Emperor Xianwen of Wei (魏獻文皇帝)

Overview

Emperor Xianwen of Wei was an emperor of Northern Wei.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Emperor Xianwen	顯文帝
Temple name	Xianzu	顯祖	Xiǎnzǔ

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 465 獻文朝
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 2
AD 465 to AD 476 獻文皇帝
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passages 3, 122
AD 465 to AD 471 顯祖
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 86, passage 33
AD 465 to AD 471 顯祖在位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 39, passage 35
AD 466 to AD 471 顯祖時
Directly stated · Book of Wei 92, passage 42
AD 471 to AD 499 高祐為兗州刺史
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 93, passage 42

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AD 386 to AD 534 魏世
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 98, passage 102

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Yuan Tan (元坦)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 2
Ancestor of Yuan Bin (元斌)
grandfather 祖 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 25
Child of Empress Xiaoyuan (孝元皇后)
bore 生
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passage 122
Child of Emperor Wencheng (文成皇帝)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passage 122
Parent of Yuan Xi (元禧)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 2
Parent of Yuan Yong (元雍)
son 子
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 28, passages 25-26

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Specially pardoned
Person Sun Nanyu (孫氏男玉) · Reason righteous vengeance
Directly stated · Book of Wei 98, passage 102

Places and affiliations

Northern Wei 魏
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Wei 39, passage 35
Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Wei 92, passage 42

Works and attributed material

Edict · Issuer · With Sun Nanyu (孫氏男玉) · Direct quotation · Mode direct-quotation Source Person Id Emperor Xianwen of Wei (魏獻文皇帝)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 98, passage 102

Events and relationships

Relation Patron of · Person Changle (長樂)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passage 3

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 28, passage 1

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 28Volume 28 Biographies 20: Yuan Tan (Eastern Wei); Yuan Bin; Yuan Xiaoyou; Yuan Huiye; Yuan Bi; Yuan Shao (Eastern Wei) · 2 passages

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元坦，祖魏獻文皇帝，咸陽王禧第七子。 Yuan Tan's grandfather was Emperor Xianwen of Wei; he was the seventh son of Prince Xianyang Xi.

元斌，字善集，祖魏獻文皇帝。 Yuan Bin, styled Shanji — his grandfather was Emperor Xianwen of Wei.

Book of Wei, Chapter 24Volume 20: Emperor Wencheng's Five Princes · 2 passages

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文成皇帝七男：孝元皇后生獻文皇帝。 Emperor Wencheng had seven sons: Empress Xiaoyuan bore Emperor Xianwen.

長樂性凝重，顯祖器愛之。 Changle was sober and steady in temperament; Xianzu prized and favored him.

Book of Wei, Chapter 39Volume 34: Wang Luo Er, Che Lutou, Lu Luyuan, Chen Jian, Wan Anguo · 3 passages

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後定州弟升為侍御中散，有寵於顯祖，以祖父洛兒著勳先朝，詔復定州爵為公。 Later Dingzhou's younger brother Sheng became an attendant in the imperial escort and won favor with Emperor Xianzu; because their grandfather Luoer had earned distinction under the previous reign, an edict restored Dingzhou's rank to duke.

獻文皇帝髫齓龍飛，道光率土，干戚暫舞，淮海從風，車書既同，華裔將一。 Emperor Xianwen took the throne while still a child; his radiance shone across the realm; when arms were briefly raised, the Huai and Hai regions bowed to the wind; chariots and writing were unified, and Chinese and barbarian were on the verge of becoming one.

顯祖特親寵之，與同臥起，為立第宅，賞賜至巨萬。 Emperor Xianzu favored him with special intimacy, sharing his bed and his daily routine, built him a mansion, and lavished rewards upon him to the sum of tens of thousands.

Book of Wei, Chapter 86Volume 81: Qi Jun, Shan Wei, Liu Renzhi, Yuwen Zhongzhi · 1 passage

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為奏事中散，從顯祖獵方山，有兩狐起於御前，詔強射之，百步內二狐俱獲。 As a memorial-presenting palace attendant, he followed Emperor Xianzu hunting at Mount Fang; two foxes broke cover before the imperial carriage, and the emperor ordered Qiang to shoot—within a hundred paces he took both.

Book of Wei, Chapter 92Volume 86: Filial Piety: Zhao Yan, Zhang Sunlu, Qifu Bao, Sun Yide, Dong Luosheng, Yang Yin · 1 passage

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父居，顯祖時為散騎常侍，領牧曹尚書，賜爵寧國侯。 His father Ju, in Emperor Xianzu's reign, was Regular Attendant and head of the Pasturage and Herds Office of the Ministry, and was enfeoffed as Marquis of Ning.

Book of Wei, Chapter 93Volume 87: Morality and Righteousness: Yu Shenmen, Duan Jin, Shi Wende, Ji Gu, Wang Xuanwei, Lou Ti, Liu Kehou · 3 passages

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顯祖崩，玄威立草廬於州城門外，衰裳蔬粥，哭踴無時。 When Emperor Xianwen died, Xuanwei built a grass hut outside the prefectural gate, wore hemp mourning dress, lived on vegetables and gruel, and wept and stamped in grief without cease.

顯祖時為內三郎。 Under Emperor Xianwen he served as an inner palace guard of the third rank.

顯祖暴崩，提謂人曰：「聖主升遐，安用活為！」 When the emperor died suddenly, Lou Ti said to those around him, "Our sage lord has departed—why should I go on living?"

Book of Wei, Chapter 98Volume 92: Notable Women: Cui Lan's Consort Feng, Feng Zhuo's Consort Liu, Wei Pu's Consort Fang, Hu Changming's Consort Zhang · 1 passage

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顯祖詔曰：「男玉重節輕身，以義犯法，緣情定罪，理在可原，其特恕之。」 Emperor Xianzu issued an edict: "Nanyu prized integrity above her own life and broke the law in the name of righteousness. Given the circumstances, she deserves mercy—let her be specially pardoned."