Yuwen Zhi (宇文直) | 24 Histories

Overview

Yuwen Zhi was a Duke of Wei; imperial brother.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Douluotu	豆羅突	Douluotu
Posthumous name	Prince of Wei the Impetuous	衛剌王	Wei La Wang

Life and dates

Death

AD 574 尋而更有異志，遂誅之
Cause Execution for further treasonous intent
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34

Attested activity

AD 574 建德三年
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 22
AD 561 保定初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passages 8, 10
AD 567 光大元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Chen 20, passage 118
AD 566 to AD 572 天和中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passages 11-13
AD 567 天和二年
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 46, passage 155
AD 572 建德初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 10, passage 175

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AD 559 武成元年三月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 4, passage 81
AD 559 武成初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passage 7
AD 572 to AD 574 護執政至建德三年直反誅
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passages 15, 18, 22, 30, 34
AD 556 魏恭帝三年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passage 6

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Empress Wen Xuan (文宣皇后叱奴氏)
bore 生
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 3
Child of Yuwen Tai (周文帝)
imperial younger brother 皇弟 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 4, passages 1, 131
Sibling of Emperor Ming of Northern Zhou (周明帝)
imperial younger brother 皇弟 · Uncertain siblings
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 4, passages 81, 131
Child of Yuwen Tai (文帝)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 3
Parent of Gong (貢)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Xiang (響)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Qiancong (乾悰)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Qianzao (乾璪)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Jia (賈)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Sai (塞)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Mi (秘)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of He (賀)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Jin (津)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Qianli (乾理)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Parent of Yuwen Bin (宇文賓)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 10, passage 175
Sibling of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (周武)
uterine younger brother 母弟 · Full siblings
uterine younger brother 同母弟 · Maternal half siblings
younger brother 弟
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Zhou 13, passages 3, 14; Book of Chen 20, passage 118
Sibling of Yuwen Xian (宇文憲)
younger brother 弟
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 20, 25

Kinship Role sons · Count 10
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Kinship Role children · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 25-26

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

Lineage Yuwen 宇文
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 5

Career and standing

pillar-of-state 柱國
AD 561 保定初 · Advanced
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 8
commander-in-chief of Xiang Province 襄州總管
AD 561 保定初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 8, 10
governor of Yong Province 雍州牧
AD 561 保定初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 8
grand general 大將軍
AD 559 武成初 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 7
grand minister of education 大司徒
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 21
grand minister of works 大司空
AD 561 保定初 · Transferred
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 8

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fief 國
Abolished
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
Duke of Wei 衛國公
AD 559 武成初 · Advanced · Households 10000
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 7
Duke of Qin commandery 秦郡公
AD 556 魏恭帝三年 · Enfeoffed · Households 1000
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 6
prince 王
AD 574 建德三年 · Advanced
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 22
Duke of Wei 衛國公
AD 560 辛未 · Advanced
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 130
Reduced to
Commoner
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 33
Resented dismissal
Dismissed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 16
Dismissed from office
AD 566 to AD 572 天和中 · Dismissal
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 13
execution 誅
Executed
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 34
imprisonment in a separate palace 囚於別宮
Imprisoned
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 33

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Zhou 北周 · Relation Member of
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passage 3
Polity Northern Zhou 北周 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 15, 22
Polity Northern Zhou 周 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Chen 20, passage 118
AD 561 保定初
At Xiang Province 襄州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 10
AD 559 武成元年三月
At Pu Province 蒲州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 4, passage 81
AD 559 武成初
At Pu Province 蒲州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 7

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At abandoned Siji Buddhist temple 廢陟屺佛寺 · Relation Sought residence at
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 24
At Eastern Palace 東宮 · Relation Former residence taken for
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 23
At the capital 京師 · Relation Was in
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 30

Works and attributed material

AD 566 to AD 572 天和中
Edict · Ordered commander
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 11
Petition · Speaker · With Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (周武)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 16
Speech · Speaker · With Yuwen Xian (宇文憲) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 26

Events and relationships

Broke hunting formation and was flogged
Ritual · Participant · With Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (周武)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 28
Fled captured at Jing
Military · Fugitive · At Jing Province 荊州
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 33
Plotted execution of Hu
Political · Conspirator · With Yuwen Hu (宇文護)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 17
Raised troops and attacked Suzhang Gate
AD 574 帝幸雲陽宮時 · Military · Rebel leader · At Suzhang Gate 肅章門
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passage 30
grand marshal 大司馬
Political · Petitioner · Requested grand marshal
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 19
Sided against emperor while favoring Hu
Political · Partisan · With Yuwen Hu (宇文護)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 15

