Five Dynasties · Ruler

Zhuangzong 莊宗

Attested AD 910 - AD 925

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhuangzong was a ruler.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 925 同光三年
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 244, 248
AD 910 to AD 923 戰河上十餘歲
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 239
AD 923 莊宗即位
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 240

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Lady Han (韓氏)
chief wife 正室 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 251
Spouse of Lady Liu (劉氏)
empress 后
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 251, 255
Child of Taizu (太祖)
father 父
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 237
Parent of Jiji (繼岌)
father 父
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 258
Child of Lady Cao (曹氏)
mother 母
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 237
Spouse of Lady Yi (伊氏)
next consort 次 · Secondary marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 251
Child of Lady Liu (劉氏)
principal mother 嫡母 · Claimed parentage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 240

Career and standing

AD 923 莊宗即位
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 240

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 240, 243

Events and relationships

Destroyed Liang and entered Bian
AD 923 莊宗滅梁入汴 · Military · Conqueror · At Bian 汴
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 243
Rescued Zhao, crushed Yan, took Weibo; fought Liang on the river
AD 910 to AD 923 救趙破燕取魏博，與梁戰河上十餘歲 · Military · Commander
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 239
Took Fu Daozhao's wife at Jiacheng
AD 908 攻梁軍於夾城 · Military · Commander · With Lady Hou (侯氏) · At Jiacheng 夾城
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 256
Visited mother three or four times yearly during campaigns
Personal · Son
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 239

Assessments and attributes

Assessment filial · Mode popular-report
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 239

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 237

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 13 passages

曹氏封晉國夫人，後生子，是謂莊宗，太祖奇之，曹氏由是專寵。 Lady Cao was titled Lady of Jin and later bore Zhuangzong. Taizu was delighted, and she became his favorite.

及莊宗立，事曹氏尤謹，其救趙破燕取魏博，與梁戰河上十餘歲，歲嘗馳省其母至三四，人皆稱其孝。 As ruler Zhuangzong treated Lady Cao with great devotion. Through campaigns in Zhao, Yan, and Weibo and more than ten years of war with Liang on the river, he rode to see her three or four times a year, and all called him filial.

莊宗即位，冊尊曹氏為皇太后，而以嫡母劉氏為皇太妃。 At his accession he made Lady Cao empress dowager and his chief mother, Lady Liu, grand consort.

太妃曰：「願吾兒享國無窮，使吾獲沒于地以從先君，幸矣，復何言哉！」 The grand consort said: “May my son reign forever; if I may die and join my late husband, that is blessing enough—what more can I ask?”

莊宗滅梁入汴，使人迎太后歸洛，居長壽宮，而太妃獨留晉陽。 After destroying Liang and entering Bian, Zhuangzong brought the dowager to Luoyang’s Changshou Palace; the grand consort stayed at Jinyang.

太后聞之，欲馳至晉陽視疾，及其卒也，又欲自往葬之，莊宗泣諫，羣臣交章請留，乃止。 Hearing of her illness, the dowager wanted to ride to Jinyang; when she died, she wished to attend the burial. Zhuangzong wept and pleaded, and officials begged her to stay—so she did not go.

莊宗神閔敬皇后劉氏，魏州成安人也。 Zhuangzong’s Empress Shenminjing, Lady Liu, came from Cheng’an in Weizhou.

莊宗正室曰衞國夫人韓氏，其次燕國夫人伊氏，其次后也，初封魏國夫人。 His chief wife was Lady Han of Weiguo, then Lady Yi of Yanguo; the empress ranked after them and was first titled Lady of Weiguo.

既筓，甚有色，莊宗見而悅之。 When she came of age she was strikingly beautiful, and Zhuangzong was taken with her.

莊宗已為晉王，太后幸其宮，置酒為壽，自起歌舞，太后歡甚，命劉氏吹笙佐酒，酒罷去，留劉氏以賜莊宗。 When Zhuangzong was Prince of Jin, the dowager visited his palace for his birthday feast and danced for joy. She had Lady Liu play the sheng, and when she left she gave Liu to Zhuangzong.

先時，莊宗攻梁軍於夾城，得符道昭妻侯氏，寵專諸宮，宮中謂之「夾寨夫人」。 Earlier, at Jiacheng, Zhuangzong took Fu Daozhao’s wife Lady Hou, who dominated the inner quarters; the palace called her "the Jiazai Lady."

莊宗出兵四方，常以侯氏從軍。 On campaign he often took Lady Hou with him.

其後，劉氏生子繼岌，莊宗以為類己，愛之，由是劉氏寵益專，自下魏博、戰河上十餘年，獨以劉氏從。 Later Liu bore Jiji. Zhuangzong thought the boy resembled him and loved him; from then Liu alone shared his campaigns for more than ten years on the river.