Five Dynasties · Envoy and Official

Yao Kun 姚坤

Attested AD 926

Passages: 14
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Yao Kun was an envoy and Official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 926 明宗初纂嗣
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 56

Career and standing

palace attendant 供奉官
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 56

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Yelü Abaoji (阿保機) · Mode quotation Speaker Yao Kun (姚坤)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 59-60
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Mode quotation Speaker Yao Kun (姚坤)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 65, 67, 69, 78-79, 81

Events and relationships

Delivered condolence
AD 926 明宗初纂嗣 · Diplomatic · Envoy · With Yelü Abaoji (阿保機) · At Shenzhou 慎州 · Summary Carried Mingzong's mourning letter to Western Tower, then on to Shenzhou where Abaoji was campaigning in Bohai.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passages 56-57
Returned
AD 926 天成元年七月二十七日 · Diplomatic · Envoy · Summary Accompanied Lady Shulü's funeral train toward Western Tower, received word of the death, and returned.
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 137, passage 85

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 137Volume 137: Foreign States Biographies 1: Khitan · 14 passages

明宗初纂嗣，遣供奉官姚坤奉書告哀，至西樓邑，屬阿保機在渤海，又徑至慎州，崎嶇萬里。 When Emperor Mingzong first took the throne, he sent the palace attendant Yao Kun with a letter of condolence. Kun reached Western Tower, learned that Abaoji was campaigning in Bohai, and pressed on to Shenzhou across ten thousand li of hard country.

既至，謁見阿保機，延入穹廬，阿保機身長九尺，被錦袍，大帶垂後，與妻對榻引見坤。 When he arrived he was received by Abaoji in the royal tent. Abaoji stood nine chi tall, wore a brocade robe with a great belt hanging behind him, and with his wife on a facing couch received Kun.

坤未致命，阿保機先問曰：「聞爾漢土河南、河北各有一天子，信乎？」 Before Kun could deliver his message, Abaoji asked, "I hear that your Han lands now have one Son of Heaven south of the Yellow River and another north of it. Is that true?"

坤曰：「河南天子，今年四月一日洛陽軍變，今兇問至矣。 Kun said, "The Son of Heaven south of the river died in a military mutiny at Luoyang on the first day of the fourth month this year. The grievous news has only now reached us.

又謂坤曰：「今漢土天子，初聞洛陽有難，不急救，致令及此。」 He told Kun again, "Your new emperor heard of the disaster at Luoyang and did not hurry to help. That is how things came to this pass."

坤曰：「非不急切，地遠阻隔不及也。」 Kun said, "It was not for lack of urgency. The distance was too great and we could not arrive in time."

坤曰：「吾皇將兵二十年，位至大總管，所部精兵三十萬，眾口一心，聖堅推戴，違之則立見禍生，非不知稟天皇王意旨，無奈人心何。」 Kun said, "Our emperor has led armies for twenty years and commands three hundred thousand elite troops. Every man under him spoke as one. They pressed him to the throne, and to refuse would have brought immediate ruin. We do not ignore the Heavenly Emperor King's wishes, but we could not defy the will of the army."

其子托雲在側，謂坤曰：「漢使勿多談。」 His son Tuoyun, standing beside him, said to Kun, "Han envoy, say no more."

因引左氏牽牛蹊田之說以折坤，坤曰：「應天順人，不同匹夫之義，只如天皇王初領國事，豈是強取之耶！」 He cited the Zuo Commentary tale of the oxherd who trampled another's fields to rebuke Kun. Kun replied, "To follow Heaven and win the people's assent is not the same as a private quarrel. When you first took power, Heavenly Emperor King, was that by force alone?"

坤曰：「去年九月出兵，十一月十六日收下東、西川，得兵馬二十萬，金帛無算。 Kun said, "Our armies marched last year in the ninth month and on the sixteenth day of the eleventh month took both eastern and western Shu. We gained two hundred thousand troops and horses and untold gold and silks.

坤曰：「川路雖險，然先朝收復河南，有精兵四十萬，良馬十萬騎，但通人行處，便能去得，視劍閣如平地耳。」 Kun said, "The Shu roads are steep, but when the former dynasty recovered Henan it had four hundred thousand elite troops and one hundred thousand fine horses. Wherever a man can walk, an army can go. Sword Pass is level ground to us."

阿保機善漢語，謂坤曰：「吾解漢語，歷口不敢言，懼部人效我，令兵士怯弱故也。」 Abaoji was fluent in Chinese. He told Kun, "I understand your language, but I have never dared speak it openly, lest my tribes imitate me and my warriors grow soft."

坤至止三日，阿保機病傷寒。 Kun had been there only three days when Abaoji fell ill with a fever.

其妻舒嚕氏自率眾護其喪歸西樓，坤亦從行，得報而還。 His wife Lady Shulü led the funeral train back to Western Tower. Kun accompanied them, received word of the death, and returned.