Chang Yuchun (常遇春)

Overview

Chang Yuchun was a general and Junior Guardian.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1368 to AD 1369 參常遇春軍務
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 127, passage 119
AD 1370 洪武三年大封功臣
Directly stated · History of Ming 127, passages 49, 53
AD 1368 洪武元年
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 115, passages 15, 20
AD 1368 to AD 1369 洪武初
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 140, passage 241
AD 1368 to AD 1369 遇春師過其境
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 140, passages 249, 251, 256

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Empress Xiaokang (孝康皇后)
daughter 女
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 178
Parent of Chang Mao (常茂)
son 子
Directly stated · History of Ming 127, passage 53

Key source chapters

Career and standing

general 將軍
Directly stated · History of Ming 140, passages 241, 251, 257
太子少保
Concurrent
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 20
中書平章錄軍國重事
Held
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passage 20

Places and affiliations

Ming 明
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Ming 140, passage 249

Events and relationships

Army passed through Linzi
Military · Commander · At Linzi 臨淄
Directly stated · History of Ming 140, passage 249
Questioned then apologized to magistrate
Judicial · Commander · With Ouyang Ming (歐陽銘)
Directly stated · History of Ming 140, passages 251, 256
Relation Tutor of · Person Zhu Biao (朱標)
Directly stated · History of Ming 115, passages 20-21
Relation Commander confronting · Person Ouyang Ming (歐陽銘)
Directly stated · History of Ming 140, passages 251, 256

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

History of Ming, Chapter 115Volume 115 Biographies 3: Emperor Xingzong Xiaokang, Emperor Ruizong Xingxian · 2 passages

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於是左丞相李善長兼太子少師，右丞相徐達兼太子少傅，中書平章錄軍國重事常遇春兼太子少保，右都督馮宗異兼右詹事，中書平章政事胡廷端、廖永忠、李伯升兼同知詹事院事，中書左、右丞趙庸、王溥兼副詹事，中書參政楊憲兼詹事丞，傅瓛兼詹事，同知大都督康茂才、張興祖兼左右率府使，大都督府副使顧時、孫興祖同知左右率府事，僉大都督府事吳楨、耿炳文兼左右率府副使，御史大夫鄧愈、湯和兼諭德，御史中丞劉基、章溢兼贊善大夫，治書侍御史文原吉、范顯祖兼太子賓客。 Li Shanchang, left chancellor, became junior tutor; Xu Da, right chancellor, junior mentor; Chang Yuchun, associate director for military affairs, junior guardian; Feng Zongyi, right commissioner, right household master; Hu Tingduan, Liao Yongzhong, and Li Bosheng, associate directors, associate household masters; Zhao Yong and Wang Pu, vice directors, deputy household masters; Yang Xian, participating secretary, household master assistant; Fu Rong, household master; Kang Maocai and Zhang Xingzu, associate capital commissioners, left and right rate-office commandants; Gu Shi and Sun Xingzu, deputy commissioners, associate commandants; Wu Zhen and Geng Bingwen, commissioners, deputy commandants; Deng Yu and Tang He, censors-in-chief, preceptors; Liu Ji and Zhang Yi, vice censors-in-chief, senior companions; Wen Yuanji and Fan Xianzu, investigating secretaries, crown prince's guests.

孝康皇后常氏，開平王遇春女。 Empress Xiaokang Lady Chang was the daughter of Prince of Kaiping Chang Yuchun.

History of Ming, Chapter 127Volume 127 Biographies 15: Li Shanzhang, Wang Guangyang · 2 passages

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時封公者，徐達、常遇春子茂、李文忠、馮勝、鄧愈及善長六人。 Six men received ducal rank: Xu Da, Mao son of Chang Yuchun, Li Wenzhong, Feng Sheng, Deng Yu, and Shanzhang.

尋知驍騎衛事，參常遇春軍務。 He soon oversaw the Valiant Cavalry Guard and shared in Chang Yuchun's campaigns.

History of Ming, Chapter 140Volume 140 Biographies 28: Wei Guan, Tao Houzhong, Liu Shihuan, Wang Zongxian, Lu Wensui, Wang Guan, Dao Tong, Lu Xi, Qing Wensheng · 5 passages

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先是有歐陽銘者，亦嘗以事抗將軍常遇春。 Earlier there had been Ouyang Ming, who likewise once stood up to the general Chang Yuchun.

遇春師過其境，卒入民家取酒，相毆擊，一市盡嘩。 When Yuchun's army passed through, soldiers entered a civilian home to seize wine and brawled until the whole market was in an uproar.

卒訴令罵將軍，遇春詰之。 The soldiers complained that the magistrate had insulted the general, and Yuchun summoned him for questioning.

遇春意解，為責軍士以謝。 Yuchun's anger cooled; he rebuked his soldiers and apologized.

後大將軍徐達至，軍士相戒曰：「是健吏，曾抗常將軍者，毋犯也。」 Later, when Grand General Xu Da arrived, the soldiers warned one another, "That is the tough magistrate who stood up to General Chang. Do not cross him."