Overview
Dong Yan was a Named Individual.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Death
Age
- Years 18 · Reckoning Sui · Event capping
- Years 30 · Reckoning Sui · Event death
- Years 13 · Reckoning Sui
Attested activity
References in the histories
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Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 26 passages
午死，主寡居，年五十餘矣，近幸董偃。
When Chen Wu died she was past fifty, a widow who took Dong Yan as her lover.
始偃與母以賣珠為事，偃年十三，隨母出入主家。
Dong Yan and his mother had sold pearls for a living; at thirteen he began following his mother to the princess's mansion.
為人溫柔愛人，以主故，諸公接之，名稱城中，號曰董君。
Courteous and affable, he was received by the nobility for the princess's sake and was known through the capital as Lord Dong.
主因推令散財交士，令中府曰：「董君所發，一日金滿百斤，錢滿百萬，帛滿千匹，乃白之。」
The princess thereupon urged him to scatter wealth and befriend knights, ordering the inner treasury: "Whatever Lord Dong disburses—if in one day gold fills a hundred jin, cash fills a million, silk fills a thousand bolts, then report it."
安陵爰叔者，爰盎兄子也，與偃善，謂偃曰：「足下私侍漢主，挾不測之罪，將欲安處乎？」
Yuanshu of Anling was the nephew of Yuan Ang; he was on good terms with Yan and said to Yan: "You privately serve the Han ruler, bearing immeasurable crime—where do you intend to end up?"
偃懼曰：「憂之久矣，不知所以。」
Yan fearfully said: "I have worried long; I do not know what to do."
偃頓首曰：「敬奉教。」
Yan kowtowed and said, "Respectfully I receive your teaching."
主大喜，使偃以黃金百斤為爰叔壽。
Overjoyed, she sent Dong Yan with a hundred jin of gold to thank Yuanshu.
叔因是為董君畫求見上之策，令主稱疾不朝。
Yuanshu then arranged Dong Yan's introduction: the princess was to feign illness and skip court.
坐未定，上曰：「願謁主人翁。」
Before seating was settled, the emperor said: "I wish to greet the master of the house."
主簪履起，之東廂自引董君。
She dressed again, went to the east wing, and led Dong Yan out.
董君綠幘傅□，隨主前，伏殿下。
Dong Yan wore the green turban of a servant and jeweled sleeves; he followed her forward and knelt below the steps.
主乃讚：「館陶公主胞人臣偃昧死再拜謁。」
The princess then announced: "The Princess of Guantao's chamberlain, your subject Yan, in darkness of death twice bows to pay court."
因叩頭謝，上為之起。
Dong Yan kowtowed; the emperor rose for him.
偃起，走就衣冠。
Dong Yan rose and went to change.
當是時，董君見尊不名，稱為「主人翁」，飲大歡樂。
"At that time Lord Dong was honored without being named; he was called master of the house; drinking was greatly joyful."
於是董君貴寵，天下莫不聞。
Dong Yan's favor became famous throughout the empire.
於是上為竇太主置酒宣室，使謁者引內董君。
Then the emperor prepared a banquet in the Xuanshi Hall for Grand Princess Dou and ordered Dong Yan brought in.
是時，朔陛戟殿下，辟戟而前曰：「董偃有斬罪三，安得入乎？」
At that time Shuo with hall halberds below the steps, parted the halberds and stepped forward, saying: "Dong Yan has three beheading crimes—how may he enter?"
朔曰：「偃以人臣私侍公主，其罪一也。
Dongfang Shuo said, "First, as a subject he has privately bedded a princess.
陛下富於春秋，方積思於《六經》，留神於王事，馳騖於唐、虞，折節於三代，偃不遵經勸學，反以靡麗為右，奢侈為務，盡狗馬之樂，極耳目之欲，行邪枉之道，逕淫辟之路，是乃國家之大賊，人主之大蜮。
Your Majesty is young and should steep yourself in the Six Classics and the models of Yao, Shun, and the Three Dynasties; instead Dong Yan spurns learning, exalts luxury, fills your days with dogs, horses, and sensual delight, and leads you down depraved paths—he is a public scourge and a parasite on the throne.
偃為淫首，其罪三也。
Third, he is the ringleader of this vice.
有詔止，更置酒北宮，引董君從東司馬門。
He canceled the Xuanshi feast, moved the party to the Northern Palace, and had Dong Yan enter by the east stable gate.
董君之寵由是日衰，至年三十而終。
Dong Yan's star fell from that day; he died at thirty.
後數歲，竇太主卒，與董君會葬於霸陵。
Years later Grand Princess Dou died and was buried with Dong Yan at Baling.
是後，公主貴人多逾禮制，自董偃始。
Afterward princesses and great ladies routinely overstepped ritual bounds—Dong Yan had shown the way.