Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

Zhao Yanshen 趙彥深

Died AD 576

Passages: 48
Chapters: 10
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhao Yanshen as an aristocrat, courtier, named individual, and official. This record brings together 48 passages from 10 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhao Yanshen	趙彥深	Zhao Yanshen
Title	Prince of Yiyang	宜陽王	Yíyáng Wáng
Given name	Yanshen	彥深	Yanshen
Courtesy	Yanshen	彥深	Yànshēn
Given name	Yanshen	彥深	Yànshēn
Personal	Yin	隱	Yǐn
Given	Yin	隱	Yǐn
Surname	Zhao	趙	Zhào
Personal name	Zhao Yanshen	趙彥深	Zhao Yanshen
Personal name	Zhao Yanshen	趙彥深
Personal	Zhao Yanshen	趙彥深	Zhào Yànshēn
Personal name	Zhao Yanshen	趙彥深	Zhào Yànshēn

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · beiqishu:007:s0048, beiqishu:040:s0010
Sex: male
Explicit · beiqishu:030:s0002, beiqishu:031:s0152, beiqishu:034:s0177, beiqishu:038:s0102, beiqishu:047:s0148, beiqishu:048:s0084

Roles

Aristocrat
Courtier
Named Individual
Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Manner: sudden illness · Age: Value: 70 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 七年六月 · Western Year: AD 576
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0144

Age

Value: 10 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0108
Value: 3 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0153
Value: 5 · Reckoning: sui
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0154

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 七年六月 · Western Year: AD 576
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:038:s0144
Source Date: Text: 世祖崩 · Western Year: AD 568
Explicit · beiqishu:048:s0084
Source Date: Text: 世祖踐祚 · Western Interval: Start: AD 561 · End: AD 565
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:040:s0010
Source Date: Text: 乾明元年 · Western Year: AD 560
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:031:s0152
Source Date: Text: 四年 · Western Year: AD 573
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:038:s0142, beiqishu:038:s0141
Source Date: Text: 天保初 · Western Year: AD 550
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:038:s0133
Source Date: Text: 常侍趙彥深 · Western Interval: Start: AD 549 · End: AD 549
Explicit event contextual date · zhoushu:018:s0191
Source Date: Text: 武平二年 · Western Year: AD 571
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:038:s0141
Source Date: Text: 河清二年三月丙戌 · Western Year: AD 563
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:007:s0048
Source Date: Text: 河清元年 · Western Year: AD 562
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:038:s0140
Source Date: Text: 皇建以還 · Western Interval: Start: AD 560 · End: AD 576
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:038:s0146
Source Date: Text: 禪代 · Western Year: AD 550
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:030:s0113
Source Date: Text: 趙彥深 · Western Interval: Start: AD 560 · End: AD 570
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:047:s0148
Source Date: Text: 趙彥深嘗謂耀 · Western Interval: Start: AD 550 · End: AD 565
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:025:s0082
Source Date: Text: 遵彥死 · Western Year: AD 560
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:034:s0177

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Descendant of Zhao Nan (趙難)
Kinship Term: great-grandfather / 高祖父 · Generation Distance: 4
Descendant of Zhao Xi (趙熹)
Kinship Term: descendant / 後
Child of Zhao Fengbo (趙奉伯)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Child of Lady Fu (傅氏)
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
Parent of Zhao Zhongjiang (趙仲將)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Parent of Zhao Shujian (趙叔堅)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son

Kinship Role: sons · Count: 7
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0160

Career and standing

Label: copyist / clerical guest / 賤客供寫書
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0112
Label: director of the Palace Library / 秘書監 · Action: appointed
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0133
Label: minister of works / 司空 · Action: appointed
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0141
Label: minister over the masses / 司徒 · Action: appointed
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0142
Label: recorder of the Masters of Writing / 錄尚書 · Action: held
Explicit · beiqishu:048:s0084
Label: regular attendant / 常侍 · Action: held
Explicit · zhoushu:018:s0191
Label: Secretariat Director / 中書令 · Action: held
Explicit · beiqishu:034:s0177
Title: Duke of Anle / 安樂公 · Action: advanced
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0140
Title: baron of Anguo county / 安國縣伯 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0125
Title: Prince of Yiyang / 宜陽王 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0140

