Yuan Zhengci (袁正辭)

Overview

Yuan Zhengci was an official.

PeriodFive Dynasties

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 120

Attested activity

AD 942 to AD 946 出帝時
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 120
AD 934 to AD 936 唐廢帝時
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 115
AD 936 晉高祖入立
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 116

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Yuan Jiao (袁泬)
elder brother 兄
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 112
Child of Yuan Xiangxian (袁象先)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 112

Career and standing

prefect of Quzhou 衢州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 115
prefect of Xiong 雄州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 117
Soaring Dragon deputy 飛龍副使
Appointed
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 114
prefect 刺史
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 112

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 45, passage 122

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 45Volume 45 Miscellaneous Biographies 25: Zhang Quanyi, Zhu Youqian, Yuan Xiangxian, Zhu Hanbin, Duan Ning, Liu Qi, Zhou Zhiyu, Lu Siduo · 8 passages

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象先二子，正辭官至刺史，泬周世宗時為橫海軍節度使。 He had two sons—Zhengci reached prefect; Jiao became Henghai military governor under Shizong of Zhou.

象先平生所積財產數千萬，邸舍四千間，其卒也，不以分諸子，而悉與正辭。 He had piled tens of millions and four thousand houses. At death he left his sons nothing and gave the whole hoard to Zhengci.

正辭初以父任為飛龍副使。 Zhengci first rode his father’s name into the Soaring Dragon guard as deputy.

正辭憚，不欲行，復獻錢數萬，乃得免。 Zhengci shrank from the posting, paid more cash, and bought his way out.

正辭不勝其忿，以衣帶自經，其家人救之而止。 Rage choked him; he looped his belt round his neck. Family pulled him down before he finished.

出帝時，又獻錢三萬緡、銀萬兩，出帝憐之，欲與一內郡，未及而卒。 Under the Deposed Emperor he paid thirty thousand strings and ten thousand taels of silver. The emperor meant to grant him an interior post, but Zhengci died first.

正辭積錢盈室，室中嘗有聲如牛，人以為妖，勸其散積以禳之。 Cash packed his rooms until the walls seemed to low like cattle. Neighbors called it a demon and begged him to spend the hoard to quiet it.

正辭曰：「吾聞物之有聲，求其同類爾，宜益以錢，聲必止。」 Zhengci said, “When things cry out they are calling their kind. Add more money—the noise will stop.”