Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

Wang Sengchuo 王僧綽

Wáng Sēngchuò

c. AD 423 - AD 453

Passages: 28
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Sengchuo was an official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Marquis of Lamentation	湣侯

Life and dates

Death

AD 453 元嘉三十年
Killed · Cause Executed by Liu Shao · Age 31
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 213

Age

29
AD 451 元嘉二十八年 · Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 185
31
Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 213

Attested activity

AD 449 元嘉二十六年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 71, passage 178
AD 451 元嘉二十八年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 71, passage 180
AD 453 元嘉三十年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 71, passage 213
AD 453 元嘉末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 71, passages 187, 190
AD 453 世祖即位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 71, passage 215
AD 424 to AD 453 微因此又與從弟僧綽書曰：
Directly stated · Book of Song 62, passage 133

Show 1 more source-backed claim

AD 453 淑及徐湛之、江湛、王僧綽、卜天與四家
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 70, passages 111, 113

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Wang Hui (王徽)
cousin 從兄 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 188
Child of Wang Tanshou (王曇首)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 172
Spouse of Eldest Princess Xian of Dongyang (東陽獻公主)
married 尚 · Marriage
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 176
Parent of Wang Jian (王儉)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 221
Kin of Wang Wei (王微)
younger cousin 從弟 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Song 62, passage 133

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Director of Personnel 尚書吏部郎
AD 449 元嘉二十六年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 178
Palace Attendant 侍中
AD 451 元嘉二十八年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 180
Marquis of Yuzhang 豫章縣侯
Inherited
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 176
Household Grandee with Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon 金紫光祿大夫
AD 453 世祖即位 · Posthumous
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 215

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liu-song · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Song 71, passage 181
At Linyi in Langye commandery 琅邪臨沂
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 172
At ill-omened plot west of Grand Altar 太社西空地 · Relation Residence sought
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 219

Works and attributed material

precedents since Han and Wei for deposing princes 漢魏以來廢諸王故事
Relation Compiler
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passages 192-193
Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Emperor Wen of Song (宋文帝) · Mode quoted
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passages 197-207

Events and relationships

Advised swift decision on succession
AD 453 元嘉末 · Political · Counselor
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passages 197, 207
Executed after Shao found his memorials
AD 453 元嘉三十年 · Political · Victim
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 213
Relation Client patron · Person Jia Feizhi (賈匪之) · Jia Feizhi was Sengchuo's client
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 214
Relation Colleague of · Person Jiang Zhan (江湛)
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 209

Assessments and attributes

Assessment modest and deep-judged · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passages 181, 186
Assessment moral virtue and humility; died before midlife · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passages 229-230

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passage 181
took ill-omened former Ding Feng residence and met downfall before moving in
Residence omen
Directly stated · Book of Song 71, passages 219-220

References in the histories

Search passages

History

28 passages

Book of Song, Chapter 62Volume 62 Biographies 22: Yang Xin, Zhang Fu, Wang Wei · 3 passages

微因此又與從弟僧綽書曰： Wei therefore wrote to his younger cousin Sengchuo:

近日何見綽送卿書，雖知如戲，知卿固不能相哀。 Recently I saw Chuo deliver your letter; though I know it was in jest, I know you truly cannot pity me.

綽大駭歎，便是闔朝見病者。 Jianchuo was greatly startled and sighed—then the whole court will see the sick man.

Book of Song, Chapter 70Volume 70 Biographies 30: Yuan Shu · 1 passage

淑及徐湛之、江湛、王僧綽、卜天與四家，於是長給稟祿。 The four households of Shu, Xu Zhizhi, Jiang Zhan, Wang Sengchuo, and Bu Tianyu thereafter received permanent stipends.

Book of Song, Chapter 71Volume 71 Biographies 31: Xu Zhan, Jiang Zhan, Wang Sengchao · 24 passages

列傳第三十一徐湛之江湛王僧綽 Biography 31: Xu Zhanzhi, Jiang Zhan, and Wang Sengchuo

又詔曰：「徐湛之、江湛、王僧綽門戶荼酷，遺孤流寓，言念既往，感痛兼深。 Another edict declared: "The houses of Xu Zhanzhi, Jiang Zhan, and Wang Sengchuo have suffered bitter cruelty; orphaned survivors wander in exile; remembering what has passed fills us with deep grief.

