Emperor Suzong (肅宗)

Overview

Emperor Suzong was an emperor of Tang.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 756 to AD 762 唐肅宗
Dated from the passage context · History of Ming 169, passage 3
AD 756 肅宗
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 13
AD 756 to AD 762 肅宗以後
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 22, passage 98
AD 756 肅宗先保靈武
Directly stated · History of Song 359, passage 31
AD 756 肅宗即位
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 132
AD 756 肅宗嘉之
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 141, passage 16

Show 4 more source-backed claims

AD 756 肅宗在靈武
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 138, passage 9; New Book of Tang 172, passage 188
AD 756 to AD 762 肅宗時
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 170
AD 761 to AD 762 肅宗末年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 55
AD 757 至德二載
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 15

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Emperor Daizong (代宗)
eldest legitimate son 嫡長
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 23
Spouse of Empress Zhang (張皇后)
empress 皇后
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 130, passage 15

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Acceded
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 132

Places and affiliations

Tang 唐
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · History of Ming 169, passage 3
Tang 唐
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 15; New Book of Tang 45, passage 170
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Ruled
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 53, passage 55
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 51, passage 132

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Summary I came to accomplish great deeds—what need of all this
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 77
Speech · Speaker · Summary I nearly let Cui Qi mislead me
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 24

Events and relationships

Nearly accepted Cui Qi death proposal
Political · Decision maker
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 119, passage 20
Ruled when Shi Chaoyi’s forces severed the Huai transport route
Administrative · Ruler
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 53, passage 55
Summoned Hexi garrisons
Military · Sovereign · At Lingwu 靈武
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 138, passage 9

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 45, passage 170; New Book of Tang 51, passage 132; New Book of Tang 172, passage 188

References in the histories

Search passages

History

31 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 119Volume 115 Biographies 65: Cui Qi, Zhao Guozhen, Cui Guan, Jing Kuo, Wei Yuanfu, Wei Shaoyou, Wei Boyu, Li Cheng · 8 passages

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從肅宗至鳳翔，加禮儀使。 He followed Emperor Suzong to Fengxiang and was additionally appointed commissioner of court ritual.

肅宗將從其議。 Suzong was on the point of accepting his proposal.

肅宗曰：「朕幾為崔器所誤。」 Suzong said, "I came within a hair's breadth of letting Cui Qi lead me astray."

肅宗幸靈武，杜鴻漸等奉迎，留少遊知留後，備宮室掃除之事。 When Suzong went to Lingwu, Du Hongjian and others went out to welcome him; Shaoyou was left behind as acting commissioner to prepare palaces and attend to cleaning.

少遊以肅宗遠離宮闕，初至邊籓，故豐供具以悅之。 Because Suzong had left the palace far behind and had only just reached the frontier, Shaoyou lavished supplies upon him to win his favor.

肅宗至靈武，殿宇禦幄，皆象宮闈，諸王、公主各設本院，飲食進禦，窮其水陸。 When Suzong reached Lingwu, halls and imperial screens all imitated the palace; each prince and princess had a separate courtyard; provisions sent to the throne exhausted every delicacy of land and water.

肅宗曰：「我至此本欲成大事，安用此為！」 Suzong said, "I came here to accomplish great deeds—what need of all this!"

肅宗即位，興師靖難，伯玉激憤，思立功名，自安西歸長安。 When Suzong ascended the throne and raised an army to quell the rebellion, Boyu burned with indignation, eager to win merit and fame, and returned from Anxi to Chang'an.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 130Volume 126 Biographies 76: Li Kui, Li Han, Chen Shaoyou, Lu Yue, Pei Xu · 7 passages

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肅宗賞嘆之，嘗謂揆曰：「卿門地、人物、文章，皆當代所推。」 Emperor Suzong admired him greatly and once told him: "Your family standing, your character, and your prose are alike the finest of our day."

其為舍人也，宗室請加張皇后「翊聖」之號，肅宗召揆問之，對曰； While he was still a drafting secretary, the imperial clan petitioned to add the honorific "Assisting Sage" to Empress Zhang's title. Suzong called Kui in for his view, and he answered:

肅宗驚曰：「凡才幾誤我家事。」 Suzong started in alarm. "Mediocre advisers nearly ruined my house," he said.

揆因對見，肅宗從容曰：「成王嫡長有功，今當命嗣，卿意何如？」 On another audience Kui was present when Suzong said casually: "The Prince of Cheng is the eldest legitimate son and has earned distinction. It is time to name the heir. What do you think?"

肅宗喜曰：「朕計決矣。」 Suzong said with satisfaction: "My mind is made up."

肅宗北幸平涼，未有所適。 When Suzong fled north to Pingliang he had not yet chosen a destination.

涵敷奏明辯，動合事機，肅宗大悅，除右司員外郎，累至司封郎中、宗正少卿。 Han spoke with clarity and force, and his counsel matched the moment. Suzong was delighted and appointed him vice director in the Right Secretariat, then promoted him through the Bureau of Enfeoffments to vice director of the Court of the Imperial Clan.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 138Volume 138: Foreign States Biographies 2: Tubo, Huihu, Goryeo, Bohai Tungusic Tribes, Heishui Tungusic Tribes, Silla, Tangut, Kunming Tribes, Yutian, Champa, Zangkeman · 1 passage

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安祿山之亂，肅宗在靈武，悉召河西戍卒收復兩京，吐蕃乘虛取河西、隴右，華人百萬皆陷於吐蕃。 When An Lushan rose in rebellion and Emperor Suzong was at Lingwu, he called up every soldier garrisoned in Hexi to retake the two capitals. Tubo seized the moment, overran Hexi and Longyou, and more than a million Chinese subjects were lost to Tubo rule.

