Sui and Tang · Eunuch

Dong Xiu 董秀

Dǒng Xiù

Attested AD 766 - AD 770

Passages: 6
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Dong Xiu was an eunuch.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Nickname	Seventh Brother	七郎	Qīláng

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 766 to AD 770 時中官董秀掌樞密用事
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 97
AD 766 永泰二年
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 97

Career and standing

eunuch controlling secret affairs 中官掌樞密
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 97
eunuch controlling the secretariat 中官掌樞密
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 97

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 97

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 99, 107

Events and relationships

Accepted offer and recommended
Corruption · Bribe taker · With Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 105, 109
Relation Patron of · Person Chen Shaoyou (陳少遊)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passages 105, 109

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 97
Said his monthly household expenses exceeded a thousand strings of cash
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 126, passage 99

References in the histories

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 130Volume 126 Biographies 76: Li Kui, Li Han, Chen Shaoyou, Lu Yue, Pei Xu · 6 passages

時中官董秀掌樞密用事，少遊乃宿於其裏，候其下直，際晚謁之，從容曰：「七郎家中人數幾何？ The eunuch Dong Xiu then controlled the secretariat. Shaoyou lodged in his lane, waited until he left the palace at dusk, and called on him casually: "Seventh Brother, how large is your household?

秀曰：「久忝近職，家累甚重，又屬時物騰貴，一月過千餘貫。」 Xiu replied: "I have long held a post at court, my household is large, and prices are soaring. It costs more than a thousand strings a month."

少遊雖不才，請以一身獨供七郎之費，每歲請獻錢五萬貫。 I am no great man, but I will supply all of Seventh Brother's expenses myself—fifty thousand strings of cash each year.

秀既逾於始望，欣愜頗甚，因與之厚相結。 Xiu, delighted beyond his hopes, formed a close bond with him.

秀遽曰：「中丞美才，不當遠官，請從容旬日，冀竭蹇分。」 Xiu said at once: "Your talent is too fine for a distant post. Wait ten days at ease while I do what little I can."

秀、載內外引薦，數日，拜宣州刺史、宣歙池都團練觀察使。 With recommendations from Xiu within the palace and Zai outside, within days he was made prefect of Xuanzhou and overall military governor of Xuan, She, and Chi.