Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Emperor Xiaoming of Wei 魏孝明帝

Wei Xiaomingdi

Attested AD 515 - AD 528

Passages: 20
Chapters: 11
Histories: 3

Overview

Emperor Xiaoming of Wei was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Wei emperor	魏帝
Temple name	Emperor Suzong	肅宗	Sùzōng

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 523 to AD 528 北鎮反亂
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 93, passage 115
AD 527 孝昌三年九月
Directly stated · Book of Wei 111, passages 262-263
AD 515 to AD 528 孝明
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 36, passage 21
AD 520 to AD 525 正光中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 26, passages 7, 9, 13
AD 524 正光五年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 110, passages 10, 13
AD 520 正光元年七月
Directly stated · Book of Wei 27, passage 143

Show 6 more source-backed claims

AD 519 神龜二年十一月乙酉
Directly stated · Book of Wei 111, passage 259
AD 515 to AD 528 肅宗
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passage 80; Book of Wei 96, passage 257
AD 515 to AD 528 肅宗世
Directly stated · Book of Wei 81, passage 20
AD 515 to AD 516 肅宗初
Directly stated · Book of Wei 27, passage 124
AD 515 to AD 528 肅宗初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 86, passage 38
AD 520 to AD 525 魏正光中
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 18, passage 82

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Empress Dowager Ling (靈太后)
empress dowager 太後
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 36, passages 21, 73

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Northern Wei 魏
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 18, passage 82
Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Ruled
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 111, passage 259
Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Under
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 96, passage 257

Works and attributed material

Basic Annals of Suzong (Wei shu fascicle 9) 卷九肅宗紀
Relation Subject of
Directly stated · Book of Wei 111, passages 259, 262
Speech · Speaker · With Xue Jun (薛琡) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 26, passage 7

Events and relationships

Ordered investigation
Political · Ruler · With Xiao Baoyin (蕭寶寅)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 96, passage 257

Assessments and attributes

Assessment praised Xue Chu and bestowed silk · Mode named-source-report · With Xue Jun (薛琡)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 26, passage 13

Source notes

Collation cites fascicle 9 Basic Annals of Suzong to restore missing 'second year' before an eleventh-month entry (Shengui 2) and to date an event to Xiaochang 3 rather than year 2.
Directly stated · Book of Wei 111, passages 259-262, 266-268

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 26Volume 26 Biographies 18: Xue Chu; Jing Xianjun; Ping Jian · 2 passages

魏帝召而謂之曰：「卿風度峻整，姿貌秀異，後當升進，何以處官？」 The Wei emperor summoned him and said, "Your bearing is stern and composed, your appearance outstanding; you will rise in rank — what office do you desire?"

魏孝明嘉之，賜縑百疋。 Emperor Xiaoming of Wei praised him and bestowed a hundred bolts of silk.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies 28: Xing Shao · 1 passage

自孝明之後，文雅大盛，卲雕蟲之美，獨步當時，每一文初出，京師為之紙貴，讀誦俄遍遠近。 After Emperor Xiaoming of Wei, literary culture flourished; Shao's ornamental prose stood alone—each new piece made paper dear in the capital, and within moments it was read and recited across the realm.

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

琛以肅宗始學，獻金字孝經。 When Suzong first took up his studies, Chen presented a gilt-letter Classic of Filial Piety.

至肅宗初，為豫州刺史，甚有政績，累遷給事黃門侍郎。 At Suzong's accession he became Yuzhou inspector with a strong record of governance and rose to attendant of the yellow gate.

Book of Wei, Chapter 27Volume 22: Emperor Xiaowen's Five Princes · 3 passages

肅宗初，遷太尉，侍中如故。 At Suzong's accession he was made grand marshal while remaining palace attendant.

靈太后以懌肅宗懿叔，德先具瞻，委以朝政，事擬周霍。 Empress Dowager Ling, seeing Yi as Xiaoming's honored uncle and a man all eyes followed, entrusted government to him on the model of the Duke of Zhou and Huo Guang.

