Xiao Fengxian (蕭奉先)

Overview

Xiao Fengxian was an official and Imperial In-law.

Life and dates

Death

Granted death / execution · Authority Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝)
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 35
AD 1122 丙寅
Granted death
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 44

Attested activity

AD 1114 冬十月壬寅朔
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 27, passages 227, 230
AD 1122 丙寅
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 29, passages 35, 38, 41, 43-44
AD 1122 二年春正月乙亥
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 25, 27-28
AD 1122 保大二年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 102, passages 23-24, 26, 30, 35
AD 1112 天慶二年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 102, passages 5, 7, 9
AD 1114 四年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 102, passages 13-14, 17

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AD 1101 AD 1101-1125
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 30, passage 162
AD 1115 五年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 28, passage 22
AD 1121 初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 29, passages 1-2, 7, 9, 13, 18
AD 1112 天慶二年
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passage 170; History of Liao 54, passages 23, 25
AD 1110 to AD 1125 天祚未年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 62, passages 91, 93
AD 1114 to AD 1125 女直亂作
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 71, passage 197

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Primary Consort of Emperor Tianzuo (天祚元妃)
brother 兄弟 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passages 2, 82
Sibling of Primary Consort (元妃)
elder brother 兄
Directly stated · History of Liao 62, passage 93
Sibling of Empress of Tianzuo (元后)
elder brother 兄 · Full siblings
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 197
Sibling of Primary Consort (元妃)
elder brother 兄
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 7
Parent of Xiao Ang (昂)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 34
Parent of Ang (昂)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 43
Parent of Xiao Yu (son of Fengxian) (昱)
second son 次子
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 34
Parent of Yu (昱)
second son 次子
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 43
Sibling of Xiao Sixian (蕭嗣先)
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passage 230; History of Liao 102, passage 14

eldest son and second son 長子、次子
Kinship Role sons · Count 2
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 43
Kinship Role sons · Count 2
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passages 30, 33-34

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Privy Commissioner 樞密使
Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 4
privy commissioner 樞密使
AD 1121 初 · Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 7
imperial camp commander-in-chief 御營都統
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 28, passage 22
Northern Privy Commissioner 北樞密使
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 37
Privy Commissioner 樞密使
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passages 170, 185
Prince of Lanling 蘭陵郡王
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 4

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Entered
AD 1122 丙寅 · Captive
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 42-43
Executed
Death · Authority Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝)
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 35

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Polity Liao 遼 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 7, 38
Polity Id liao · Relation Active in
Directly stated · History of Liao 62, passage 93
Polity Id liao · Relation Of
Strongly inferred · History of Liao 71, passage 197
Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passage 230; History of Liao 54, passage 25; History of Liao 102, passage 4

Works and attributed material

Memorialized that routed eastern expedition troops plundered and urged a sweeping pardon lest they gather into trouble
Memorial · Author · With Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝) · Mode quotation Speaker Xiao Fengxian (蕭奉先)
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passage 230
urged executing the Prince of Jin so Yudu would withdraw 不惜一子，明其罪誅之
AD 1122 二年春正月乙亥 · Speech · Speaker · With Tianzuo (上) · Direct quotation · Mode quoted-speech
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 27-28
Memorial · Author · With Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 54, passages 27-28
Memorial · Author · With Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝)
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 17
Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝)
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passages 172-173; History of Liao 102, passages 10-11, 24-25, 28

Events and relationships

Falsely accused
Political · Accuser · With Yelü Yudu (耶律余睹) · Mode allegation Witness Person Id Xiao Fengxian (蕭奉先)
Directly stated · History of Liao 62, passage 94
Falsely charged
Political · Accuser · With Yudu (余睹)
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 197
Framed
Political · Accuser · With Yelü Yudu (耶律余睹)
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passages 21, 83-84
Intervened to spare his younger brother Sixian from punishment
Political · Memorialist · With Xiao Sixian (蕭嗣先)
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passages 230-231
Prompted false accusation
AD 1121 初 · Legal · Instigator · With Xiao Yu (蕭昱), Yudu (余睹), Prince of Jin (晉王) · Mode allegation
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 9
secretly plotted lest the Prince of Qin not be enthroned 恐秦王不得立，潛圖之
AD 1121 初 · Political · Plotter · Secretly plotted · With Prince of Qin (秦王)
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 7

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Urged execution
AD 1122 保大二年 · Political · Instigator · With Prince of Jin (晉王)
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 102, passages 24-26
Urged rewards
AD 1121 初 · Political · Adviser
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 18
Wept bowed and departed
AD 1122 丙寅 · Personal · Dismissed
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 41
Relation Advisor of · Person Emperor Tianzuo of Liao (遼天祚帝)
Directly stated · History of Liao 54, passages 25, 27
Relation Rival of · Person Aoluwo (敖盧斡)
Directly stated · History of Liao 62, passage 93

Assessments and attributes

Assessment blocked preventive plans and caused innocent death of Prince of Jin · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 102
AD 1122 丙寅
Assessment disloyal · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Tianzuo (上)
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 38-39
Assessment put private interest above public good; first caused disaster · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 30, passage 162

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Liao 27, passage 170; History of Liao 29, passages 7, 38
Hostility · Relation Envied · Person Aoluwo (敖盧斡)
Directly stated · History of Liao 71, passage 197

References in the histories

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History

42 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 27Volume 27 Annals 27: Emperor Tianzuo 1 · 4 passages

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他日，上密謂樞密使蕭奉先曰：「前日之燕，阿骨打意氣雄豪，顧視不常，可托以邊事誅之。 Another day the emperor secretly told Privy Commissioner Xiao Fengxian, "At the banquet the other day Aguda's spirit was bold and heroic and his glances were unusual; he could be entrusted with a border affair and executed.