Places and affiliations

Place: Pingyuan / 平原 · Relation: registered-as
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0103
Place: Wan, Nanyang / 南陽宛 · Relation: ancestral-from
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0102

Learning and skills

Skill: cursive and clerical calligraphy / 草隸 · Level: skilled
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0162

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Wang Xi (王晞)
Explicit · beiqishu:031:s0154, beiqishu:031:s0155
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Zhang Yao (張耀)
Explicit · beiqishu:025:s0082
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Lady Fu (傅氏)
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0155

Events and relationships

Kind: diplomatic · Role: envoy · Action: conveyed Gao Cheng intent to Wang Sizheng · Other Person Id: Wang Sizheng (王思政)
Explicit · zhoushu:018:s0191
Kind: political · Role: member · Action: one of the Eight Nobles
Explicit · beiqishu:048:s0084
Kind: military · Role: envoy · Action: persuaded-surrender · Other Person Id: Wang Sizheng (王思政)
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0127
Relation: patron-client · Person Id: Sima Ziru (司馬子如) · Role: client
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0112, beiqishu:038:s0116

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: only Northern Qi chancellor who began and ended well · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0167

Source notes

From: Yin / 隱 · To: Yanshen / 彥深 · Reason: avoided Qi temple taboo
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0104

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 7Volume 7 Annals 7: Emperor Wucheng · 1 passage

丙戌，以兼尚書右僕射趙彥深為左僕射。 On the bingxu day, Concurrent Right Vice Director Zhao Yanshen was made Left Vice Director of the Secretariat.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 25Volume 25 Biographies 17: Zhang Zuan; Zhang Liang; Zhang Yao; Zhang Qi; Xu Yuan; Wang Jun; Wang Hong · 1 passage

趙彥深嘗謂耀曰：「君研尋《左氏》，豈求服虔、杜預之紕繆邪？」 Zhao Yanshen once said to Yao, "In studying the Zuo Tradition, are you trying to find errors in Fu Qian and Du Yu?"

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 30Volume 30 Biographies 22: Cui Xian; Gao Dezheng; Cui Ang · 2 passages

帝已遣馳驛向鄴，書與太尉高岳、尚書令高隆之、領軍婁睿、侍中張亮、黃門趙彥深、楊愔等。 Gao Yang had already sent post-horses toward Ye with letters to Grand Commandant Gao Yue, Director of the Masters of Writing Gao Longzhi, army supervisor Lou Rui, palace attendant Zhang Liang, yellow gate Zhao Yanshen, Yang Yin, and the rest.

八日，楊愔書中旨，以魏襄城王旭並司空公潘相樂、侍中張亮、黃門趙彥深入通奏事。 On the eighth day Yang Yin wrote the central order, sending Wei Prince of Xiangcheng Xu with grand master of ceremonies Pan Xiangyue, palace attendant Zhang Liang, and yellow gate Zhao Yanshen to report at court.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 31Volume 31 Biographies 23: Wang Xin; Wang Xi · 2 passages

王曰：「若內外咸有異望，趙彥深朝夕左右，何因都無所論？ The prince said, "If inside and outside alike have different hopes, Zhao Yanshen is morning and evening at my side — why has he never spoken of it?

晞以事隙問彥深，彥深曰：「我比亦驚此音謠，每欲陳聞，則口噤心戰。 Wang Xi seized a moment and asked Yanshen; Yanshen said, "I too of late was startled by these songs; each time I wished to report, my mouth locked and my heart trembled.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies 26: Yang Yin; Yan Zixian; Song Qindao; Zheng Yi · 1 passage

遵彥死，仍以中書令趙彥深代總機務。 After Zunyan's death, secretariat director Zhao Yanshen was put in charge of state affairs in his place.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 38Volume 38 Biographies 30: Xin Shu; Yuan Wenyao; Zhao Yanshen · 35 passages

辛術元文遙趙彥深 Xin Shu; Yuan Wenyao; Zhao Yanshen

旣與趙彥深、和士開同被任遇，雖不如彥深清貞守道，又不為士開貪淫亂政，在於季、孟之間。 He shared favor with Zhao Yanshen and He Shikai. He was not so pure and steadfast as Yanshen, nor so greedy and corrupt as Shikai, but stood between them.

