Zhao Guangyun (趙光允)

Overview

Zhao Guangyun was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 925 三年夏四月
Cause Carbuncle · Illness
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 48

Attested activity

AD 918 貞明四年夏四月壬申
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 9, passages 71, 84
AD 923 同光元年十一月
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 224
AD 925 三年夏四月
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 42, 48
AD 907 to AD 923 入梁
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 219
AD 923 同光初
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 26
AD 891 大順二年
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 217

Show 3 more source-backed claims

AD 904 天祐初
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 218
AD 923 to AD 925 莊宗
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 40, 42
AD 923 莊宗平定汴、洛
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 220

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Zhao Yin (趙隱)
son 子 · paternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 213
Sibling of Zhao Guangfeng (趙光逢)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings · paternal line
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 26, 212

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Grand Councilor 平章事
AD 923 同光元年十一月 · Appointed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 26, 224
Vice Minister of Personnel 吏部侍郎
Appointed · From Source Date: Text: 貞明四年夏四月壬申 · Regnal Year: 4 · Season: summer · Lunar Month: 4 · Sexagenary Day: 壬申 · Western Year: AD 918
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 9, passage 84
Heir Apparent Mentor 太子賓客
AD 918 貞明四年夏四月壬申 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 9, passage 84
Director of the Bureau of Transport 駕部郎中
AD 904 天祐初 · Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 218
posthumous Left Vice Director 贈左僕射
Bestowed
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 49

Places and affiliations

AD 918 貞明四年夏四月壬申
Polity Later Liang 後梁 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 9, passage 84
Polity Later Liang 梁 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 219
Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 40, 214, 224

Learning and skills

Earned
AD 891 大順二年 · Credential Presented Scholar 進士
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 216-217

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Guo Chongtao (郭崇韜) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 40
Speech · Speaker · With Dou Luge (豆盧革)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 36

Events and relationships

Vice Minister of Personnel 吏部侍郎
AD 918 貞明四年夏四月壬申 · Appointment · Appointee · Appointed
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 9, passage 84
Discussed state affairs at private residence
AD 923 同光初 · Personal · Visitor · With Zhao Guangfeng (趙光逢)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 26
Grew fearful because Xilang was a favored attendant
Personal · Subject
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 47
Took ritual and institutional deliberations as his duty
AD 923 同光元年十一月 · Political · Minister
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 32

Assessments and attributes

Assessment had the makings of a chief minister · Mode contemporary-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 220
Assessment relied on reputation for virtue and was overmatched · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 46
Assessment self-regarding and given to sweeping talk · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passages 32-33, 37

Source notes

born at the close of a dynasty and absorbed the habits of the age
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 58, passage 32

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 9Volume 9 Book of Later Liang 9: Later Emperors Annals 2 · 1 passage

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壬申，以太子賓客趙光允為吏部侍郎。 On renshen, Zhao Guangyun, Heir Apparent Mentor, became Vice Minister of Personnel.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 58Volume 58 Book of Later Tang 34: Biographies 10: Zhao Guangfeng, Zheng Jue, Cui Xie, Li Qi, Xiao Qing · 14 passages

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同光初，弟光允為平章事，時謁問於私第，嘗語及政事，他日，光逢署其戶曰「請不言中書事」，其清淨寡欲端默如此。 Early in the Tongguang era his younger brother Guangyun became grand councilor and called on him at his private residence, where they once discussed state affairs. On another day Guangfeng wrote on the door: "Please do not discuss Secretariat affairs." Such was his purity, restraint, and silence.

光允，光逢之弟也， Guangyun was Guangfeng's younger brother.

（新舊《唐書》俱云：趙隱子三人，光逢、光裔、光允。 (Both the Old and New Books of Tang state: Zhao Yin had three sons—Guangfeng, Guangyi, and Guangyun.

為後唐相者，光允也。 The one who became chief minister under Later Tang was Guangyun.

光允仕梁，曆清顯，伯仲之間，咸以方雅自高，北人聞其名者，皆望風欽重。 Guangyun served Liang in prominent offices. Among the brothers each held himself aloof with refined reserve, and northerners who heard their names all revered them from afar.

及莊宗平定汴、洛，時盧程以狂妄免，郭崇韜自勳臣拜，議者以為國朝典禮故實，須訪前代名家，咸曰光允有宰相器。 When Zhuangzong pacified Bian and Luoyang, Lu Cheng was dismissed for arrogance and Guo Chongyao was appointed from among meritorious ministers. Commentators held that the dynasty's ritual and precedents required consulting celebrated masters of former ages, and all said Guangyun had the makings of a chief minister.

同光元年十一月，光允與韋說並拜平章事。 In the eleventh month of the first year of Tongguang, Guangyun and Wei Yue were jointly appointed grand councilors.

光允生於季末，漸染時風，雖欲躍鱗振翮，仰希前輩，然才力無餘，未能恢遠，朝廷每有禮樂制度、沿革擬議，以為己任； Guangyun was born at the close of a dynasty and absorbed the habits of the age. Though he wished to soar like his forebears, his talents fell short and he could not reach their breadth. Whenever the court debated ritual, music, institutions, or reforms, he took such matters upon himself;

光允每有發論，革但唯唯而已。 Whenever Guangyun launched into discussion, Ge could only murmur agreement.

後革奏議或當，光允謂群官曰：「昨有所議，前座一言粗當，近日差進，學者其可已乎！」 Later, when Ge's memorial opinions sometimes hit the mark, Guangyun told the assembled officials, "In yesterday's discussion the gentleman in the front row had one remark that was roughly correct. He has improved a little of late—must a student go on forever!"

事下中書，光允謂崇韜曰：「復恭與山南謀逆，顯當國法，本朝未經昭雪，安得論理？」 When the matter reached the Secretariat, Guangyun said to Guo Chongtao, "Fu Gong conspired in rebellion with the Shannan faction and plainly deserved punishment under the law. Our dynasty has not yet cleared his name—how can his estates be claimed?"

希朗泣訴於莊宗，莊宗令自見光允言之。 Xilang tearfully appealed to Emperor Zhuangzong, who ordered him to go in person and argue the matter before Guangyun.

希朗陳訴：「叔祖復光有大功於王室，伯祖復恭為張浚所構，得罪前朝，當時強臣掣肘，國命不行，及王行瑜伏誅，德音昭洗，制書尚在，相公本朝世族，諳練故事，安得謂之未雪耶！ Xilang argued: "My grand-uncle Fuguang rendered great service to the throne. My elder grand-uncle Fu Gong was framed by Zhang Jun and fell afoul of the former dynasty, when powerful ministers constrained the throne and imperial orders could not be enforced. After Wang Xingyu was executed, an edict of grace publicly cleared the record, and that edict still survives. Your Excellency is a hereditary minister of our dynasty and well versed in precedent—how can you say his name has not been cleared!

光允方恃名德，為其所折，悒然不樂。 Guangyun, who had relied on his reputation for virtue, was overmatched in the exchange and grew dispirited.