Five Dynasties · Ruler and Warlord

Wuhuang 武皇

Wǔhuáng

First attested AD 895; died AD 908

Passages: 16
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wuhuang was a ruler and Warlord.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Temple name	Taizu	太祖	Tàizǔ

Life and dates

Death

Date Source Date: Text: 天祐五年春正月 · Regnal Year: 5 · Western Year: AD 908 · At Jinyang 晉陽 · Illness
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 33-34

Attested activity

AD 908 天祐五年春正月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 33-34
AD 901 to AD 907 及安塞不利之後
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 20
AD 895 帝時年十一
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 6

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Zhuangzong (莊宗)
eldest son 長子 · paternal line
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 1
Spouse of Empress Zhenjian (貞簡皇后)
empress 皇后 · Primary marriage
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 2
Parent of Li Cunhao (李存顥)
illegitimate son 庶孽 · Uncertain parentage
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 46, 48
Sibling of Kening (克寧)
late elder brother 亡兄 · Uncertain siblings · paternal line
late elder brother 亡兄 · paternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 41, 44

Kinship Role illegitimate sons · Quantity six or seven · dressed and ranked like heirs, older than the successor, each with strong troops
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 46

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 34
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 6, 17

Works and attributed material

Deathbed charge · Speaker · Addressed to Zhang Chengye (張承業) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 33

Events and relationships

Campaigned against
Military · Commander · With Wang Xingyu (王行瑜)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 6
Levied Yan and took Luzhou
Military · Commander · With Ding Hui (丁會)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 32
Raised uprising
Military · Commander · At Yunzhong 雲中
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passage 17

Assessments and attributes

Assessment lax in restraining troops · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 27, passages 18-19

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 27Volume 27 Book of Later Tang 3: Zhuangzong Annals 1 · 16 passages

莊宗光聖神閔孝皇帝，諱存勖，武皇帝之長子也。 Zhuangzong, the Guangsheng Shenmin Xiao emperor, bore the taboo name Cunxu and was Wuhuang's eldest son.

及為嬰兒，體貌奇特，沈厚不群，武皇特所鍾愛。 Even as a baby he looked unusual—solemn and apart—and Wuhuang doted on him.

及武皇之討王行瑜，帝時年十一，從行。 When Wuhuang marched against Wang Xingyu, Cunxu was eleven and went with him.

武皇起義雲中，部下皆北邊勁兵，及破賊迎鑾，功居第一。 Wuhuang's uprising at Yunzhong drew elite northern soldiers; when he crushed the rebels and escorted the emperor home, his merit stood first.

武皇緩於禁制，惟帝不平之，因從容啟於武皇，武皇依違之。 Wuhuang enforced little discipline; only Cunxu minded it and spoke to him gently, but Wuhuang could not decide.

及安塞不利之後，時事多難，梁將氏叔琮、康懷英頻犯郊圻，土疆日蹙，城門之外，鞠為戰場，武皇憂形於色。 After Anse went badly, troubles multiplied: Liang's Shi Shuzong and Kang Huaiying harried the suburbs, the frontier shrank daily, and fighting reached the city gates until worry showed on Wuhuang's face.

大人當遵養時晦，以待其衰，何事輕為沮喪！」 Father should hide your strength and wait for their fall—why sink into despair!"

太祖釋然，因奉觴作樂而罷。 Wuhuang brightened, drank a toast, had music played, and the mood lifted.

及滄州劉守文為梁朝所攻，其父仁恭遣使乞師，武皇恨其翻覆，不時許之。 When Liang besieged Liu Shouwen at Cangzhou, his father Rengong asked for aid; Wuhuang, angry at their past treachery, held back.

太祖乃征兵於燕，攻取潞州，既而丁會果以城來降。 Wuhuang then levied Yan, seized Luzhou, and Ding Hui did surrender the city.

天祐五年春正月，武皇疾篤，召監軍張承業、大將吳珙謂曰：「吾常愛此子志氣遠大，可付後事，惟卿等所教。」 In the first month of Tianyou 5 Wuhuang lay dying; he called Zhang Chengye and Wu Gong and said, "I have always prized this boy's great spirit—entrust what follows to him and teach him well."

及武皇厭代，帝乃嗣王位於晉陽，時年二十有四。 When Wuhuang died, Cunxu took the throne at Jinyang at twenty-four.

且君父厭世，嗣主未立，竊慮凶猾不逞之徒，有懷覬望。 The ruler is dead and no successor sits firm—I fear the wicked will plot.

克寧曰：「亡兄遺命，屬在我兒，孰敢異議！」 Kening replied, "My brother's charge is on this boy—who would object!"

初，武皇獎勵戎功，多畜庶孽，衣服禮秩如嫡者六七輩，比之嗣王，年齒又長，部下各綰強兵，朝夕聚議，欲謀為亂。 Wuhuang had rewarded warriors with many bastard sons—six or seven dressed and ranked like heirs, older than the heir, each with strong troops, meeting daily to plot revolt.

承業曰：「臣受命先王，言猶在耳。 Chengye said, "I took orders from the late king—his words still ring.