Xu Yanbo (徐彥伯) | 24 Histories

Overview

Xu Yanbo was an official Writer and Scholar.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Hong	洪	Hong

Life and dates

Death

AD 714 開元二年
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 192

Age

7
Reckoning Sui · Activity could-compose-writing
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 177

Attested activity

AD 705 帝復位
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 185
AD 705 to AD 714 帝復位後至開元二年
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 114, passages 186, 192
AD 700 to AD 701 武后撰三教珠英
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 183
AD 690 to AD 705 武后時
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 114, passages 196-197
AD 676 to AD 681 薛元超安撫河北
Dated from the passage context · New Book of Tang 114, passage 179
AD 714 開元二年
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 192

Family

Kin of Widowed Sister-in-law of Xu Yanbo (寡嫂)
sister-in-law 嫂 · Through Elder Brother of Xu Yanbo
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 193
Sibling of Elder Brother of Xu Yanbo
elder brother 兄 · Uncertain siblings · Ended
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 114, passage 193

Kinship Role nephews · raised as his own sons · Quantity unspecified-plural
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 193

Career and standing

court writer 秉筆
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 194
Drafting Attendant 給事中
Advanced
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 182
Vice-Director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices 太常少卿
AD 705 帝復位 · Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 185
Magistrate of Yongshou 永壽尉
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 180
Military Staff Officer of Puzhou 蒲州司兵參軍
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 180
Prefect of Qizhou 齊州刺史
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 184

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Scholar of the Xiuwen Hall 脩文館學士
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 189
Vice-Director of the Ministry of Works 工部侍郎
Appointed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 189
Director of the Imperial Clan 宗正卿
Promoted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 184
Vice-Director of the Bureau of Appointments 職方員外郎
Promoted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 182
Guest of the Heir Apparent 太子賓客
Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 190
Prefect of Weizhou 衛州刺史
Served
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 187
Prefect of Puzhou 蒲州刺史
Transferred to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 188
Viscount of Gaoping 高平縣子
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 186
Granted
Retirement · Cause Illness
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 191

Places and affiliations

At Xiaqiu in Yanzhou 兗州瑕丘
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 176
At Mount Taihang 太行山 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 178
At Puzhou 蒲州 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 188
Organization Three Unsurpassed of Hedong 河東三絕 · Relation Member of
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 181

Learning and skills

Earned
Credential top honors in policy examination 對策高第
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 179
Skill literary composition 屬辭 · Level renowned
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 181

Works and attributed material

Discourse on the Pivot 樞機論
Relation Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 197
Rhapsody on the Southern Suburb 南郊賦
Relation Author
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 188
Veritable Records of Empress Wu 武后實錄
Relation Compiler
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 186
Pearls of the Three Teachings 三教珠英
Relation Contributor selected
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 183
Discourse on the Pivot 樞機論
Treatise · Author · Direct quotation
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passages 197-202

Events and relationships

Cared for widowed sister in law and nephews
Domestic · Guardian
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 193
Received imperial praise
Administrative · Prefect · At Weizhou 衛州
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 187
Requested retirement for illness
Personal · Subject
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 191
Rhapsody on the Southern Suburb 南郊賦
Ritual literary · Author · Submitted
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 188
Welcomed Zhongzong at Fangzhou
Ritual · Welcomer · With Emperor Zhongzong (中宗)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 182
Discourse on the Pivot 樞機論
Scholarly · Author · Wrote warning to age
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passages 197, 203

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Relation Recommended by · Person Xue Yuanchao (薛元超)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 179

Assessments and attributes

Assessment late style forceful and austere; unmatched in his day · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 195
Assessment later generations emulated him wholesale · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 194
Assessment ranked first with Li Jiao among literary selectees · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 183

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 176
From Hong 洪 · To Yanbo 彥伯 · known by style name
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 114, passage 176

References in the histories

New Book of Tang, Chapter 114Volume 114 Biographies 39: Cui Rong and Descendent Cong, Descendent Neng, Neng's Nephew: Shen You, Neng's Nephew an Qian, Neng's Son: Yan Ceng, Xu Yanbo, Su Weidao, Dou Lu Qin Wang · 7 passages

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徐彥伯，兗州瑕丘人，名洪，以字顯。 Xu Yanbo was a native of Xiaqiu in Yanzhou; his personal name was Hong, but he was known by his style name.

薛元超安撫河北，表其賢，對策高第。 When Xue Yuanchao pacified Hebei he recommended Yanbo's talent, and Yanbo took top honors in the policy examination.

時司戶韋皓善判，司士李亙工書，而彥伯屬辭，時稱「河東三絕」。 Wei Hao, revenue registrar, excelled at legal judgments; Li Gen, records clerk, at calligraphy; and Yanbo at literary composition—they were known as the "Three Unsurpassed of Hedong."

武后撰《三教珠英》，取文辭士，皆天下選，而彥伯、李嶠居首。 When Empress Wu compiled the 《Pearls of the Three Teachings》, she chose literary men from across the empire; Yanbo and Li Jiao ranked first.

帝復位，改太常少卿。 When the emperor was restored to the throne, Yanbo was made vice-director of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices.

彥伯事寡嫂謹，撫諸侄同己子。 Yanbo treated his widowed sister-in-law with scrupulous care and raised his nephews as if they were his own sons.

彥伯著《樞機論》以謂：「言者，德之柄，行之主，志之端，身之文也。 Yanbo wrote the 《Discourse on the Pivot》, arguing: "Speech is the handle of virtue, the master of action, the outward edge of intent, and the ornament of the self.