angry at his past conduct, had him imprisoned together with Wen Tao. An edict released them and sent them back to their homes.

明年，竄於遼州，竟與溫韜同製賜死。 The following year he fled to Liaozhou and was ultimately, by edict together with Wen Tao, commanded to take his own life.

如毛璋之儔，可謂積惡而滅其身矣，況溫韜之發陵寢，段凝之敗國家，罪不容誅，死猶差晚。 Men like Mao Zhang may be said to have accumulated evil until it destroyed them; how much more Wen Tao, who opened imperial tombs, and Duan Ning, who ruined the state—their crimes were beyond what execution could answer, and even death came too late.