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卷十九 周太祖家人傳第七:

Volume 19: Taizu of Later Zhou's Family

Chapter 19 of 新五代史 · New History of the Five Dynasties
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Chapter 19
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1
Empress Shengmui of the Chai clan
2
Taizu had one empress and three imperial consorts. Empress Shengmui of the Chai clan came from Yaoshan in Xing Prefecture. She and Taizu were neighbors, and he married her. In his early days Taizu loved wine, dice, and swaggering heroics, caring little for small proprieties; his wife often urged him to stop. Taizu's stature was striking and grand; his wife sensed in her heart that he was destined for greatness and treated him with scrupulous respect. By the time Taizu ascended the throne, she had already died. He then decreed: "The late Lady Chai is posthumously installed as empress, with the temple name Shengmui."
3
Imperial Consort Shu of the Yang clan
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使 祿
Imperial Consort Shu of the Yang clan was from Zhending in Zhen Prefecture. Her father Hongyu served as vice prefect of Zhending. As a girl she was selected for her looks and sent into the Zhao princely household to serve Wang Rong. When Rong was killed by Zhang Wenli and Zhen Prefecture was thrown into chaos, she too was cast adrift among the people and later married a local man, Shi Guangfu. Several years later Guangfu died. After Taizu's wife from the Chai clan died, he heard that this consort was both lovely and worthy and took her as his next wife. Taizu was then in Gaozu of Later Han's service at Taiyuan. She died during the Tianfu reign period and was buried in the outskirts near the city. After Taizu became emperor, in the ninth month of Guangshun 1 she was posthumously installed as Imperial Consort Shu. He appointed the consort's younger brother Tingzhang as Right Commissioner of the Soaring Dragon. Tingzhang declined: "My father is elderly; I would rather the appointment go to him." Taizu replied, "I was just thinking of that—how could I forget your father!" He immediately summoned Hongyu. Too frail to travel, Hongyu received at home the titles Grand Master of Splendid Happiness with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon and vice prefect of Zhending. When Taizu died he was interred at Song Mausoleum. The empress and three consorts were all to be buried with him, but Taiyuan had not yet fallen, so Shizong ordered officials to prepare vacant tombs beside the mausoleum until the time came. In Xiande 1, after Shizong had defeated Liu Chong at Gaoping, he marched on Taiyuan. With the city shut up under siege, he had the consort's remains brought forward and buried.
5
Imperial Consort Gui of the Zhang clan
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Imperial Consort Gui of the Zhang clan was from Zhending in Zhen Prefecture. Her grandfather Ji had been adjutant of the Chengde military commission and acting Minister of War. Her father Tongzhi had served Wang Rong of Zhao as memorial presenter and reached the post of acting Minister of Works. After Rong's death threw Zhen Prefecture into chaos, Zhuangzong sent Fu Cunjian from Youzhou against Zhang Wenli. The subordinate commander Wu Congjian was quartered at her family's house, took pity on the girl still in her youth, and—his own family being in Taiyuan—brought her home as a daughter-in-law. Years later, while Taizu was in Gaozu of Later Han's service at Taiyuan, Lady Yang died and Wu's son died as well; Taizu then took the consort as his next wife. As Taizu rose in stature she was repeatedly promoted, eventually to Lady of Wu. When Taizu marched into the capital with his army, Later Han sent Liu Zhu to massacre his household; the consort and all his sons were killed. After Taizu became emperor he posthumously installed her as Imperial Consort Gui.
7
Imperial Consort De of the Dong clan (Taizu's sons Tong and Xin; nephews Shouyuan, Fengchao, and Xun)〉
8
歿
Imperial Consort De of the Dong clan was from Lingshou in Zhen Prefecture. Her grandfather Wenguang had been recording secretary of Shen Prefecture under Tang. Her father Guangsi served as magistrate of Zhaoqing in Zhao Prefecture. From childhood she was exceptionally bright: as soon as she could talk, she could tell pitch and mode whenever she heard music. At seven, during the chaos in Zhen Prefecture, her family lost track of her. A Luzhou garrison officer seized her, tucked her into a sack, and took her away. The commander's wife had borne daughters who never lived; when she got the girl she cherished her and raised her as a daughter, loving her even more than her own children. Five or six years passed. Her family mourned and missed her; her elder brother Yu searched the world for her, but no one knew where she was. The Luzhou commander was on duty in the capital when he met Yu and gladly gave her back; she was thirteen by then. Yu married her to a local man, Liu Jinchao, who also held an inner-court post under Jin. When the Khitans stormed the capital Jinchao died in their hands, and she lived as a widow in Luoyang. When Gaozu of Later Han entered the capital from Taiyuan, Taizu went with him. Passing through Luoyang he heard of her virtue and took her as his wife. When Taizu founded Later Zhou the empress's seat stood empty, and he installed her as Imperial Consort De. She died in Guangshun 3, at the age of thirty-nine.
9
She had three brothers: Yu rose to Right Supporter of the Heir Apparent in the Eastern Palace; Xuanzhi and Ziming both became regional inspectors.
10
Earlier, when the emperor raised his army in Wei, Later Han besieged his residence. Imperial Consort Zhang, the sons Qingge and Yige, and the nephews Shoujun, Fengchao, and Dingge were all executed. Who bore Qingge and Yige is not recorded. When Taizu became emperor he decreed that his late second son Qingge be posthumously made Grand Commandant and given the name Tong; that the third son Yige be posthumously made Minister of Works and given the name Xin; that the imperial nephew Shoujun be posthumously made general of the Left Army Guard—because jun sounded like "glory," it was changed for Shizong's taboo to Shouyuan; that Fengchao be posthumously made general of the Left Gate Guard; and that Dingge be posthumously made general of the Left Thousand-Ox Guard and given the name Xun. On guiwei day in the fourth month of summer, Xiande 4, Shizong issued an edict: "Rites arise from affection, and grace mourns the dead; how much more among brothers, where grief cuts especially deep. My late brothers, posthumously Grand Guardian Tong and posthumously Minister of Works Xin, when the border war had barely begun did not live out their full span, leaving me brotherless to the end—a sorrow that truly weighs on my heart. Tong shall be posthumously made Grand Tutor and enfeoffed as Prince of Tan; Xin shall be Minister over the Masses and Prince of Qi." He issued another edict: "My late cousins, posthumously General of the Left Army Guard Shouyuan, posthumously General of the Left Gate Guard Fengchao, and posthumously General of the Left Thousand-Ox Guard Xun, perished in these troubled times without reaching a full span of years. Whenever I recall their innocence, my grief will not be stilled. Shouyuan shall be posthumously made Grand General of the Left Guard; Fengchao, Grand General of the Right Guard; and Xun, Grand General of the Right Martial Guard."
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