History of Ming, Chapter 169Volume 169 Biographies 57: Gao Gu, Hu Ying, Wang Zhi · 3 passages

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英宗將還，奉迎禮薄，千戶龔遂榮投書於谷，具言禮宜從厚，援唐肅宗迎上皇故事。 When Emperor Yingzong was due to return, the planned welcome rites were deemed too spare. The qianhu Gong Suirong sent Gao Gu a letter arguing at length that the ceremony should be lavish, invoking Emperor Suzong of Tang welcoming his father home from retirement.

會千戶龔遂榮為書投大學士高谷，言奉迎宜厚，具言唐肅宗迎上皇故事。 Meanwhile the qianhu Gong Suirong sent Grand Secretary Gao Gu a letter arguing that the welcome should be lavish and citing Tang Suzong's reception of his father.

濙等因以書進，且言：「肅宗迎上皇典禮，今日正可仿行。 Hu Ying and his colleagues then submitted the letter and added, "The rites with which Tang Suzong welcomed his father are just what should be followed now.

History of Song, Chapter 107Volume 107 Treatises 60: Rites 10 · 1 passage

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唐《郊祀志》載禘祫祝文，自獻祖至肅宗所配皆一後，惟睿宗二後，蓋昭成，明皇母也。 The Tang Record of Suburban Sacrifices lists the prayer texts for dì and xiá sacrifices: from Emperor Xianzu through Emperor Suzong, each emperor was paired with only one empress—Emperor Ruizong alone had two, Zhaocheng being the mother of Emperor Xuanzong.

History of Song, Chapter 359Volume 359 Biographies 118: Li Gang 2 · 1 passage

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肅宗先保靈武，故能破安、史而復兩京。 Emperor Suzong first secured Lingwu, and only then was able to defeat An Lushan and Shi Siming and recover the two capitals.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 22Volume 22 Treatises 12: Rites and Music 12 · 1 passage

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自肅宗以後，皆以生日為節，而德宗不立節，然止於群臣稱觴上壽而已。 After Suzong emperors marked birthdays as holidays; Dezong refused the practice, limiting celebration to ministers' toast for long life.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 45Volume 45 Treatises 40: Selecting and Appointing Officials 2 · 1 passage

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肅、代以後兵興，天下多故，官員益濫，而銓法無可道者。 After Suzong and Daizong, war and turmoil multiplied officials until evaluation law collapsed entirely.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 51Volume 51 Treatises 47: Finance and Economics 1 · 2 passages

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肅宗即位，遣御史鄭叔清等籍江淮、蜀漢富商右族訾畜，十收其二，謂之率貸。 Suzong sent Zheng Shuqing to register wealthy families in Jiang-Huai and the southwest and seize two-tenths of their assets—the "assessed lending" levy.

是時，京師豪將假取不能禁，第五琦為度支鹽鐵使，請皆歸大盈庫，供天子給賜，主以中官。 Capital generals looted the treasury at will; Diwu Qi as salt commissioner moved all funds to the Great Abundance Vault for imperial gifts, managed by eunuchs.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 53Volume 53 Treatises 43: Finance and Economics 3 · 1 passage

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肅宗末年，史朝義兵分出宋州，淮運於是阻絕，租庸鹽鐵泝漢江而上。 Late in Suzong's reign Shi Chaoyi's forces swept out of Songzhou and severed the Huai route; rent, corvée goods, salt, and iron had to go up the Han instead.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 141Volume 141 Biographies 66: Cui, Deng, Wei, Wei, Li Han, Lu, Gao · 4 passages

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肅宗嘉之，擢拜御史大夫，復為京兆尹，遣到渭北募僑民。 Emperor Suzong praised this, promoted him to censor-in-chief, again made him governor of Jingzhao, and sent him north of the Wei to recruit displaced people.

肅宗以其統馭失方，不復究驗，遣使喻撫其軍，軍中請辛雲京為節度，詔可。 Emperor Suzong, because Jingshan had lost control, did not pursue the matter further; he sent envoys to pacify the army, and the army requested Xin Yunjing as military governor—the edict approved.

肅宗幸靈武，杜鴻漸等奉迎，而留少遊繕治宮室。 When Emperor Suzong reached Lingwu, Du Hongjian and others went to welcome him, while Shaoyou was left to repair the palaces.

肅宗即位，慨然願立功，乃歸長安，領神策兵馬使，出鎮陜州行營。 When Suzong took the throne, Boyu ardently wished to achieve merit. He returned to Chang'an, took command as Shence army commander, and went out to garrison the Shanzhou campaign headquarters.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 1 passage

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肅宗在靈武，上書論當世事，擢校書郎。 While Suzong held court at Lingwu, he memorialized on affairs of the day and was raised to collation secretary.