Five Dynasties · Emperor of Later Tang

Zhuangzong 莊宗

First attested AD 924; died AD 926

Passages: 24
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhuangzong was an emperor of Later Tang.

Life and dates

Death

AD 926 郭從謙反
Cause arrow wound during Guo Congqian's rebellion 中流矢 · At Jiangxiao Hall 絳霄殿
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 81-82

Attested activity

AD 925 同光三年秋至十二月
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 62-63
AD 924 同光二年癸未
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 36
AD 926 同光四年
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 71-72, 81-82

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Empress Dowager (皇太后)
empress dowager 皇太后
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 50
Spouse of Empress Liu (劉皇后)
empress 皇后
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 34, 36, 67
Spouse of Favorite Concubine of Zhuangzong (莊宗愛姬)
favorite concubine 愛姬
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 55
Parent of Manxi (滿喜)
infant prince 皇幼子
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 69
Spouse of Lady Yi (伊夫人)
lady 夫人 · Marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 34
Parent of Li Jiji (李繼岌)
Prince of Wei 魏王
Strongly inferred · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 44, 73
Spouse of Lady Han (韓夫人)
principal wife 正室 · Primary marriage
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 34
Parent of Son of Zhuangzong's Favorite Concubine (莊宗愛姬之子)
son 子
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 55

Kinship Role consorts · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 31, 49, 63
Kinship Role sons · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 44, 49, 63

Places and affiliations

Polity Later Tang 後唐 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 34, 36, 39

Learning and skills

Belief Buddhism 佛 · Relation Adherent of
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 43-44

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passages 56-57, 73

Events and relationships

destroyed Liang 滅梁
AD 923 滅梁 · Military · Victor · Destroyed Liang
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 39
East to Bianzhou; retreated from Wansheng with heavy losses
AD 926 同光四年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 72
Hunted during flood famine with empress
AD 925 同光三年秋 · Leisure · Actor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 62
Led empress and sons to welcome Khotan monk
Religious · Host
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 44
Ordered empress to bow to Zhang Quanyi as foster father
Social · Visitor · With Zhang Quanyi (張全義)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 53
Refused food after losing favorite
Personal · Sufferer
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 61

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Visited Guo Chongtao and Yuan Xingqin with empress
Social · Visitor
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 52

Source notes

Grew arrogant and lax after destroying Liang; eunuchs and actors disordered government 誌意驕怠，宦官、伶人亂政
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 39

References in the histories

Search passages

History

24 passages

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 24 passages

莊宗召袁建豐問之，建豐曰：「臣始得劉氏於成安北塢，時有黃須丈人護之。」 Zhuangzong called Yuan Jianfeng, who said: “I first took Lady Liu at the north stockade of Cheng’an; a yellow-bearded elder was guarding her.”

莊宗已即皇帝位，欲立劉氏為皇后，而韓夫人正室也，伊夫人位次在劉氏上，以故難其事而未發。 Zhuangzong wished to make Liu empress, but Lady Han was principal wife and Lady Yi outranked her, so the matter stalled.

宰相豆盧革、樞密使郭崇韜希旨，上章言劉氏當立，莊宗大悅。 Chief minister Doulu Ge and commissioner Guo Chongtao flattered him with a memorial that Liu should be empress; Zhuangzong was delighted.

同光二年癸未，皇帝御文明殿，遣使冊劉氏為皇后。 On guiwei in Tongguang 2, he held court at the Hall of Civil Splendor and invested Liu as empress.

莊宗自滅梁，誌意驕怠，宦官、伶人亂政，后特用事於中。 After Liang fell, Zhuangzong grew arrogant and lax; eunuchs and actors ruined government, and the empress ruled from within.

四方貢獻，必分為二，一以上天子，一以入中宮，宮中貨賄山積。 Every gift from the provinces was halved—half for the emperor, half for her—and the palace stores overflowed.