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Supervised relief and fought
AD 566 to AD 572 天和中 · Military · Commander · At Dun mouth 沌口 · Outcome Defeat
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 11-12
Urged removal of Hu
Political · Petitioner · With Yuwen Hu (宇文護) · At after return from Dun mouth 沌口還
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 16

Assessments and attributes

Assessment frivolous, deceitful, greedy, ruthless, and unrestrained · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 14
Assessment resentment deepened after public flogging · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 29

Source notes

province name may read Liang before Xiang
Field posting-place · Variant Liang 梁
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 9
Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passages 5, 14

References in the histories

Search passages

History

25 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 20Volume 20: Dao Zhongju; Han Zigao; Hua Jiao · 1 passage

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周武又遣其弟衛國公宇文直率眾屯魯山，又遣其柱國長胡公拓跋定人馬三萬，攻圍郢州。 Emperor Wu of Zhou also sent his brother the Duke of Weiguo, Yuwen Zhi, to camp at Lushan, and his pillar of state Tuoba Ding with thirty thousand troops to besiege Yingzhou.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 4Volume 4 Annals 4: Emperor Ming · 2 passages

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秦郡公直鎮蒲州。 Yuwen Zhi, Duke of Qin commandery, garrisoned Pu Province.

辛未，進封輔城公邕為魯國公，安城公憲為齊國公，秦郡公直為衛國公，正平公招為趙國公。 On xinwei day Yuwen Yong, Duke of Fucheng, was promoted to Duke of Lu; Yuwen Xian of Ancheng to Duke of Qi; Yuwen Zhi of Qin commandery to Duke of Wei; and Yuwen Zhao of Zhengping to Duke of Zhao.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 10Volume 10 Biographies 2: Duke Hao of Shaohui; Duke Lian of Qijian; Duke Luosheng of Juzhuang; Duke Zhong of Yuguo · 2 passages

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建德初，〔坐〕父護誅，詔以衞王直子賓為穆公後。 At the beginning of Jiande (572), because of his father Yuwen Hu's execution, an edict made Bin, son of Prince of Wei Yuwen Zhi, heir to Duke Mu.

尋坐直誅。 Soon afterward he was executed for his association with Prince of Wei Yuwen Zhi.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 13Volume 13 Biographies 5: Princes of Wen, Xiaomin, Wu, and Xuan · 19 passages

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姚夫人生世宗，後宮生宋獻公震，文元皇后生孝閔皇帝，文宣皇后叱奴氏生高祖、衛剌王直，達步干妃生齊王憲，王姬生趙僭王招，後宮生譙孝王儉、陳惑王純、越野王盛、代奰王達、冀康公通、滕聞王逌。 Consort Yao bore Shizong; ladies of the rear palace bore Duke of Song the Exalted Zhen; Empress Wen Yuan bore Emperor Xiaomin; Empress Wen Xuan of the Chilu clan bore Yuwen Yong (the future Emperor Wu) and Prince of Wei the Impetuous Zhi; Consort Tabghan bore Prince of Qi Yuwen Xian; a royal lady bore Prince of Zhao the Presumptuous Zhao; the rear palace bore Prince of Qiao the Filial Jian, Prince of Chen the Bewildered Chun, Prince of Yue the Wild Sheng, Prince of Dai the Proud Da, Duke of Ji the Peaceful Tong, and Prince of Teng the Cultivated You.

衛剌王直，字豆羅突。 Prince of Wei the Impetuous Yuwen Zhi, styled Douluotu.

魏恭帝三年，封秦郡公，邑一千戶。 In the third year of Emperor Gong of Wei (556), he was enfeoffed Duke of Qin commandery with a fief of one thousand households.

武成初，出鎮蒲州，拜大將軍，進衛國公，邑萬戶。 At the beginning of the Wucheng era (559), he went out to command Pu Province, was appointed grand general, and advanced to Duke of Wei with a fief of ten thousand households.

天和中，陳湘州刺史華皎舉州來附，詔直督綏德公陸通、大將軍田弘、權景宣、元定等兵赴援，與陳將淳于量、吳明徹等戰於沌口。 During Tianhe (566–572), Chen Xiangzhou governor Hua Jiao brought his province over to Zhou; an edict ordered Yuwen Zhi to supervise Suide Duke Lu Tong, grand generals Tian Hong, Quan Jingxuan, Yuan Ding, and others in marching to the relief, and they fought Chen generals Chunyu Liang, Wu Mingche, and others at Dun mouth.

直軍不利，元定遂投江南。 Yuwen Zhi's army fared badly; Yuan Ding then defected to the south.

直坐免官。 Yuwen Zhi was dismissed from office as punishment.