Yuan Zhen (元稹) | 24 Histories

Overview

Yuan Zhen was an official and Writer.

PeriodSui and Tang

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 806 to AD 820 元和中
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 194, passages 127, 129
AD 809 to AD 810 元和四年後
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 228
AD 815 to AD 831 元稹節度武昌
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 175, passage 48
AD 821 唐元和长庆间
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 12, passage 180
AD 819 在同州時
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passages 142, 146
AD 779 to AD 831 於事多遺忘，言元稹不應進士，以父元魯山名進故也，多如此類。
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 88

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AD 820 to AD 824 穆宗
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 181, passages 72, 74
AD 821 to AD 823 穆宗時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 173, passages 121, 124
c. AD 821 to c. AD 824 長慶
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 57

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Yuan Lushan (元魯山)
father 父
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 71, passage 88

Key source chapters

Career and standing

chief minister 宰相
AD 821 to AD 823 穆宗時 · Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 124
chief minister 宰相
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 74
Investigating Censor 監察御史
AD 809 元和四年 · Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 228
Tong Prefecture governor 同州刺史
AD 819 在同州時 · Held · At Tong Prefecture 同州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passages 142, 146
close court office 近職
AD 821 to AD 823 穆宗時 · Removed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 123
Removed
Dismissed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 74

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passage 142; New Book of Tang 144, passage 228; New Book of Tang 194, passage 129
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 173, passage 121
At East River 東川 · Relation Sent on mission to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 228
At Tong Prefecture 同州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passages 142, 146

Works and attributed material

Changqing Collection 長慶集
Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passage 146
collected writings 文集
Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passage 142
Equal-Field Diagram 均田图
Relation Author
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 12, passage 180
Equal-Field Memorial 均田表
Relation Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passages 146, 148
letter to Han Yu at the History Office 移書史館修撰韓愈
Relation Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 129
AD 809 元和四年
Impeachment · Author · With Yan Li (嚴礪)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 228

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Letter · Author · With Han Yu (韓愈)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passages 129-134
Equal-Field Memorial 均田表
Memorial · Author
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passages 142, 146, 148

Events and relationships

Exposed corruption and requested malign posthumous title
AD 809 to AD 810 元和四年後 · Impeachment · Censor · With Yan Li (嚴礪) · At East River 東川
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 144, passage 228
Memorialized on equalizing household rent and tax
Administrative · Author · At Tong Prefecture 同州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passages 142, 146
Obstructed
AD 821 to AD 823 穆宗時 · Political · Schemer · With Pei Du (裴度)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 121
Styled one of three talents
Political · Member · With Li Shen (李紳)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 181, passage 72
Relation Friend of · Person Zhen Feng (逢)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 194, passage 129
Relation Political ally of · Person Wei Hongjian (魏弘簡)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 121

Assessments and attributes

Assessment faults-and-wickedness · Mode allegation Source Person Id Pei Du (裴度)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 122

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 118, passage 142; New Book of Tang 144, passage 228; New Book of Tang 172, passage 57; New Book of Tang 173, passage 121

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 71Volume 71 Book of Later Tang 47: Biographies 23: Ma Yu, Si Kongting, Cao Tingyin, Xiao Xifu, Yao Zongzhi, Jia Fu, Ma Gao, Luo Guan, Chun Yuyan, Zhang Ge, Xu Ji, Zhou Xuanbao · 1 passage

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於事多遺忘，言元稹不應進士，以父元魯山名進故也，多如此類。 He often forgot things; he claimed Yuan Zhen should never have taken the jinshi because he had advanced by his father Yuan Lushan's name—errors of that sort were common with him.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 118Volume 118 Book of Later Zhou 20: Shizong Annals 5 · 3 passages

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唐同州刺史元稹，在郡日奏均戶民租賦，帝因覽其文集而善之，乃寫其辭為圖，以賜藩郡。 Tang Tong Prefecture governor Yuan Zhen, while in office, had memorialized on equalizing household rent and tax. The emperor, reading his collected writings and approving them, copied his words into a chart to bestow on the frontier commanderies.