王僧綽，琅邪臨沂人，左光祿大夫曇首子也。 Wang Sengchuo came from Linyi in Langye commandery and was the son of Left Household Grandee Tanshou.

襲封豫章縣侯，尚太祖長女東陽獻公主。 He inherited the marquisate of Yuzhang and married Eldest Princess Xian of Dongyang, Emperor Wen's eldest daughter.

僧綽沈深有局度，不以才能高人。 Sengchuo was deep and steady, with sound judgment; he did not condescend to others on account of his talent.

僧綽嘗謂中書侍郎蔡興宗曰：「弟名位應與新建齊，超至今日，蓋由姻戚所致也。」 Sengchuo once told Vice Director Cai Xingzong: "Brother, your rank ought to match the Marquis of Xinjian's; you have risen higher chiefly through marriage ties."

始興王浚嘗問其年，僧綽自嫌蚤達，逡巡良久乃答，其謙虛自退若此。 Prince Jun of Shixing once asked his age; ashamed of his early advancement, Sengchuo hesitated a long while before answering—such was his modesty.

元嘉末，太祖頗以後事為念，以其年少，方欲大相付託，朝政小大，皆與參焉。 Late in Yuanjia Emperor Wen thought much of the succession; though Sengchuo was young, he intended to entrust him with great responsibility and consulted him on all matters of state.

僧綽乃求吳郡及廣州，上並不許。 Sengchuo then asked for posts in Wu commandery and Guang province; the emperor refused both.

會二凶巫蠱事泄，上獨先召僧綽具言之。 When the witchcraft plot of the two princes was exposed, the emperor summoned Sengchuo alone and told him everything.

及將廢立，使尋求前朝舊典。 When he prepared to depose the heir and name another, he had Sengchuo search out precedents from earlier dynasties.

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.

太祖謂僧綽曰：「諸人各為身計，便無與國家同憂者。」 Emperor Wen told Sengchuo: "Each of them schemes for himself; none shares the state's concern."

僧綽曰：「建立之事，仰由聖懷。 Sengchuo replied: "The choice of heir rests with Your Majesty alone.

僧綽曰：「臣恐千載之後，言陛下唯能裁弟，不能裁兒。」 Sengchuo replied, "I fear that ages hence men will say Your Majesty could judge younger brothers but not his own son."

江湛同侍坐，出閣，謂僧綽曰：「卿向言，將不大傷切直。」 Jiang Zhan had been in attendance; leaving the pavilion he told Sengchuo, "What you just said was rather blunt and will wound him deeply."

僧綽曰：「弟亦恨君不直。」 Sengchuo replied, "Brother, I too regret that you were not blunt enough."

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.

因此陷北第諸王侯，以為與僧綽有異志，並殺僧綽門客太學博士賈匪之、奉朝請司馬文穎、建平國常侍司馬仲秀等。 On this pretext he implicated the princes of the Northern Residence, claiming they shared Sengchuo's disloyal intent; he also executed Sengchuo's clients Jia Feizhi, Erudite of the National University, court attendant Sima Wenying, regular attendant Sima Zhongxiu of Jianping, and others.

世祖即位，追贈散騎常侍、金紫光祿大夫，諡曰湣侯。 When Emperor Xiaowu took the throne, Sengchuo was posthumously made Regular Attendant of the Scattered Cavalry and Household Grandee with the Golden Seal and Purple Ribbon; he was posthumously styled Marquis of Lamentation.

僧綽常以正達自居，謂宅無吉凶，請以為第。 Sengchuo, holding himself a man of upright character, maintained that dwellings had no luck or ill luck and asked to take it as his residence.

僧綽綢繆主心，將任以國重，而宮車晏駕。 Sengchuo had won the emperor's trust and was about to be entrusted with the weight of state, but the emperor died before he could take office.