Wen Tao (溫韜) | 24 Histories

Overview

Wen Tao was a Military Governor of Xu Prefecture.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Changed name	Shaochong	紹衝	Shaochong
Alternate name	Yan Tao	彥韜	Yan Tao

Life and dates

Death

AD 926 明宗即位
Ordered suicide · At Dezhou 德州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 55

Attested activity

AD 924 to AD 926 同光中
Dated from the passage context · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 51
AD 923 同光初
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 53
AD 926 擅收段凝、溫韜下獄
Dated from the passage context · Old History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 32
AD 926 明宗即位
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 55

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Wen Yanjun (延浚)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 56
Parent of Wen Yanzhao (延招)
second son 次
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 57
Parent of Wen Yanmao (延袤)
third son 次
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 58

Key source chapters

Career and standing

acting Grand Commandant and Grand Councilor 檢校太尉、平章事
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 49
military commissioner of Yaozhou 耀州節度
Held
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 46
military governor of Xu Prefecture 許州節度使
Held
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 51
military commissioner of Xuzhou 許州節度使
Transferred
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 49
Entered
Imprisoned
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 64, passage 32
Sentenced
Exile · At Dezhou 德州
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 55

Places and affiliations

At Huayuan 華原
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 44

Events and relationships

Beheaded
Political · Executioner · With Zhao Yan (趙岩)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 52
Looted tombs
Criminal · Perpetrator · At Tang imperial tombs 唐諸陵
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 46
Offered residence as monastery to bless empress
Religious · Petitioner · With Empress Liu (劉皇后)
Directly stated · New History of the Five Dynasties 14, passage 51
Relation Client of · Person Li Maozhen (李茂貞)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 45
Relation Patron client with · Person Zhao Yan (趙岩)
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 50

Assessments and attributes

Assessment opened imperial tombs; crimes beyond execution · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 145

Source notes

From Yan Tao 彥韜 · To Zhaotu 昭圖
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 45
To Shaochong 紹衝 · granted imperial surname
Directly stated · Old History of the Five Dynasties 73, passage 54

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 64Volume 64 Book of Later Tang 40: Biographies 16: Hou Yanwei, Wang Yanqiu, Dai Siyuan, Zhu Hanbin, Kong Qing, Liu Qi, Zhou Zhiyu · 2 passages

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擅收段凝、溫韜下獄，將置於法。 He took it upon himself to arrest Duan Ning and Wen Tao and throw them in prison, intending to have them executed.

安重誨曰：「溫、段罪惡，負於梁室，眾所知矣。 An Chonghui said, "Wen and Duan are guilty men who betrayed the house of Liang, as everyone knows.

Old History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 73Volume 73 Book of Later Tang 49: Biographies 25: Mao Zhang, Nie Yu, Wen Tao, Duan Ning, Kong Qian, Li Ye · 11 passages

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天成中，與溫韜等同詔賜死。 During the Tiancheng era he was, by imperial edict together with Wen Tao and others, commanded to take his own life.

溫韜，華原人。 Wen Tao came from Huayuan.

少為盜，據華原，事李茂貞，名彥韜，後降於梁，更名昭圖。 As a youth he turned bandit, seized control of Huayuan, and entered Li Maozhen's service under the name Yan Tao. He later surrendered to the Liang and took the name Zhaotu.

韜素善趙岩，每依附之。 Tao had long been close to Zhao Yan and habitually relied on his patronage.

莊宗入汴，岩恃韜與己素厚，遂奔許州。 When Emperor Zhuangzong entered Bian, Yan counted on his long friendship with Tao and fled to Xuzhou.

韜延之於第，斬首傳送闕下。 Tao received him at his residence, beheaded him, and sent the head to the imperial court.

同光初，韜來朝，郭崇韜曰：「此劫陵賊，罪不可赦。」 Early in the Tongguang era, Tao came to court. Guo Chongtao said, "This tomb-raiding bandit—his crime cannot be forgiven."

韜納賂劉後，賜姓，名紹衝，遽遣還鎮。 Tao bribed Empress Liu, was granted the imperial surname and the name Shaochong, and was promptly sent back to his post.

明宗至洛陽，霍彥威怒其前事，與溫韜同收下獄，詔釋之，放歸田里。 When Emperor Mingzong reached Luoyang, Huo Yanwei, angry at his past conduct, had him imprisoned together with Wen Tao. An edict released them and sent them back to their homes.

明年，竄於遼州，竟與溫韜同製賜死。 The following year he fled to Liaozhou and was ultimately, by edict together with Wen Tao, commanded to take his own life.

如毛璋之儔，可謂積惡而滅其身矣，況溫韜之發陵寢，段凝之敗國家，罪不容誅，死猶差晚。 Men like Mao Zhang may be said to have accumulated evil until it destroyed them; how much more Wen Tao, who opened imperial tombs, and Duan Ning, who ruined the state—their crimes were beyond what execution could answer, and even death came too late.

New History of the Five Dynasties, Chapter 14Volume 14: Taizu of Later Tang's Family · 1 passage

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許州節度使溫韜以后佞佛，因請以私第為佛寺，為后薦福。 Wen Tao of Xu Prefecture, courting her piety, offered his mansion as a temple for her merit.