近覽元稹《長慶集》，見在同州時所上《均田表》，較當時之利病，曲盡其情，俾一境之生靈，鹹受其賜，傳於方冊，可得披尋。 Recently reading Yuan Zhen's 《Changqing Collection》, I saw the Equal-Field Memorial he submitted while at Tong Prefecture, comparing the benefits and harms of the time in full detail so that the people of one circuit all received its benefit. Transmitted in the records, it can be opened and examined.

今賜元稹所奏《均田圖》一面，至可領也。）〉 One copy of the Equal-Field Chart memorialized by Yuan Zhen is now bestowed; you may receive it.)〉

New Book of Tang, Chapter 144Volume 144 Biographies 69: Lai, Tian, Hou, Cui, Yan · 1 passage

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後監察御史元稹奉使東川，劾發其贓，請加惡謚。 Later, investigating censor Yuan Zhen, on mission to East River, exposed his corruption and asked that a demeaning posthumous title be granted.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 2 passages

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方，長慶時以勛家子通豪俠，欲事河朔，以策幹宰相元稹。 During Changqing, Fang, scion of a meritorious house and friend to men of daring, sought a career in Hebei and brought his plans to Chief Minister Yuan Zhen.

而李逢吉黨謀傾執政，乃告稹結客刺裴度，事下有司，驗無狀，方坐誅。 Li Fengji's faction, plotting to oust the chief minister, accused Zhen of hiring assassins to kill Pei Du; though the inquiry found no proof, Fang was executed anyway.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 173Volume 173 Biographies 98: Pei Du · 4 passages

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時元稹顯結宦官魏弘簡求執政，憚度復當國，因經制軍事，數居中持梗，不使有功。 Yuan Zhen had openly allied with the eunuch Wei Hongjian to seize power. Fearing Du's return to office, he used his control of military affairs to block Du repeatedly and deny him any success.

度恐亂作，即上書痛暴稹過惡。 Fearing disorder, Du memorialized at once, denouncing Yuan Zhen's crimes in the strongest terms.

帝不得已，罷弘簡、稹近職。 The emperor had no choice but to remove Hongjian and Zhen from their posts at court.

俄擢稹宰相，以度守司空、平章事、東都留守。 Before long Yuan Zhen was made chief minister anyway, while Du was left as acting Minister of Works, grand councillor, and regent of the eastern capital.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 175Volume 175 Biographies 100: Dou, Liu, Two Zhangs, Yang, Xiong, Bai · 1 passage

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元稹節度武昌，奏鞏自副，卒。 Yuan Zhen, commissioner at Wuchang, had Gong appointed his aide; Gong died in that post.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 181Volume 181 Biographies 106: Chen, Three Li's, Cao, Liu · 2 passages

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穆宗召為右拾遺、翰林學士，與李德裕、元稹同時，號「三俊」。 Muzong made him right remonstrance official and Hanlin academician; with Li Deyu and Yuan Zhen he was called one of the 'Three Talents.'

稹為宰相，而李逢吉教人告於方事，稹遂罷； When Zhen became chief minister, Li Fengji engineered an accusation in the Yu Fang affair and had him dismissed;

New Book of Tang, Chapter 194Volume 194 Biographies 119: Outstanding Conduct · 1 passage

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而逢與元稹善，稹移書於史館修撰韓愈曰：「濟棄去祿山，及其反，有名號，又逼致之，執不起，卒不汙其名。 Feng was friendly with Yuan Zhen; Zhen wrote to Han Yu at the History Office, saying: "Ji left Lushan's service; when Lushan rebelled he bore an office title, and though they forced him to come he would not rise and never stained his name.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 12Volume 12 Later Zhou Annals 3: Shizong, Emperor Gong · 1 passage

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尝夜读书，见唐元稹《均田图》，慨然叹曰：「此致治之本也，王者之政自此始！」 One night, reading, he came upon Tang Yuan Zhen’s Equal-Field Diagram and sighed: “Here is the root of good order—royal government begins with this!”