Song, Liao, and Jin · General

Xiao Gan 蕭幹

Attested AD 1121 - AD 1123

Passages: 14
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Xiao Gan was a general.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 1121 保大初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 102, passages 43, 49
AD 1122 六月
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 75
AD 1123 甲子
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 118
AD 1121 初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 29, passages 1-2, 12, 19
AD 1122 初
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 29, passages 51-52, 60
AD 1122 又從北伐
Directly stated · History of Song 357, passage 258

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Pacifier of the State grand general 鎮國大將軍
AD 1121 初 · Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 19
Northern privy commissioner 北樞密使
AD 1122 初 · Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 60
Four Armies grand master 四軍太師
AD 1121 初 · Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 12
commander-in-chief 都統
AD 1122 初 · Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 52
commander-in-chief 都統
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 43
grand preceptor of the Four Armies 四軍太師
Held
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 88

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Polity Liao 遼 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 12, 52, 75
Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 43; History of Song 357, passage 258
Organization Resentment Army 怨軍 · Relation Commander of
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 52

Events and relationships

Attacked at Liangxiang
Military · Commander · With Liu Yanqing (劉延慶) · At Liangxiang 良鄉
Directly stated · History of Song 357, passage 258
Installed empress dowager
Political · Kingmaker · With Lady Xiao (王妃蕭氏)
Directly stated · History of Liao 102, passage 49
Inwardly joined plot to enthrone Chun
AD 1122 初 · Political · Plotter · With Chun (淳)
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 52
Sent in pursuit of Yudu
AD 1121 初 · Military · Pursuer · With Yudu (余睹)
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 12
Street fought with 3000
Military · Defender · At Yan 燕
Directly stated · History of Song 357, passage 260
Urged welcome Qin resist Xiang
AD 1122 六月 · Political · Plotter
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passage 75

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of Liao 29, passages 12, 52, 75, 106

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 29Volume 29 Annals 29: Emperor Tianzuo 3 · 6 passages

<二>上遣知奚王府事蕭遐買、北府宰相蕭德恭、太常袞耶律諦里姑、歸州觀察使蕭和尚奴、四軍太師蕭幹將所部兵追之，及諸閭山縣。 Tianzuo dispatched knower of the Xi royal house affairs Xiao Xiamai, Northern Court chancellor Xiao Degong, grand master of ceremonies Yelü Diligu, Guizhou observation commissioner Xiao Heshangnu, and Four Armies grand master Xiao Gan with their troops in pursuit, reaching Zhulüshan County.

以蕭遐買為奚王，蕭德恭試中書門下平章事兼判上京留守事，耶律諦里姑為龍虎衛上將軍，蕭和尚奴金吾衛上將軍，蕭幹鎮國大將軍。 Xiamai was made Prince of Xi. Degong was provisionally appointed director of affairs under the Secretariat-Chancellery and concurrently placed in charge of the military governor's office at the Supreme Capital. Diligu became senior general of the Dragon and Tiger Guard; Heshangnu, senior general of the Jinwu Guard; and Gan, state-stabilizing general.

處溫聞上入夾山，數日命令不通，即與弟處能、子奭，外假怨軍，內結都統蕭幹，謀立淳。 Chuwen heard that Tianzuo had entered Jia Mountain and that no orders had come through for several days. Together with his younger brother Chuneng and his son Shi, he outwardly relied on the Resentment Army and secretly allied with Commander-in-Chief Xiao Gan to place Chun on the throne.

蕭幹為北樞密使，駙馬都尉蕭旦知樞密院事。 Xiao Gan was appointed Northern privy commissioner, and Xiao Dan, commandant escort, was placed in charge of privy council affairs.

而李處溫、蕭幹等有迎秦拒湘之說，集蕃漢百官議之。 Li Chuwen, Xiao Gan, and their allies instead proposed welcoming Qin while resisting Xiang, and convened the Khitan and Han officials to debate the plan.

獨平州未解甲者，防蕭幹耳。」 only Ping Prefecture has not laid down arms—guarding against Xiao Gan."

History of Liao, Chapter 102Volume 102 Biographies 32: Xiao Fengxian, Li Chuwen, Zhang Lin, Yelu Yudu · 5 passages

處溫與族弟處能、子奭，外假怨軍聲援，結都統蕭幹謀立魏國王淳，召番、漢官屬詣魏王府勸進。 Chuwen, together with his clansman Chuneng and his son Shi, outwardly invoked the support of the Resentful Army and joined commander-in-chief Xiao Gan in a plot to install Prince Chun of Wei. They summoned Khitan and Han officials to the prince's mansion to urge him to take the throne.

及病亟，蕭幹等矯詔南面宰執入議，獨處溫稱疾不對，陰聚勇士為備，紿雲奉密旨防他變。 As the illness grew critical, Xiao Gan and others forged an edict summoning the southern chief ministers to council. Chuwen alone pleaded illness and stayed away, while secretly gathering fighting men as a precaution, claiming he held a secret order to guard against any sudden move.

魏國王卒，蕭幹擁契丹兵，宣言當立王妃蕭氏為太后，權主軍國事，眾無敢異者。 When the Prince of Wei died, Xiao Gan rallied the Khitan troops and proclaimed that the prince's consort, Lady Xiao, should be made empress dowager with provisional authority over military and state affairs. No one dared object.

幹以後命，召處溫至，時方多難，未欲即誅，但追毀元帥劄子。 At the dowager's order, Gan summoned Chuwen. With troubles pressing on every side, he was not yet ready to have him killed, but only demanded that the commander-in-chief's commission be surrendered and destroyed.

天祚遣知奚王府蕭遐買、北宰相蕭德恭、大常袞耶律諦裏姑、歸州觀察使蕭和尚奴、四軍太師蕭幹追捕甚急。 Tianzuo sent Xiao Xiamai, intendant of the Xi princely house; Xiao Degong, northern chancellor; Yelu Diligu, grand chamberlain; Xiao Heshangnu, surveillance commissioner of Guizhou; and Xiao Gan, grand preceptor of the Four Armies, in hot pursuit.

History of Song, Chapter 357Volume 357 Biographies 116: He Guan, Li Xijing, Wang Yun, Tan Shiji, Mei Zhili, Cheng Zhen, Liu Yanqing · 3 passages

至良鄉，遼將蕭幹帥眾來，延慶與戰，敗績，遂閉壘不出。 At Liangxiang the Liao general Xiao Gan led his forces against him. Yanqing fought and was defeated, then shut himself in the fort and would not come out.

藥師曰：「幹兵不過萬人，今悉力拒伐，燕山必虛，願得奇兵五千，倍道襲取，令公之子三將軍簡師為後繼。」 Yaoshi said, "Gan's troops number no more than ten thousand. He is exerting all his strength to resist us, so Yan Mountain must be empty. Give me five thousand picked troops to march by forced stages and seize it, with your son the Third General selecting a force as the follow-up."

延慶許之，遣大將高世宣與藥師先行，即入燕城，幹舉精甲三千巷戰。 Yanqing agreed and sent the general Gao Shixuan with Yaoshi ahead. They entered Yan city at once, and Gan raised three thousand picked armored troops for street fighting.