Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Liu Song Prince; Precedent for Arch-rebel Label

Liu Shao 劉劭

Liú Shào

Attested AD 453 - AD 453

Passages: 43
Chapters: 9
Histories: 3

Overview

Liu Shao was a Liu Song Prince; Precedent for Arch-rebel Label.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Epithet	Yuanxiong	元凶	Yuánxiōng

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 453 元兇將為弑逆
Directly stated · Book of Song 70, passage 90
AD 453 元嘉30年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 76, passage 63
AD 453 元嘉三十年
Directly stated · Book of Song 55, passage 91
AD 453 元嘉三十年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 71, passages 124, 153
AD 453 宋元嘉末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Liang 47, passage 38
AD 453 《宋書》劉劭例
Strongly inferred · Old History of the Five Dynasties 117, passage 11

Show 3 more source-backed claims

AD 453 元凶弒立
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 54, passages 115-116
AD 453 元凶弒立
Directly stated · Book of Song 73, passage 293
AD 453 劉劭例
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 12, passage 109

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Liu Weizhi (劉偉之)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 161
Child of Emperor Wen of Song (宋文帝)
father 父
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Song 73, passage 293; Book of Song 71, passage 118

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liu-song · Relation Member of
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 117, passage 11
Polity Id liu-song · Relation Member of
Strongly inferred · Book of Song 71, passage 131
Polity Id liu-song · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Song 54, passage 115; Book of Song 73, passage 293

Works and attributed material

Song History / Book of Song 宋書
Relation Precedent subject
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 117, passage 11
Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Jiang Zhan (江湛) · Mode quoted
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 154
Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Emperor Wen of Song (宋文帝) · Mode quoted
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 157
Speech · Speaker · With Yan Yanzhi (顏延之)
Directly stated · Book of Song 73, passages 296, 298
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Song 54, passage 116; Book of Song 70, passages 90-92, 98

Events and relationships

Committed regicide against Emperor Wen
AD 453 元嘉三十年 · Political · Perpetrator · With Emperor Wen of Song (宋文帝)
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 124
Murdered father and took throne
Political · Usurper · With Emperor Wen of Song (宋文帝)
Directly stated · Book of Song 73, passage 293
Planned regicide
Political · Perpetrator
Directly stated · Book of Song 70, passage 90
Summoned and questioned
Political · Interrogator · With Yan Yanzhi (顏延之)
Directly stated · Book of Song 73, passage 296
Usurped by regicide
Usurpation · Usurper
Directly stated · Book of Song 54, passage 115

Assessments and attributes

Assessment used as the archival precedent for styling a regicidal usurper an arch-criminal · About Person Id Yougui (友珪) · Mode named-source-report Source Work Five Dynasties Essentials 五代會要
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 117, passage 11

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Song 54, passage 115; Book of Song 71, passage 131

References in the histories

Search passages

History

43 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 12Volume 12 Book of Later Liang 12: Biographies 2: Imperial Family · 1 passage

又載：周廣順中，張昭修實錄，奏云：梁末帝之上，有郢王友珪，篡弑居位，未有紀錄，請依《宋書》劉劭例，書為「元凶友珪」。 The same source adds: In Later Zhou Guangshun, Zhang Zhao revised the Veritable Records and proposed that Zhu Yougui, who had murdered his way to the throne above the Last Emperor, be entered—as with Liu Shao in the 《History of Song》—under the title "Arch-rebel Zhu Yougui."

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 117Volume 117 Book of Later Zhou 19: Shizong Annals 4 · 1 passage

據《五代會要》云：梁末主之上有郢王友珪，篡弒居位，未有紀錄，請依《宋書》劉劭例，書為「元兇友珪」，其末主請依古義書曰後梁實錄。 The Five Dynasties Essentials states that above the last Liang ruler stood Prince of Ying Yougui, who seized power by regicide and has no chronicle; following the Song History treatment of Liu Shao, he should be styled "the arch-criminal Yougui," while the last ruler should be recorded, in classical fashion, as the Later Liang Veritable Records.

