Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Emperor of Northern Zhou

Emperor Xuan 宣帝

Xuan di

First attested AD 579; died AD 580

Passages: 7
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Xuan was an emperor of Northern Zhou.

Life and dates

Death

AD 580 大象二年五月己酉
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 8, passage 2

Attested activity

AD 580 大象二年夏五月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 8, passages 1-2
AD 579 大象元年二月辛巳
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 8, passage 151

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Emperor Jing (靜皇帝)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 8, passage 146
Spouse of Empress Zhu (朱皇后)
empress 皇后
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 8, passages 5, 147

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Zhou · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 8, passage 146

Events and relationships

Fell gravely ill
AD 580 大象二年夏五月乙未 · Medical · Patient
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 8, passage 1
Transmitted throne
AD 579 大象元年二月辛巳 · Political · Actor · With Emperor Jing (靜皇帝) · At Ye palace 鄴宮
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 8, passage 151

References in the histories

Book of Zhou, Chapter 8Volume 8 Annals 8: Emperor Jing · 7 passages

二年夏五月乙未，宣帝寢疾，詔帝入宿於露門學。 Second year, fifth month of summer, on yiwei day, Emperor Xuan fell gravely ill and ordered Emperor Jing to lodge at the Lumen Gate Academy.

己酉，宣帝崩，帝入居天臺，廢正陽宮。 On jiyou day Emperor Xuan died; Emperor Jing moved into the Celestial Terrace and Zhengyang Palace was abolished.

靜皇帝諱衍，後改為闡，宣帝長子也。 Emperor Jing, taboo name Yan, later changed to Chan, was Emperor Xuan's eldest son.

二月辛巳，宣帝於鄴宮傳位授帝，居正陽宮。 In the second month, on xinsi day, Emperor Xuan at Ye palace transmitted the throne to Emperor Jing, who took residence at Zhengyang Palace.

屬上天降禍，先皇晏駕，萬國深鼎湖之痛，四海窮遏密之悲。 Just when Heaven sent disaster and the late emperor passed away, the myriad states felt deeply the pain of Ding Lake; the four seas exhausted their grief at the prohibition of speech.

昔上皇之時，不言為治，聖人宰物，有教而已。 In former times during the Retired Sovereign's era, he did not speak yet achieved governance; the sage rules the world through teaching alone.

斯蓋宣帝之餘殃，非孺子之罪戾也。 This was surely the baleful aftermath of Emperor Xuan, not the young emperor's fault.