然性和厚，與物無競，故時論不在彥深之下。 Yet he was mild and easy by nature and did not contend with others, and opinion did not place him below Yanshen.

趙彥深，自云南陽宛人，漢太傅熹之後。 Zhao Yanshen came from Wan in Nanyang, a descendant of Han Grand Tutor Zhao Xi.

本名隱，避齊廟諱，改以字行。 His original name was Yin; to avoid the Qi temple taboo he went by his courtesy name instead.

彥深貴，贈司空。 Once Yanshen rose to prominence, Fengbo was posthumously made minister of works.

彥深幼孤貧，事母甚孝。 Yanshen lost his father early and grew up poor, yet served his mother with fierce devotion.

隱靴無氊，衣帽穿弊，子如給之。 Yin wore unlined boots and threadbare hat and clothes; Ziru furnished him.

神武在晉陽，索二史，子如舉彥深。 Gao Huan was at Jinyang and asked for the two histories; Ziru recommended Yanshen.

及文襄為尚書令攝選，沙汰諸曹郎，彥深以地寒被出為滄州別駕，辭不行。 When Gao Cheng became Minister over the Masses and took charge of selection, he culled the bureau directors. Yanshen, judged too humble in origin, was sent out as administrator in support of Cangzhou; he declined and would not go.

子如言於神武，徵補大丞相功曹參軍，專掌機密，文翰多出其手，稱為敏給。 Ziru spoke to Gao Huan; Yanshen was summoned and made staff officer for merit affairs in the Great Chancellor's office, handling secrets alone. Most papers passed through his hand, and men called him quick and sure.

神武曾與對坐，遣造軍令，以手捫其額曰：「若天假卿年，必大有所至。」 Gao Huan once sat facing him and ordered a military command drafted; he stroked Yanshen's forehead and said, "If Heaven grants you years, you will go far."

每謂司徒孫騰曰：「彥深小心恭慎，曠古絕倫。」 He often told Minister over the Masses Sun Teng, "Yanshen is careful and reverent beyond anything in antiquity."

及神武崩，秘喪事，文襄慮河南有變，仍自巡撫，乃委彥深後事，轉大行臺都官郎中。 When Gao Huan died the mourning was kept secret. Gao Cheng feared trouble in Henan and went to inspect in person, leaving the aftermath to Yanshen and making him metropolitan administration section director.

臨發，握手泣曰：「以母弟相托，幸得此心。」 As he was leaving he clasped Yanshen's hands and wept: "I entrust my mother and younger brother to you — trust that my heart is with you."

旣而內外寧靜，彥深之力。 Inside and outside thereupon grew quiet — Yanshen's doing.

及還發喪，深加褒美，乃披郡縣簿為選，封安國縣伯。 When he returned to announce the mourning he praised Yanshen at length, opened the commandery-and-county register for selection, and enfeoffed him as baron of Anguo county.

文襄令彥深單身入城告喻，卽日降之，便手牽思政出城。 Gao Cheng sent Yanshen into the city alone to persuade them; that same day they surrendered, and he led Sizheng out by the hand.

先是，文襄謂彥深曰：「吾昨夜夢獵，遇一群豕，吾射盡獲之，獨一大豕不可得。 Earlier Gao Cheng had told Yanshen, "Last night I dreamed I was hunting and met a herd of swine; I shot and took them all, but one great boar I could not get.

卽解思政佩刀與彥深曰：「使卿常獲此利。」 He then took Sizheng's belt dagger and gave it to Yanshen, saying, "May you always win such profit."

文宣嗣位，仍典機密，進爵為侯。 When Wenxuan succeeded to the throne, Yanshen continued to handle confidential affairs and was advanced to marquis.

帝或巡幸，卽輔贊太子，知後事。 Whenever the emperor went on progress, Yanshen assisted the heir apparent and managed the affairs left behind.

所營軍處，士庶追思，號趙行臺頓。 Wherever he had camped with the army, gentlemen and commoners remembered him afterward and called the sites Zhao Xingtai camps.