Book of Liang, Chapter 47Volume 47: Filial Acts · 1 passage

宋元嘉末，渡淮赴武陵王義，爲元凶追兵所殺，贈員外散騎侍郎。 Late in Song Yuanjia he crossed the Huai for Prince of Wuling Yi, was killed by the crown prince's pursuers, and was posthumously made Supernumerary Cavalier Attendant-in-Ordinary.

Book of Song, Chapter 54Volume 54 Biographies 14: Kong Jigong, Yang Xuanbao, Shen Tanqing · 3 passages

元凶弒立，為吏部尚書，領國子祭酒，尋加光祿大夫。 When the malefactor usurped the throne by regicide, Xuanbao became Minister of Personnel and Chancellor of the National University, and soon was given the additional title Grand Master of Splendid Happiness.

及世祖入討，朝野多南奔，劭集羣僚，橫刀怒曰：「卿等便可去矣！」 When Shizu marched in to punish him, court and countryside mostly fled south. Shao assembled the officials, drew his sword, and said in anger: "You may all leave now!"

劭乃解。 Shao then relented.

Book of Song, Chapter 55Volume 55 Biographies 15: Zang Dao, Xu Guang, F Long · 2 passages

遷尚書右丞，以徐湛之党，為元兇所殺。 He was promoted to Right Assistant Director in the Secretariat and, as an associate of Xu Tanzhi, was executed by the prime culprit.

亦以徐湛之党，為元兇所殺。 He too, as an associate of Xu Tanzhi, was executed by the prime culprit.

Book of Song, Chapter 70Volume 70 Biographies 30: Yuan Shu · 11 passages

元兇將為弑逆，其夜淑在直，二更許，呼淑及蕭斌等流涕謂曰：「主上信讒，將見罪廢。 When the Traitor Prince was about to commit regicide, Shu was on duty that night; about the second watch Shao called Shu and Xiao Bin, weeping: "The emperor trusts slander; I am about to be charged and deposed.

劭怒變色，左右皆動。 Shao's face changed in anger; those around stirred.

淑叱之曰：「卿便謂殿下真有是邪？ Shu rebuked him, "Do you think His Highness truly intends this?

殿下幼時嘗患風，或是疾動耳。」 His Highness in youth suffered wind ailment; perhaps the illness stirs again."

劭愈怒，因問曰：「事當克不？」 Shao grew angrier and asked, "Will it succeed or not?"

劭左右引淑衣曰：「此是何事，而可言罷。」 Shao's attendants tugged Shu's sleeve: "What business is this, that you may speak and then stop?"

劭將出，已與蕭斌同載，呼淑甚急，淑眠終不起。 When Shao was about to go out with Xiao Bin, he called urgently for Shu; Shu slept on and did not rise.

劭停車奉化門，催之相續。 Shao stopped at Fenghua Gate and urged him again and again.

徐起至車後，劭使登車，又辭不上。 Shu slowly came behind the carriage; Shao ordered him up, and again he refused.

劭因命左右：「與手刃。」 Shao ordered those around him, "Cut him down."

劭即位，追贈太常，賜賵甚厚。 When Shao took the throne he posthumously made him director of ceremonies with lavish funeral goods.

Book of Song, Chapter 71Volume 71 Biographies 31: Xu Zhan, Jiang Zhan, Wang Sengchao · 17 passages

二十七年，索虜至瓜步，湛之領兵置佐，與皇太子分守石頭。 In the twenty-seventh year the Northern Wei reached Guabu; Zhanzhi took command and, with the crown prince, jointly defended Shitou fortress.

二凶巫蠱事發，上欲廢劭，賜浚死。 When the witchcraft plot of the two princes was exposed, the emperor wished to depose Shao and order Jun to take his own life.

劭入弑之旦，其夕，上與湛之屏人語，至曉猶未滅燭。 On the night before Shao murdered him, the emperor had been speaking with Zhanzhi in private until dawn, candles still burning.

三子：聿之、謙之，為元凶所殺。 Of his three sons, Yuzhi and Qianzhi were killed by Liu Shao.

