Yan Zhenqing (顏真卿)

Overview

Yan Zhenqing was a Calligrapher and Official.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Age

Years 80 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 161, passage 36

Attested activity

AD 757 to AD 770 Zhexi military governorship after the rebellion
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 194, passage 89
AD 766 to AD 780 劉晏理財用事之世
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 256
AD 766 to AD 779 大歷中
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 161, passage 26
AD 747 天寶六年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 4
AD 755 安祿山亂
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 194, passage 68
AD 760 to AD 784 少時
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 198

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AD 780 to AD 805 德宗朝
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 143, passage 16
AD 762 to AD 763 時顏真卿以文學正直出為利州刺史
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 9-10
AD 756 to AD 757 炅在圍中一年
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 23
AD 750 to AD 784 顏
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 92
AD 709 to AD 785 顏平原
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 218
AD 758 to AD 784 顏平原書風
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 152
AD 756 to AD 784 顏真卿
Directly stated · History of Song 408, passage 221

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Elder brother of Yan Zhenqing (顏真卿兄)
elder brother 兄
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 161, passage 29
Parent of Yan Yun (顏頵)
father 父
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 161, passage 42

Key source chapters

Career and standing

calligrapher 書家
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 218
Prefect of Pingyuan 平原太守
AD 755 安祿山亂 · Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 68
investigating censor 監察御史
Held · From Source Date: Text: 天寶六年 · Western Year: AD 747
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 4
Military Governor of Zhexi 浙西節度使
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 89
prefect of Lizhou 利州刺史
Posted
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 9
Ministry of Revenue 戶部
Proposed as successor
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 9

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Lived under
Strongly inferred · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 152
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passages 4, 23; New Book of Tang 194, passages 68, 89
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 198, 256; Draft History of Qing 503, passages 92, 218; History of Song 408, passage 221
AD 747 天寶六年
At Longyou 隴右 · Relation Traveled to
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 4
At Hebei 河北 · Relation Traveled from · From Source Date: Text: 至五月 · Western Year: AD 756 · Until Source Date: Text: 至德二年五月十五日 · Western Year: AD 757
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 23
At Xiangyang 襄陽 · Relation Sojourned · From Source Date: Text: 至五月 · Western Year: AD 756 · Until Source Date: Text: 至德二年五月十五日 · Western Year: AD 757
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 23

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At Lizhou 利州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 9

Learning and skills

Skill calligraphy method (Yan Pingyuan method) 顏平原法 · Level canonical · Domain calligraphy 書
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 218
Skill calligraphy 書 · Level canonical-model
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 152
Skill calligraphy 書 · Level model
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 503, passage 92

Works and attributed material

Proposal · Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 143, passage 16
Speech · Speaker · With Ge Shuhan (哥舒翰) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 4
Speech · Speaker · With Wei Zhongxi (魏仲犀) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passages 23-26

Events and relationships

Gave courtesy name and memorialized appointment
Recommendation · Recommender · With Wang Shao (王紹)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 198
Provided troops that preserved a commandery
Military · Commander · With Liu Shi (柳識)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 68
Recommended Quan Gao as marching sima
Political · Recommender · With Quan Gao (權臯)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 89
Stopped
Travel · Traveler · At Xiangyang 襄陽 · From Hebei 河北 · From Source Date: Text: 至五月 · Western Year: AD 756 · Until Source Date: Text: 至德二年五月十五日 · Western Year: AD 757
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 23
Traveled
AD 747 天寶六年 · Travel · Envoy · At Longyou 隴右
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 4
Captivity · Captive · With Li Xilie (李希烈)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 161, passage 29

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Relation Recommended by · Person Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 256
Relation Recommended successor by · Person Liu Yan (劉晏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 9
Relation Adviser of · Person Wei Zhongxi (魏仲犀)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 114, passage 23
Relation Patron of · Person Wang Shao (王紹)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 198

Assessments and attributes

Assessment admired for literary learning and uprightness · 以文學正直 · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passage 9
Assessment model of how one must be in office · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Chen Mi (陳宓)
Directly stated · History of Song 408, passage 221

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 127, passages 9, 198

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 114Volume 110 Biographies 60: Li Guangbi, Wang Sili, Deng Jingshan, Xin Yunjing · 2 passages

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顏真卿為監察御史，使至隴右，翰嘗設宴，真卿謂翰曰：「中丞自郎將授將軍，便登節制，後生可畏，得無人乎？」 When Yan Zhenqing served as investigating censor and traveled to Longyou, Geshu Han once held a feast. Zhenqing said to him, "You rose from commandant to general and at once took a frontier command—there is much to fear in the young; surely you have capable men?"

顏真卿適自河北次於襄陽，謂仲犀曰：「曹使既果決，不顧萬死之地，何得沮之！ Yan Zhenqing, just arrived in Xiangyang from Hebei, told Zhongxi, "Commissioner Cao is so determined that he does not fear death itself—how can you hold him back?

