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Overview Names Identity Roles Life and dates Family Career and standing Learning and skills Works and attributed material Events and relationships References in the histories
Overview The translated histories identify Yuan Yue as an aristocrat, official, and royal family member. This record brings together 28 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Yuan Yue
元悅
Yuan Yue
Title
Prince of Runan
汝南王
Runan wang
Title
Prince of Runan Yue
汝南王悅
Runan Wang Yue
Posthumous name
Wenzuan
文宣
Wenzuan
Given name
Yue
悅
Yue
Personal name
Yue
悅
Yue
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Roles Aristocrat Official Royal Family Member Life and dates Death Attested activity Source Date: Text: 出帝初Western Interval: Start: AD 532End: AD 534
Source Date: Text: 靈太后時期Western Interval: Start: AD 515End: AD 528
Source Date: Text: 魏末Western Interval: Start: AD 520End: AD 534
Family
Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.
Sibling of Yuan Yi (元懌) Kinship Term: brother / 兄弟Shared Parentage: full
Spouse of Lady Lu (閭氏) Kinship Term: consort / 妃Union Category: primary-marriage
Child of Emperor Xiaowen (孝文皇帝) Kinship Term: father / 父Parentage: biologicalSubject Role: fatherObject Role: son
Child of Lady Luo (羅夫人) Kinship Term: mother / 母Parentage: biologicalSubject Role: motherObject Role: son
Parent of Son of Yuan Yue (元悅子) Kinship Term: son / 子Parentage: biological
Career and standing Label: grand marshal / 大司馬Action: appointed
Label: palace attendant and grand marshal / 侍中、太尉Action: appointed
Label: Grand Marshal / 太尉Action: held
Title: Prince of Runan / 汝南王Action: held
Status: installed-as-Wei-rulerAction: installedLabel: Wei sovereign under Gengxing / 魏主，號年更興
Works and attributed material References in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 31 Volume 31 Biographies 23: Wang Xin; Wang Xi · 13 passages
昕少篤學讀書，太尉汝南王悅辟騎兵參軍。
In youth Xin was devoted to learning and reading; Grand Marshal Prince of Runan Yue engaged him as cavalry staff officer.
悅好逸遊，或騁騎信宿，昕輒棄還。
Yue loved idle wandering and sometimes galloped away for nights at a time; Xin would each time abandon the outing and return.
悅乃令騎馬在前，手為驅策。
Yue then had him ride in front and drove the horse with his own hand.
昕舍轡高拱，任為所之。
Xin let go the reins and sat with hands folded high, letting Yue take him wherever he would.
悅曰：「府望惟在此賢，不可責也。」
Yue said, "The house's hope is in this worthy alone; he cannot be blamed."
悅數散錢於地，令諸佐爭拾之，昕獨不拾。
Yue often scattered cash on the ground and had his staff scramble for it; Xin alone did not pick any up.
悅又散銀錢以目昕，昕乃取其一。
Yue scattered silver coins with his eye on Xin; Xin then took one.
悅與府僚飲酒，起自移床。
Yue drank with his household staff; he rose and moved the couch himself.
悅於是作色曰：「我帝孫帝子帝弟帝叔，今為宴適，親起輿床。
Yue then darkened his face and said, "I am the emperor's grandson, son, brother, and uncle; today at a feast I rise to move the couch myself.
對曰：「元景位望微劣，不足使殿下式瞻儀形，安敢以親王僚宷，從廝養之役。」
He replied, "Yuanjing's rank and standing are slight and low, unworthy of having Your Highness bow and show your bearing; how dare I, a prince's staff officer, follow menial service like groom and stable hand."
悅謝焉。
Yue apologized.
悅乃自詣呼之曰：「懷其才而忽府主，可謂仁乎？」
Yue then came in person and called, "You cherish talent yet slight the house master—can that be called humane?"
悅大笑而去。
Yue laughed loud and left.
Book of Wei, Chapter 27 Volume 22: Emperor Xiaowen's Five Princes · 15 passages
羅夫人生清河文獻王懌、汝南文宣王悅。
Lady Luo bore Yi, Prince of Qinghe (posthumous Wenxian), and Yue, Prince of Runan (posthumous Wenzuan).
愉在徐州，納妾李氏，本姓楊，東郡人，夜聞其歌，悅之，遂被寵嬖。
While Yu held Xuzhou he took a concubine, Lady Li—born Yang, from Dong commandery. He heard her sing one night, was delighted, and thereafter she held his favor.
汝南王悅，好讀佛經，覽書史。
Runan Wang Yue loved Buddhist sutras and historical books.
悅妃閭氏，即東海公之女也，生一子，不見禮答。
His consort Lady Lu, daughter of the Eastern Sea duke, bore a son yet won no courtesy.
有崔延夏者，以左道與悅遊，合服仙藥松朮之屬。
Cui Yanxia, a man of left-hand ways, joined Yue in taking immortality drugs of pine and atractylodes.
悅之出也，妃住於別第。
When Yue traveled his consort stayed in a separate house.
靈太后敕檢問之，引入，窮悅事故。
Empress Dowager Ling ordered an inquiry; the consort was brought in and Yue's conduct fully examined.
太后因悅之杖妃，乃下令禁斷。
Because Yue had beaten her, the dowager forbade such abuse.
及清河王懌為元叉所害，悅了無讎恨之意，乃以桑落酒候伺之，盡其私佞。
When Qinghe Wang Yi fell to Yuan Cha, Yue bore no grudge; he courted Cha with mulberry-fall wine and shameless flattery.
叉大喜，以悅為侍中、太尉。
Cha was delighted and made him palace attendant and grand marshal.
悅為大剉碓置於州門，[9]盜者便欲斬其手。
Yue placed a great crushing mortar at the province gate; [9] thieves he would have their hands cut off at once.
及齊獻武王既誅榮，以悅高祖子，宜承大業，乃令人示意。
After Duke Xianwu of Qi killed Rong, deeming Yue Gaozu's son fit for the throne, he sent word of his intent.
悅既至，清狂如故，動為罪失，不可扶持，乃止。
Yue arrived as reckless as ever; his acts were crimes—he could not be enthroned, and they desisted.
廣平早歲驕盈，汝南性致狂逸，揆其終始，俱不足論。
Guangping was arrogant and full in his early years, and Runan by nature ran to wild excess; judged from beginning to end, neither is worth discussing.
而悅以天人所棄，卒嬰猜懼之毒，蓋地逼之尤也。
Yet Yue, abandoned by Heaven and men, finally suffered the poison of suspicion and fear; this was likely the extreme result of a prince pressed too near the throne.