虜遣使求婚，上召太子劭以下集議，眾並謂宜許，湛曰：「戎狄無信，許之無益。」 The barbarians sent envoys seeking a marriage alliance; the emperor summoned Crown Prince Shao and the court to deliberate; all favored acceptance; Zhan said, "The barbarians are faithless—agreeing would serve no purpose."

劭怒，謂湛曰：「今三王在厄，詎宜苟執異議。」 Shao was furious and said to Zhan, "The three princes are in peril—how can you stubbornly dissent?"

坐散俱出，劭使班劍及左右推之，殆將側倒。 As the meeting ended Shao had his guards and attendants shove Zhan, nearly knocking him over.

劭又謂上曰：「北伐敗辱，數州淪破，獨有斬江湛，可以謝天下。」 Shao also told the emperor, "The northern campaign ended in defeat and several provinces were lost—only by executing Jiang Zhan can we answer to the realm."

劭後燕集，未嘗命湛。 Afterward Shao never invited Zhan to his banquets.

上乃為劭長子偉之娉湛第三女，欲以和之。 The emperor betrothed Shao's eldest son Weizhi to Zhan's third daughter, hoping to reconcile them.

上將廢劭，使湛具詔草。 When the emperor prepared to depose Shao, he had Zhan draft the edict.

劭之入弑也，湛直上省，聞叫噪之聲，乃匿傍小屋中。 When Shao entered to murder the emperor, Zhan had gone to the Secretariat; hearing the uproar, he hid in a small room nearby.

劭遣收之，舍吏紿云：「不在此。」 Shao sent men to seize him; an office clerk deceived them, saying, "He is not here."

劭於東宮夜饗將士，僧綽密以啟聞，上又令撰漢魏以來廢諸王故事。 When Shao feasted his officers at night in the Eastern Palace, Sengchuo secretly informed the emperor, who also ordered him to compile precedents since Han and Wei for deposing princes.

及劭弑逆，江湛在尚書上省，聞變，歎曰：「不用僧綽言，以至於此。」 When Shao murdered the emperor, Jiang Zhan was at the Masters of Writing offices; hearing the news he sighed, "Had we heeded Sengchuo's counsel, it would not have come to this."

劭既立，轉為吏部尚書，委以事任，事在《二凶傳》。 After Shao usurped the throne, Sengchuo was made Director of Personnel and entrusted with affairs of state; the account is in the 《Biography of the Two Villains》.

頃之，劭料檢太祖巾箱及江湛家書疏，得僧綽所啟饗士並廢諸王事，乃收害焉，時年三十一。 Soon Shao searched the emperor's private chest and Jiang Zhan's papers; finding Sengchuo's reports on the feast for officers and the plan to depose the princes, he had him seized and killed; Sengchuo was thirty-one.

Book of Song, Chapter 73Volume 73 Biographies 33: Yan Yanzhi · 5 passages

元凶弒立，以為光祿大夫。 When the usurper Liu Shao murdered his father and took the throne, Yanzhi was made Grand Master of Splendor.

劭召延之，示以檄文，問曰：「此筆誰所造﹖」延之曰：「竣之筆也。」 Shao summoned Yanzhi, showed him the proclamation, and asked, "Whose hand wrote this?" Yanzhi said, "My son Jun's hand."

劭又曰：「言辭何至乃爾。」 Shao also said, "How could the language go so far!"

延之曰：「竣尚不顧老父，何能為陛下。」 Yanzhi said, "Jun does not even care for his aged father—how could he serve Your Majesty?"

劭意乃釋，由是得免。 Shao's suspicion was then lifted, and because of this Yanzhi was spared.

Book of Song, Chapter 76Volume 76 Biographies 36: Zhu Xiuzhi, Zong Que, Wang Xuanmo · 2 passages

三十年，孝武伐元凶，以慤為南中郎諮議參軍，領中兵。 In the thirtieth year, when Emperor Xiaowu marched against the deposed heir Yuanxiong, Que served as advising officer on the Southern General of the Household's staff and commanded the central troops.

元凶弒立，玄謨為冀州刺史。 After the heir Yuanxiong murdered his father and seized the throne, Xuanmo was appointed Inspector of Jizhou.