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 127Volume 123 Biographies 73: Liu Yan, Di Wuqi, Ban Hong, Ban Shao, Li Xun · 3 passages

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時顏真卿以文學正直出為利州刺史，晏舉真卿自代為戶部，乃加國子祭酒。 When Yan Zhenqing, admired for scholarship and integrity, had been posted to Lizhou, Liu Yan proposed that Zhenqing succeed him at the Ministry of Revenue and was himself made chancellor of the national university in addition.

少時，顏真卿器重之，因紹舊名，字之曰德素，奏授武康尉。 In his youth Yan Zhenqing took a liking to him, gave him the courtesy name Desu because of his former name, and had him appointed assistant magistrate of Wukang.

舉真卿才，忠也，減王縉罪，正也，忠正之道，復出於人，嗚呼！ To recommend Yan Zhenqing showed loyalty; to lighten Wang Jin's punishment showed integrity. The virtues of loyalty and righteousness lived again in a single man—alas!

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 143Volume 143: Treatises 5 Rites 2 · 1 passage

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昔德宗朝，將行禘祫之禮，顏真卿議請奉獻祖居東向之位，景皇帝暫居昭穆之列，考之於貞元，則以為誤，行之於今日，正得其禮。 In Dezong's reign, when di and collective sacrifices were planned, Yan Zhenqing proposed placing Xianzu in the east-facing seat and Emperor Jing temporarily in the zhao-mu ranks; judged by Zhenyuan standards that had been an error, but applied today it would be exactly proper ritual.

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 503Volume 503 Biographies 290: Yi Shu Er · 3 passages

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初法顏、柳，中年用米法，七十後乃變化。 He began by studying Yan Zhenqing and Liu Gongquan; in midlife he adopted Mi Fu's manner; only after seventy did his style fully mature into something his own.

書學顏平原、李北海，嘗曰：「古人用兔毫，故書有中線，今用羊毫，其精者乃成雙鉤。 He studied the manners of Yan Zhenqing and Li Yong of Beihai and once remarked, 'The ancients used rabbit-hair brushes, so their writing showed a central line; today we use goat hair, and only the finest work achieves the double hook.

紹基宗顏平原法，晚復出入漢分； He Shaoji followed the manner of Yan Zhenqing and in later life again moved freely in and out of Han clerical script;

History of Song, Chapter 408Volume 408 Biographies 167: Wu Changyi, Wang Gang, Chen Mi, Wang Ting · 1 passage

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自言居官必如顏真卿，居家必如陶潛，而深愛諸葛亮身死家無餘財，庫無餘帛。 He said that in office one must be like Yan Zhenqing, at home like Tao Qian, and he deeply admired Zhuge Liang, who at death left his family no surplus wealth and the treasury no surplus cloth.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 161Volume 161 Biographies 86: Zhang, Zhao, Li, Zheng, Xu, Wang, Feng, Yu · 8 passages

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初，為顏真卿嘆賞。 Early on he won Yan Zhenqing's admiration.

真卿為李希烈所拘，遣兄子峴及家仆奏事，五輩皆留內客省，不得出。 Zhenqing, held captive by Li Xilie, sent his elder brother's son Xian and household servants to present memorials; all five delegations were detained at the Internal Guests Office and could not leave.

去正月中，真卿奉使淮西，期不先戒，行無素備。 Last first month, Zhenqing went on mission to Huaixi without prior warning and set out without his usual preparations.

周曾奮發於外，韋清伺應於內，希烈蒼黃窘迫，奔固舊穴，蓋真卿義風所激也。 Zhou Zeng roused himself from without and Wei Qing watched for opportunity within; Xilie, flustered and hard pressed, fled to fortify his old lair—largely stirred by Zhenqing's righteous example.

真卿逮事四朝，為國元老，忠直孝友，羽儀王室。 Zhenqing had served four reigns as a senior statesman of the realm, loyal, upright, filial, and friendly—a model ornament to the royal house.

此三人留之無益，請寘境上以贖真卿，先降詔書，分明諭告。 Keeping these three persons gains nothing; please place them on the border to ransom Zhenqing, first issuing an edict that clearly announces this policy.

且希烈知真卿人望，不敢加害，既無嫌隙，但因循未遣耳。 Moreover Xilie knows Zhenqing's standing among men and dares not harm him; there is no grudge between them, but he has simply procrastinated in not sending him back.

臣又聞真卿所遣兄子峴及家僮從官奉表來者五輩，皆留中，其子頵等拳拳實希一見，望許休澣，告以安否。 I have also heard that Xian, the nephew Zhenqing sent, and the household servants and attending officials who came bearing memorials—five delegations in all—are all held within the palace; his son Yun and others earnestly hope for a single audience; I beg that they be allowed leave days and told whether he is safe.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 194Volume 194 Biographies 119: Outstanding Conduct · 2 passages

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安祿山亂，客清河，為乞師平原太守顏真卿，一郡獲全。 During An Lushan's rebellion he stayed in Qinghe and begged Yan Zhenqing, prefect of Pingyuan, for troops, thereby preserving an entire commandery.

浙西節度使顏真卿表為行軍司馬，召拜起居舍人，固辭。 Yan Zhenqing, military governor of Zhexi, recommended him as marching sima; he was summoned as Imperial Diarist but firmly declined.