惟寫佛書，饋賂僧尼，而莊宗由此亦佞佛。 She copied sutras and lavished gifts on clergy, and Zhuangzong turned devout as well.

有胡僧自于闐來，莊宗率皇后及諸子迎拜之。 A monk from Khotan arrived; Zhuangzong led the empress and princes out to bow.

莊宗及后率諸子、諸妃拜之，誠惠端坐不起，由是士無貴賤皆拜之，獨郭崇韜不拜也。 Zhuangzong and the empress led the court to bow; Chenghui never rose, and soon everyone bowed—only Guo Chongtao refused.

莊宗數幸郭崇韜、元行欽等私第，常與后俱。 Zhuangzong often visited Guo Chongtao, Yuan Xingqin, and others, the empress always at his side.

莊宗有愛姬，甚有色而生子，后心患之。 A favorite concubine, lovely and with a son, drew the empress’s envy.

莊宗燕居宮中，元行欽侍側，莊宗問曰：「爾新喪婦，其復娶乎？ At ease in the palace with Yuan Xingqin beside him, Zhuangzong asked: “Your wife has just died—will you wed again? I will pay the bride-price.

后指愛姬請曰：「帝憐行欽，何不賜之？」 The empress pointed at the favorite: “You pity Xingqin—why not give her to him?”

莊宗不得已，陽諾之。 Zhuangzong had no choice and feigned assent.

莊宗不樂，稱疾不食者累日。 Zhuangzong sulked and for days refused food, pleading illness.

同光三年秋大水，兩河之民，流徙道路，京師賦調不充，六軍之士，往往殍踣，乃預借明年夏、秋租稅，百姓愁苦，號泣於路，莊宗方與后荒於畋遊。 In autumn of Tongguang 3 floods ravaged the two He regions; refugees clogged the roads, taxes failed, soldiers starved, and next year’s rent was collected early while Zhuangzong and the empress still hunted.

宰相請出庫物以給軍，莊宗許之，后不肯，曰：「吾夫婦得天下，雖因武功，蓋亦有天命。 Ministers asked to open the stores for the troops; Zhuangzong agreed; she refused: “We won the realm by the sword, but Heaven ordained it too.

宰相論於延英，后於屏間耳屬之，因取妝奩及皇幼子滿喜置帝前曰：「諸侯所貢，給賜已盡，宮中所有惟此耳，請鬻以給軍！」 In council she listened behind the screen, then set her jewel box and the child Manxi before him: “The lords’ gifts are gone; this is all we have—sell it for the troops!”

莊宗東幸汴州，從駕兵二萬五千，及至萬勝，不得進而還，軍士離散，所亡太半。 He went east to Bian with twenty-five thousand men; blocked at Wansheng, he turned back and lost more than half his force.

至罌子谷，道路隘狹，莊宗見從官執兵仗者，皆以好言勞之曰：「適報魏王平蜀，得蜀金銀五十萬，當悉給爾等。」 At Yingzi Valley he spoke to armed followers: “Word came that the Prince of Wei took Shu and five hundred thousand in gold and silver—it is all for you.”

對曰：「陛下與之太晚，得者亦不感恩。」 They answered: “Too late, sire—even those who receive it will not thank you.”

莊宗泣下，因顧內庫使張容哥索袍帶以賜之，容哥對曰：「盡矣。」 He wept and asked Zhang Rongge for robes and belts; Rongge said: “Nothing left.”

郭從謙反，莊宗中流矢，傷甚，臥絳霄殿廓下，渴欲得飲，后令宦官進飧酪，不自省視。 When Guo Congqian rebelled, Zhuangzong took an arrow and lay under Jiangxiao Hall, parched; the empress sent broth and cheese by eunuch and never came to him.

莊宗崩，后與李存渥等焚嘉慶殿，擁百騎出師子門。 At his death she burned Jiaqing Hall with Li Cunwo and fled Shizi Gate with a hundred riders.