Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler of Liang

Emperor Yuan 世祖

Shizu

Attested AD 551 - AD 554

Passages: 16
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Yuan was a ruler of Liang.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 551 太清五年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 55, passage 80
AD 554 承聖年間
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 6, passage 180

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Xiao Fangzhi (蕭方智)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Liang 6, passage 180
Parent of Fangdeng (方等)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 163
Sibling of Xiao Ji (蕭紀)
younger brother 弟 · Paternal half siblings
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 96

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Liang
Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 80

Works and attributed material

Letter · Author · With Xiao Ji (蕭紀)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passages 87-98, 102-113

Events and relationships

Relation Sibling of · Person Xiao Ji (蕭紀) · Kinship Term brothers 友于兄弟
Directly stated · Book of Liang 55, passage 108

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Book of Liang, Chapter 6Volume 6: Emperor Jing · 2 passages

敬皇帝，諱方智，字慧相，小字法真，世祖第九子也。 Emperor Jing, personal name Fangzhi, style name Huixiang and childhood name Fazhen, was the ninth son of Emperor Yuan.

紹泰元年冬十月己巳，詔曰：「王室不造，嬰罹禍釁，西都失守，朝廷淪覆，先帝梓宮，播越非所，王基傾弛，率土罔戴。 On jisi in the tenth month of winter, Shaotai year 1, an edict said: "The royal house is unformed, stricken with disaster; the western capital fell, the court collapsed; the late emperor's coffin wandered abroad, the throne shook, and the realm had no support.

Book of Liang, Chapter 55Volume 55: Zong, Prince of Yuzhang; Ji, Prince of Wuling; Zhengde, Prince of Linhe; Yu, Prince of Hedong · 14 passages

世祖命護軍將軍陸法和於硤口夾岸築二壘，鎮江以斷之。 Shizu ordered Protector General Lu Fahe to build two ramparts on both banks at the Gorge Mouth to hold the river and block him.

時陸納未平，蜀軍復逼，物情恇擾，世祖憂焉。 At the time Lu Na was not yet pacified and the Shu army pressed again; public sentiment was alarmed and Shizu worried.

世祖乃拔任約於獄，以爲晉安王司馬，撤禁兵以配之； Shizu then pulled Ren Yue from prison and made him Master of Affairs to Prince Jin'an, assigning palace guard troops to him;

世祖復於獄拔謝答仁爲步兵校尉，配衆一旅，上赴法和。 Shizu again pulled Xie Daren from prison and made him Colonel of Footsoldiers, assigning him a brigade to go up and relieve Lu Fahe.

世祖與紀書曰：「皇帝敬問假黃鉞太尉武陵王：自九黎侵軼，三苗寇擾，天長喪亂，獯醜馮陵，虔劉象魏，黍離王室。 Shizu wrote Ji a letter: "The Emperor respectfully inquires of the Acting Holder of the Yellow Battle-Axe, Grand Commandant, Prince of Wuling: Since the Nine Li raided our borders and the Three Miao harassed us, Heaven long abandoned order, barbarians pressed against the capital, devoutly laid waste to the realm, and the royal house knew the sorrows of millet and thorn—

旣而陸納平，諸軍並西赴，世祖又與紀書曰：「甚苦大智！ Soon Lu Na was subdued and every army marched west; Emperor Yuan wrote again to Ji: "How you must suffer, Great Wisdom!

世祖知紀必破，遂拒而不許。 Emperor Yuan knew Ji was doomed and refused outright.

有司奏請絕其屬籍，世祖許之，賜姓饕餮氏。 The court memorialized to strike him from the clan register; Emperor Yuan assented and gave the surname Taotie.

時世祖軍于武城，新除雍州刺史張纘密報世祖曰：「河東起兵，岳陽聚米，共爲不逞，將襲江陵。」 Emperor Yuan was then at Wucheng; the new inspector of Yongzhou, Zhang Zuan, secretly warned him: "Hedong has risen and Yueyang is hoarding grain—they plot mischief and mean to strike Jiangling."

世祖甚懼，因步道間還，遣諮議周弘直至譽所，督其糧衆。 Emperor Yuan was terrified; he slipped back by side roads and sent Adviser Zhou Hongzhi to Yu's camp to take command of grain and troops.

世祖大怒，乃遣世子方等征之，反爲譽所敗死。 Enraged, Emperor Yuan sent his heir Fangdeng against him; Yu defeated and killed him.

後世祖又遣領軍將軍王僧辯代鮑泉攻譽，僧辯築土山以臨城內，日夕苦攻，矢石如雨，城中將士死傷者太半。 Later Shizu also sent Commandant of the Army Wang Sengbian to replace Bao Quan in attacking Yu. Sengbian raised earthworks overlooking the city and assaulted bitterly day and night until arrows and stones fell like rain and more than half the soldiers in the city were dead or wounded.

得一見七官，申此讒賊，死亦無恨。」 Let me see the Seventh Officer once and denounce this slanderer—then I can die without regret."

遂斬之，傳首荊鎮，世祖反其首以葬焉。 He was beheaded; the head was sent to the Jing garrison, and Emperor Yuan returned it for burial.