正光元年七月，叉與劉騰逼肅宗於顯陽殿，閉靈太后於後宮，囚懌於門下省，誣懌罪狀，遂害之，時年三十四。 In the first year of Zhenguang, seventh month, Cha and Liu Teng seized Xiaoming in Xianyang Hall, walled the dowager in the rear palace, jailed Yi in the Gate and Chamber office, forged charges, and killed him at thirty-four.

Book of Wei, Chapter 81Volume 76: Lu Tong, Zhang Lie · 3 passages

肅宗世，朝政稍衰，人多竊冒軍功。 During Emperor Suzong's reign, court governance weakened, and many men fraudulently claimed military merit.

肅宗初，除龍驤將軍、司徒右長史。 At the start of Emperor Suzong's reign he was appointed Dragon Cavalry General and Right Chief Clerk under the Minister of Education.

按卷九肅宗紀孝昌三年二月庚申稱東郡民趙顯德反，詔都督李叔仁討之； According to juan 9 of Emperor Suzong's annals, on gengshen day in the second month of the third year of Xiaochang, the people of Dong Commandery under Zhao Xiande rebelled, and an edict ordered Commander-in-Chief Li Shuren to suppress them;

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

肅宗初，元匡為御史中尉，以偉兼侍御史。 Early in Emperor Suzong's reign Yuan Kuang was chief of the censors and appointed Wei as concurrent attendant censor.

Book of Wei, Chapter 93Volume 87: Morality and Righteousness: Yu Shenmen, Duan Jin, Shi Wende, Ji Gu, Wang Xuanwei, Lou Ti, Liu Kehou · 1 passage

肅宗下詔褒美忠節，進榮世爵為伯，贈齊州刺史； Emperor Suzong issued an edict praising their loyalty, promoted Rongshi's rank to marquis, and posthumously appointed him inspector of Qi province;

Book of Wei, Chapter 96Volume 90: Retired Officals: Sui Kua, Feng Liang, Li Mi, Zheng Xiu · 1 passage

蘭根申表薦脩，肅宗詔付雍州刺史蕭寶夤訪實以聞。 Langen memorialized recommending Xiu; Emperor Suzong ordered Yongzhou Inspector Xiao Baoyin to investigate and report.

Book of Wei, Chapter 110Volume 104: Author's Preface · 3 passages

肅宗優詔從之。 Emperor Suzong graciously approved the request by imperial edict.

乃間使上聞，肅宗甚嘉之，詔子建兼尚書為行臺，刺史如故。 He sent word through a special messenger. Emperor Suzong was greatly pleased and appointed Zijian Director of the Secretariat with authority as a mobile imperial commission, while retaining his post as provincial governor.

下訖肅宗，事甚委悉。 The record extended through Emperor Suzong and was exceedingly detailed.

Book of Wei, Chapter 111Volume 105a Treatise 1: Celestial Phenomena 1 · 2 passages

十一月乙酉按卷九肅宗紀，事在神龜二年十一月乙酋。 Eleventh month, yiyou: fascicle 9, Basic Annals of Emperor Xiaoming, places the event in the eleventh month of Shengui 2, on yiyou day.

按卷九肅宗紀，事在孝昌三年九月辛卯，梁書卷五武帝紀三，在梁大通元年 Fascicle 9, Basic Annals of Emperor Xiaoming, places the event in the ninth month of Xiaochang 3, on xinmao day; the Book of Liang, fascicle 5, Basic Annals of Emperor Wu 3, places it in Liang Datong 1

Book of Zhou, Chapter 18Volume 18 Biographies 10: Wang Pi; Wang Sizheng · 1 passage

魏正光中，解褐員外散騎侍郎。 During the Zhenguang era of Emperor Xiaoming of Wei he entered office as attendant gentleman of scattered cavalry.