奉先曰：「寏人不知禮義，無大過而殺之，恐傷向化之心。 Fengxian said, "These wild people do not know ritual propriety; to kill them without great offense would surely wound hearts inclined toward transformation.

樞密使蕭奉先作常事以聞上，仍送咸州詰責，欲使自新。 Privy Commissioner Xiao Fengxian reported it as an ordinary matter to the emperor and still sent them back to Xian Prefecture to be questioned and rebuked, intending that they reform themselves.

蕭奉先懼其弟嗣先獲罪，輒奏東征潰軍所至劫掠，若不肆赦，恐聚為患。 Xiao Fengxian feared his younger brother Sixian would be punished and memorialized that the eastern expedition's routed troops everywhere plundered; unless a sweeping pardon were granted they might gather into trouble.

History of Liao, Chapter 28Volume 28 Annals 28: Emperor Tianzuo 2 · 1 passage

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蕭奉先充御營都統，諸行營都部署耶律章奴為副，<二>以精兵二萬為先鋒。 Xiao Fengxian served as imperial camp commander-in-chief; all mobile camp deployment director Yelü Zhangnu was deputy; [2] twenty thousand elite troops formed the vanguard.

History of Liao, Chapter 29Volume 29 Annals 29: Emperor Tianzuo 3 · 9 passages

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元妃之兄樞密使蕭奉先恐秦王不得立，潛圖之。 The Primary Consort's elder brother, privy commissioner Xiao Fengxian, feared the Prince of Qin would not be enthroned and secretly plotted against him.

一日，其姊若妹俱會軍前，奉先諷人誣駙馬蕭昱及余睹等謀立晉王，事覺，昱、撻曷里等伏誅，文妃亦賜死； One day her elder and younger sisters both met at the army front; Fengxian prompted men to falsely accuse imperial son-in-law Xiao Yu and Yudu and others of plotting to set up the Prince of Jin; when the matter was exposed Yu, Tayehexi, and others were executed, and Literary Consort was also ordered to die;

諸將議曰「主上信蕭奉先言，奉先視吾輩蔑如也。 The generals debated, saying, "The lord trusts Xiao Fengxian's words; Fengxian views us with contempt.

余睹乃宗室豪俊，常不肯為奉先下。 Yudu is a clansman of bold talent and would never willingly rank below Fengxian.

奉先既見余睹之亡，恐後日諸校亦叛，遂勸驟加爵賞，以結眾心。 When Fengxian saw Yudu's flight, fearing that later the officers might also rebel, he urged sudden enfeoffments and rewards to bind the army's hearts.

聞余睹引金人婁室孛堇奄至，蕭奉先曰：「余睹乃王子班之苗裔，此來欲立甥晉王耳。 Hearing that Yudu had brought the Jin commander Wanyan Wushi in a sudden advance, Xiao Fengxian said, "Yudu is descended from the imperial prince class; he has come only to enthrone his nephew, the Prince of Jin.

聞金兵將近，計不知所出，乘輕騎入夾山，方悟奉先之不忠。 Hearing Jin troops were near and plans nowhere to turn, he rode light horse into Jia Mountain and only then realized Fengxian's disloyalty.

奉先下馬，哭拜而去。 Fengxian dismounted, wept, and bowed before departing.

金人斬其長子昂，以奉先及其次子昱械送金主。 The Jin executed his eldest son Ang and sent Fengxian and his second son Yu in fetters to the Jin lord.

History of Liao, Chapter 30Volume 30 Annals 30: Emperor Tianzuo 4: Ye Luchun, Ye Luyali, Ye Ludashi and Son: Yilie, Yi Lie and Younger Sister: Pu Suwan, Yi Lieci and Son: Zhilugu · 2 passages

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奉先挾私滅公，首禍構難，一至於斯。 Fengxian put private interest above the public good, first stirred disaster and difficulty, until matters came to this pass.

天祚窮蹙，始悟奉先誤己，不幾晚乎！ Tianzuo in extremity at last saw that Fengxian had misled him—was it not nearly too late?

History of Liao, Chapter 54Volume 54 Treatises 24: Music · 2 passages

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上謂蕭奉先曰：「阿骨打意氣雄豪，顧視不常，可托以邊事誅之。 The emperor said to Xiao Fengxian, "Aguda's bearing is bold and proud, and his gaze is unsettled. Find a pretext on the frontier and have him killed.

奉先奏：「阿骨打無大過，殺之傷向化之意。 Fengxian replied, "Aguda has committed no serious offense. To kill him would wound our policy of winning others to allegiance.

History of Liao, Chapter 62Volume 62 Treatises 32: Punishment and Law 2 · 2 passages

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蕭奉先乃元妃兄，深忌之。 Xiao Fengxian, elder brother of the Primary Consort, deeply resented him.

會文妃之女兄適耶律撻曷裏，女弟適耶律余睹，奉先乃誣告余睹等謀立晉王，尊天祚為太上皇。 Consort Wen's elder sister was married to Yelü Tahieli and her younger sister to Yelü Yudu; Fengxian then falsely accused Yudu and others of plotting to enthrone the Prince of Jin and make Tianzuo Retired Emperor.

History of Liao, Chapter 71Volume 71 Biographies 1: Empresses and Consorts · 1 passage