河清元年，進爵安樂公，累遷尚書左僕射、齊州大中正、監國史，遷尚書令，為特進，封宜陽王。 In the first year of Heqing, he was advanced to Duke of Anle. He rose successively to left vice director of the Masters of Writing, grand arbiter of Qizhou, and supervisor of state history, then became director of the Masters of Writing, received the rank of special advance, and was enfeoffed as Prince of Yiyang.

彥深歷事累朝，常參機近，溫柔謹慎，喜怒不形於色。 Yanshen served successive reigns, always near the inner counsel, gentle and cautious, never letting joy or anger show on his face.

孝昭旣執朝權，群臣密多勸進，彥深獨不致言。 After Emperor Xiaozhao seized court power, many ministers privately urged him to take the throne; Yanshen alone kept silent.

孝昭嘗謂王晞云：「若言眾心皆謂天下有歸，何不見彥深有語？」 Xiaozhao once said to Wang Xi, "If men say all hearts agree the realm has found its lord, why have you never heard Yanshen say so?"

晞以告，彥深不獲已，陳請，其為時重如此。 Xi told Yanshen; unable to refuse further, Yanshen submitted a memorial urging accession — such was the weight he carried in his age.

彥深三歲，傅便孀居，家人欲以改適，自誓以死。 When Yanshen was three, Lady Fu was already a widow; the family wanted her to remarry, but she swore she would die first.

彥深五歲，傅謂之曰：「家貧兒小，何以能濟？」 When Yanshen was five, Lady Fu said to him, "We are poor and you are small — how can we live?"

彥深泣而言曰：「若天哀矜，兒大當仰報。」 Yanshen wept and said, "If Heaven takes pity, when I am grown I shall repay you on my knees."

及彥深拜太常卿，還，不脫朝服，先入見母，跪陳幼小孤露，蒙訓得至於此。 When Yanshen was made grand master of ceremonies and returned, he did not change out of court dress but went first to his mother, knelt, and said that as a small orphan he had come to this only through her teaching.

彥深有七子，仲將知名。 Yanshen had seven sons; Zhongjiang was the one of note.

彥深乞轉以萬年縣子授之。 Yanshen asked that his own enfeoffment be transferred to make his son viscount of Wannian county.

齊朝宰相，善始令終唯彥深一人。 Among Northern Qi chancellors, only Yanshen began well and ended well.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 40Volume 40 Biographies 32: Yu Jin (Northern Qi); Feng Zicong; Helian Ziyue; Tang Yong; Bai Jian · 1 passage

世祖踐祚，趙彥深本子如賓僚，元文遙、和士開並帝鄉故舊，共相薦達，任遇彌重。 When Gao Zhan took the throne, Zhao Yanshen had been Ziru's guest-officer, and Yuan Wenyao and He Shikai were all old friends from the imperial hometown. They recommended him together, and his rank and favor grew heavier still.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 39: Cruel Officials · 3 passages

趙彥深引入內省，參典機密，歷中書、黃門侍郎，遷儀同三司、散騎常侍，常領黃門侍郎。 Zhao Yanshen brought him into the inner secretariat for confidential work; he served as secretariat and yellow gate attendant, then was promoted to Pillar of State and scattered-cavalry regular attendant, usually heading the yellow gate attendant office.

自處機要近二十年，周慎溫恭，甚為彥深所重。 For nearly twenty years he stood at the heart of power, careful, warm, and respectful, and Yanshen held him in high regard.

初，祖珽知朝政，出彥深為刺史。 At first Zu Ting ran the government and sent Yanshen out as provincial inspector.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 48Volume 48 Biographies 40: Imperial Affines · 1 passage

世祖崩，與領軍婁定遠、錄尚書趙彥深、和士開、高文遙、領軍綦連猛、高阿那肱、樸射唐邕同知朝政，時人號為八貴。 When Shizu died, he jointly directed court government with Lou Dingyuan, Zhao Yanshen, He Shikai, Gao Wenyao, Qilian Meng, Gao Anagong, and Vice Director Tang Yong. People of the time called them the Eight Nobles.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 18Volume 18 Biographies 10: Wang Pi; Wang Sizheng · 1 passage

齊文襄遣其常侍趙彥深就土山執手申意。 Gao Cheng sent his regular attendant Zhao Yanshen to the earthen hill, took Wang Sizheng's hand, and spoke his mind.