Sui and Tang · Military Officer

Chen Ling 陳棱

Chen Leng

Attested AD 581 - AD 619

Passages: 8
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Chen Ling was a Military Officer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Nickname	Old Dame Chen	陳姥

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 618 宇文化及殺煬帝，以右禦衛將軍陳棱為江都太守
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 87, passage 127
AD 619 武德二年前後
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 87, passage 112
AD 613 to AD 618 隋大業九年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 92, passages 18-19
AD 581 to AD 600 隋開皇中
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 71, passage 5

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Prefect of Jiangdu 江都太守
AD 618 以右禦衛將軍陳棱為江都太守 · Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 127
Regional commander 總管
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 127
General of the Right Imperial Guard 右禦衛將軍
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 127
Huben officer 虎賁
Held
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 71, passage 5
Right Imperial Guard General 右禦衛將軍
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 92, passage 18

Places and affiliations

Polity Sui 隋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 71, passage 5
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 127
At Jiangdu 江都 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 127

Events and relationships

Besieged
Military · Defender · With Li Zitong (李子通) · At Jiangdu 江都
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passages 128, 131
Escaped
Military · Fugitive · At Jiangdu 江都
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 131
Needed rescue
Military · Besieged
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 87, passage 112
Subdued
AD 581 to AD 600 隋開皇中 · Military · Commander · At Penghu 澎湖
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 71, passage 5

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 71, passage 5; New Book of Tang 87, passage 112

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 71Volume 71 Treatises 46: Geography 18, Tai Wan · 1 passage

隋開皇中，遣虎賁陳棱略澎湖三十六島， During the Kaihuang reign of Sui, the Huben officer Chen Ling was dispatched to subdue the thirty-six islands of Penghu.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 87Volume 87 Biographies 12: Xiao, Fu, Shen, Li, Liang · 4 passages

俄遣子綸救陳棱，擊李子通，反為所敗。 Soon he sent his son Lun to rescue Chen Cheng and attack Li Zitong, but Zitong defeated him in turn.

宇文化及殺煬帝，以右禦衛將軍陳棱為江都太守，已而棱降，高祖授以總管，即守其郡。 After Yuwen Huaji murdered Emperor Yang, he installed Chen Leng of the Right Imperial Guard as prefect of Jiangdu; Chen Leng soon submitted to Gaozu, who confirmed him as regional commander and left him in charge of the district.

子通攻棱，棱窮，乞師於沈法興、杜伏威。 Zitong besieged Chen Leng, who, hard pressed, appealed to Shen Faxing and Du Fuwei for relief.

子通得悉力取江都，遂據之，棱奔而免。 Free to concentrate his full strength on Jiangdu, Zitong took the city; Chen Leng broke out and escaped.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 92Volume 92 Biographies 17: Du, Kan, Wang, Li, Yuan, Luo, Wang · 3 passages

煬帝遣右禦衛將軍陳棱以精兵討之，棱不敢戰，伏威遺以婦人服，書稱陳姥，怒其軍。 Emperor Yang sent Right Imperial Guard General Chen Ling with picked troops against him. Ling would not give battle, so Fuwei sent him women's garments and a letter addressed to "Old Dame Chen," deliberately to humiliate him and stir his army to anger.

棱果悉兵至，伏威迎出挑戰，棱軍射中其額，伏威怒曰：「不殺汝，矢不拔！」 Chen Ling duly marched out with his full army. Fuwei rode forth to challenge him. Ling's archers struck Fuwei in the forehead. Fuwei roared, "I will not pull out this arrow until you are dead!"

遂馳入棱陣，大呼沖擊，眾披靡，獲所射將，使拔箭已，斬之，攜其首入棱軍示之，又殺數十人，遂大潰，棱走而免。 He spurred straight into Chen Ling's ranks, shouting as he charged. The enemy lines crumbled. He seized the archer who had shot him, made the man draw out the arrow, then cut off his head and bore it into Ling's camp to display it. After killing several dozen more men he put the whole army to rout. Ling himself escaped.