Sui and Tang · Warlord

Yuan Junzhang 苑君璋

First attested AD 619; died AD 627

Passages: 16
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Yuan Junzhang was a warlord.

Life and dates

Death

AD 627 to AD 649 貞觀中
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 121

Attested activity

AD 619 to AD 622 劉武周以兵入寇
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 92, passages 94-95
AD 620 to AD 630 會頡利亦召之
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 92, passages 109, 118
AD 627 to AD 649 貞觀中
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 121

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Yuan Xiaozheng (孝政)
son 子
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 110

Career and standing

Governor of Anzhou 安州都督
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 119
Grand Executive 大行臺
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 99
Duke of Rui 芮國公
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 119

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Opposed then submitted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passages 95, 108
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Submitted to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passages 118-119
Polity Turks 突厥 · Relation Served then left
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passages 114, 118
Polity Turks 突厥 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passages 98-99
At Mayi 馬邑
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 94

Learning and skills

Skill statecraft despite illiteracy 不曉書，然天資習事 · Level noted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 120

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Liu Wuzhou (劉武周) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passages 95-96

Events and relationships

Advised against deep invasion
Political · Advisor · With Liu Wuzhou (劉武周)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passages 95-96
Led followers to tang
Political · Surrendered · With Khan Jieli (頡利)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 118
Night attack failed
Military · Commander · At Dai Prefecture 代州 · With Gao Manzheng (高滿政)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 99
Raided and was repelled
Military · Attacker · With Wang Xiaode (王孝德) · At Dai Prefecture 代州
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 101
Raided mayi and taiyuan
Military · Raider · With Khan Jieli (頡利)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 117
Seized and sent to turks
Diplomatic · Captor · With Yuan Pu (元普)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 114

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Stormed mayi and killed
Military · Commander · With Gao Manzheng (高滿政) · At Mayi 馬邑
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 107
Submitted and asked to atone on frontier
Political · Surrendered
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 108

Assessments and attributes

Assessment in every office won a reputation for fair dealing · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 120
Item brocade robes, sheep, and horses 錦裘羊馬 · Relation Received from · With Khan Jieli (頡利)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 114
Item four thousand bolts of silk and a 500-household fief 食五百戶，賜帛四千匹 · Relation Bestowed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 119

Source notes

Could not read but had a natural knack for affairs
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 120

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 92Volume 92 Biographies 17: Du, Kan, Wang, Li, Yuan, Luo, Wang · 16 passages

苑君璋，馬邑豪也，以趫雄自奮。 Yuan Junzhang was a powerful local figure of Mayi who prided himself on his fierce courage.

劉武周以兵入寇，君璋曰：「唐以一州兵掇取三輔，所向風靡，此殆天命，非人謀，不可爭也。 When Liu Wuzhou invaded with his army, Yuan Junzhang said, "Tang took the capital with the forces of a single province and swept all before them wherever they marched. This looks like Heaven's mandate, not mere human scheming. It cannot be opposed.

武周不聽，使君璋守朔州，引眾內侵，未幾敗，泣曰：「廢君言，乃至此！」 Liu Wuzhou would not heed him. He left Yuan Junzhang to guard Shuozhou and led his main force south to invade. Before long he was defeated. Weeping, he said, "I ignored your counsel, and now it has come to this!"

即與共趨突厥。 He then fled with Yuan Junzhang to the Turks.

武周死，突厥以君璋為大行臺，統武周部曲，使郁射設監兵，與舊將高滿政夜襲代州，不克。 After Liu Wuzhou died, the Turks appointed Yuan Junzhang Grand Executive and placed him in command of Wuzhou's former troops. They sent Yushe Shad to oversee the army; together with the veteran general Gao Manzheng, he launched a night attack on Dai Prefecture but failed to take it.

君璋拒命，進寇代州，刺史王孝德拒卻之。 Yuan Junzhang refused to obey and marched against Dai Prefecture. The prefect Wang Xiaode drove him back.

滿政勸君璋曰：「夷狄無禮，豈可北面臣之？ Gao Manzheng urged Yuan Junzhang, saying, "The barbarians know no propriety. How can we bow north and serve them as subjects?

君璋不從。 Yuan Junzhang would not agree.

而馬邑困於兵，人厭亂，滿政因眾不忍，夜脅君璋，君璋奔突厥。 Mayi was ravaged by warfare and the people were sick of chaos. Gao Manzheng played on their discontent and by night forced Yuan Junzhang's hand. Junzhang fled to the Turks.

君璋引突厥攻陷馬邑，殺滿政，夷其黨，乃去，退保恒安。 Yuan Junzhang led the Turks to storm Mayi, killed Gao Manzheng, and wiped out his followers. He then withdrew to hold Heng'an.

其部皆中國人，多叛去，君璋窮，乃降，自請鄣虜贖罪。 Most of his followers were Chinese subjects, and many deserted him. Reduced to desperation, Yuan Junzhang surrendered and asked to be posted on the frontier to redeem his crimes.

高祖遣雁門人元普賜金券，會頡利亦召之，意猶豫。 Emperor Gaozu sent Yuan Pu of Yanmen to present a gold bond of safe conduct. At the same time Khan Jieli summoned him as well, and Yuan Junzhang wavered between the two.

即單騎南奔，君璋喻返之，召眾與議。 He spurred his horse south alone to defect. Yuan Junzhang sent after him and called the leaders together for counsel.

君璋然之，執元普送突厥，頡利德之，遣以錦裘羊馬。 Yuan Junzhang agreed, seized Yuan Pu, and handed him over to the Turks. Jieli was pleased and sent him brocade robes, sheep, and horses in reward.

孝政懼，欲自歸，為君璋所拘。 Yuan Xiaozheng, in fear, tried to defect on his own but Yuan Junzhang had him detained.

君璋不曉書，然天資習事，歷職有惠稱。 Yuan Junzhang could not read, yet he had a natural knack for affairs of state, and in every office he won a reputation for fair dealing.