Wu Yuanji (吳元濟) | 24 Histories

Overview

Wu Yuanji was a rebel.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Epithet	chief villain	元惡	yuan'e

Life and dates

Death

AD 817 吳元濟誅
Execution
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 144

Attested activity

c. AD 806 to c. AD 820 元和
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 64
AD 806 to AD 820 元和中
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 254
AD 806 to AD 820 元和中
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passages 234-235
AD 814 to AD 817 元和十二年前後
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 54, passages 237, 239
AD 817 十二年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 173, passages 72, 74
AD 814 to AD 817 吳元濟之軍人
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 193, passage 258

Show 6 more source-backed claims

AD 817 吳元濟誅
Strongly inferred · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 144
AD 815 to AD 817 師道欲知元濟虛實
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 213, passages 86, 88
AD 814 to AD 817 平元濟（元和年間）
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 173, passage 178
AD 814 to AD 817 至元濟時
Dated from the passage context · Old Book of Tang 193, passage 267
AD 814 to AD 817 至元濟時
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passage 243
AD 814 討吳元濟
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 141, passage 164

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Entered
Captured
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passages 72, 77

Places and affiliations

Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Rebelled against
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 254; Old Book of Tang 203, passages 234, 243; New Book of Tang 54, passage 237; New Book of Tang 173, passage 178
Polity Tang 唐 · Relation Rebelled against
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 173, passage 72
At Cai 蔡 · Relation Based at
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 89

Events and relationships

Allied in defiance
Military · Rebel leader · With Wang Chengzong (王承宗) · Outcome Seven circuit armies sent; treasury drained
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 237
Captured
AD 817 十二年 · Military · Captive · With Li Su (李愬) · At Xuanhu 懸瓠
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 72
Executed, after which Han Hong was rewarded as overall commander
Military · Rebel
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 144
Feasted and befriended
Personal · Host · With Liu Yanping (劉晏平)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 87
Imposed severe speech and association bans
AD 817 十二年 · Legal · Ruler of territory · At Cai 蔡
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 74
Imprisoned and sought to kill
Legal · Captor · With Yang Shi (楊氏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 193, passage 277

Show 5 more source-backed claims

Imprisoned
Imprisonment · Jailer · With Lady Yang (楊氏)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passage 253
Pacified by Pei Du
Military · Defeated rebel · With Pei Du (裴度)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 173, passage 178
Targeted by imperial punitive campaign
AD 806 to AD 820 元和中 · Military · Rebel leader
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 160, passage 254
Relation Allied with · Person Wang Chengzong (王承宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 54, passage 237
Relation Appointer of · Person Dong Changling (董昌齡)
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 193, passage 269

Assessments and attributes

Assessment path-to-ruin by neglecting the field army while gaming with wives and concubines · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Liu Yanping (劉晏平)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 88

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Old Book of Tang 203, passage 234; New Book of Tang 54, passage 237; New Book of Tang 172, passage 64; New Book of Tang 173, passages 72, 178
lounged inside gaming with wives and concubines while troops remained in the field 暴師數萬，而晏然居內，與妻妾戲博
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 213, passage 88

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 160Volume 156 Biographies 106: Yu Di, Han Hong, Wang Zhixing · 2 passages

Open chapter

吳元濟誅，以統帥功，加檢校司徒、兼侍中，封許國公，罷行營都統。 When Wu Yuanji was executed, Hong was promoted to acting Minister of Education and palace attendant, enfeoffed as Duke of Xu, and relieved of campaign command.

元和中，王師誅吳元濟，李師道與蔡賊謀撓沮王師，頻出軍侵徐，徐帥李願以所部步騎悉委智興以抗之。 During the Yuanhe reign, while imperial forces campaigned to destroy Wu Yuanji, Li Shidao joined the Cai rebels in harassing the court's armies and repeatedly raided Xu; Military Governor Li Yuan put all his infantry and cavalry under Zhixing to repel them.

Old Book of Tang, Chapter 203Volume 193 Biographies 143: Exemplary Women · 4 passages

Open chapter

湍，吳元濟之軍人也。 Tuan was a soldier in Wu Yuanji's army.

累事吳少誠、少陽，至元濟時，為吳房令。 He successively served Wu Shaocheng and Shaoyang; under Yuanji he served as Magistrate of Wu Fang.

昌齡誌未果，元濟又署為郾城令。 Changling had not yet acted on her counsel when Yuanji appointed him Magistrate of Yancheng.

元濟囚楊氏，欲殺之，而止者數矣。 Yuanji imprisoned Lady Yang and wished to kill her, but was stopped several times.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 54Volume 54 Treatises 50: Finance and Economics 3 · 1 passage

Open chapter

會吳元濟、王承宗連衡拒命，以七道兵討之，經費屈竭。 When Wu Yuanji and Wang Chengzong rebelled in alliance, seven armies were mobilized and the treasury was drained.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 141Volume 141 Biographies 66: Cui, Deng, Wei, Wei, Li Han, Lu, Gao · 1 passage

Open chapter

討吳元濟也，析山南東道為兩鎮，以霞寓宿將，拜唐鄧隋節度使，遏賊南沖。 In the campaign against Wu Yuanji, Shannan East Route was divided into two commands; because Xiayu was a veteran general, he was appointed military governor of Tang-Deng-Sui to block the rebels' southern thrust.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 1 passage

Open chapter

討吳元濟也。 He also fought in the campaign against Wu Yuanji.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 173Volume 173 Biographies 98: Pei Du · 4 passages

Open chapter

未幾，李愬夜入懸瓠城，縛吳元濟以報。 Before long Li Su entered Xuanhu by night and sent word that Wu Yuanji had been captured.

初，元濟禁偶語於道，夜不然燭，酒食相饋遺者以軍法論。 Under Yuanji, paired conversation in the streets had been forbidden, lamps were banned at night, and sharing food or drink was punishable by military law.

度笑曰：「吾為彰義節度，元惡已擒，人皆吾人也！」 Du laughed and said, "I am military commissioner of Zhangyi. The chief villain is captured—every man here is my man!"

以度平元濟也。 It alluded to Du's pacification of Wu Yuanji.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 213Volume 213 Biographies 138: Buffer Regions: the Black, Green, and Yellow Seas · 3 passages

Open chapter

始，師道欲知元濟虛實，使劉晏平間道走淮西。 Earlier Shidao had wanted intelligence on Wu Yuanji and sent Liu Yanping by a back road into Huaixi.

元濟日與宴，厚結歡。 Yuanji wined and dined him daily and won his warm friendship.

晏平歸，以為元濟暴師數萬，而晏然居內，與妻妾戲博，必敗之道也。 On his return Yanping reported that Yuanji kept tens of thousands in the field yet lounged inside with his wives, gambling—certainly the path to ruin.