Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and Courtier

Yanzi Xian 燕子獻

Yànzǐ Xiàn

First attested AD 550; died AD 560

Passages: 17
Chapters: 5
Histories: 1

Overview

Yanzi Xian was an official and Courtier.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Jize	季則	Jize

Life and dates

Death

AD 560 乾明元年
Execution
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passages 166, 187
AD 560 乾明元年三月甲戌
Beheaded · At Imperial Treasury 御府
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passage 50

Attested activity

AD 559 天保十年十一月乙卯
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 27
AD 560 乾明元年二月乙巳
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 38
AD 560 乾明元年
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passages 44, 50
AD 559 天保十年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 30, passage 211
AD 550 to AD 559 帝手刃將下
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 25, passage 195
AD 559 文宣大漸
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 112

Show 1 more source-backed claim

AD 560 濟南即位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 186

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Gao Yin (高殷)
imperial aunt's husband 姑夫
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 174
Spouse of Princess Huaiyang (淮陽公主)
married 尚 · Marriage
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 184

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Right vice-director 右僕射
AD 559 天保十年十一月乙卯 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 27
Records Clerk 典簽
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 182
Right Vice Director 右僕射
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 186
Opening Office 開府
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 185
Palace attendant 侍中
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 27
Palace Attendant 侍中
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 185

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Right Vice Director 右僕射
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passage 49
Right vice-director of the Masters of Writing 尚書右僕射
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 38
Suffered
AD 560 乾明元年二月乙巳 · Execution · Authority Emperor Xiaozhao (孝昭帝)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 38

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Qi 北齊 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 185
At Xialuo in Guanghan 廣漢下洛
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 180

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 188

Events and relationships

Mission to
Diplomatic · Envoy · At Rouran 茹茹
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 182
Received deathbed testament
Political · Regent
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 112
Seized and executed in coup
Political · Victim
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 6, passages 49-50
Relation Minister of · Person Emperor Fei (廢帝殷)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 5, passage 51

Assessments and attributes

strong; little hair on head
Physical description
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 187

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 5Volume 5 Annals 5: Emperor Fei · 3 passages

十一月乙卯，以右丞相、咸陽王斛律金爲左丞相，以錄尚書事、常山王演爲太傅，以司徒、長廣王湛爲太尉，以司空段韶爲司徒，以平陽王淹爲司空，高陽王湜爲尚書左僕射，河間王孝琬爲司州牧，侍中燕子獻爲右僕射。 In the eleventh month, on the yimao day, Hulu Jin, Prince of Xianyang and right chief minister, was appointed left chief minister; Prince Yan of Changshan, recorder of the Masters of Writing, became grand tutor; Prince Zhan of Changguang, minister over the masses, became grand commandant; Duan Shao, minister of works, became minister over the masses; Prince Yan of Pingyang became minister of works; Prince Shi of Gaoyang became left vice-director of the Masters of Writing; Prince Xiaowan of Hejian became governor of Sizhou; and Yanzi Xian, palace attendant, became right vice-director.

乙巳，太師、常山王演矯詔誅尚書令楊愔、尚書右僕射燕子獻、領軍大將軍可朱渾天和、侍中宋欽道、散騎常侍鄭子默。 On the yisi day Prince Yan of Changshan, grand preceptor, forged an edict and had executed Yang Yin, director of the Masters of Writing; Yanzi Xian, right vice-director; Kezhuhun Tianhe, commanding general of the palace guards; Song Qindao, palace attendant; and Zheng Zimo, attendant of the scattered cavalry.

及承大位，楊愔、燕子獻、宋欽道等同輔。 When he came to the throne, Yang Yin, Yanzi Xian, Song Qindao, and others served jointly as his advisers.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 6Volume 6 Annals 6: Emperor Xiaozhao · 3 passages

時楊愔、燕子獻、可朱渾天和、宋欽道、鄭子默等以帝威望旣重，內懼權逼，請以帝為太師、司州牧、錄尚書事； At the time Yang Yin, Yanzi Xian, Kezhuhun Tianhe, Song Qindao, Zheng Zimo, and the others saw how great his prestige had become and secretly feared the pressure of his authority. They asked that he be made grand preceptor, governor of Sizhou, and recorder of the Masters of Writing;

坐定，酒數行，執尚書令楊愔、右僕射燕子獻、領軍可朱渾天和、侍中宋欽道等於坐。 They had barely settled in and taken a few cups when he seized Chief Minister Yang Yin, Right Vice Director Yanzi Xian, Commander-in-Chief Kezhuhun Tianhe, Palace Attendant Song Qindao, and the rest where they sat.

時有尚書令史姓趙，於鄴見文宣從楊愔、燕子獻等西行，言相與復讐。 A clerk in the Secretariat surnamed Zhao, while at Ye, saw a vision of Emperor Wenxuan leading Yang Yin, Yan Zixian, and others westward, saying they had come to take revenge.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 25Volume 25 Biographies 17: Zhang Zuan; Zhang Liang; Zhang Yao; Zhang Qi; Xu Yuan; Wang Jun; Wang Hong · 1 passage

帝使燕子獻反縛纮，長廣王捉頭，帝手刃將下，纮曰：「楊遵彥、崔季舒逃走避難，位至僕射、尚書，冒死效命之士，反見屠戮，曠古未有此事。」 The emperor had Yan Zixian bind Hong in reverse, the Prince of Changgang seized his head, and the emperor was about to strike with his blade; Hong said, "Yang Zunyian and Cui Jishu fled to avoid disaster yet rose to vice director and minister; men who risked death in loyal service are instead slaughtered — never in antiquity was there such a thing."

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 30Volume 30 Biographies 22: Cui Xian; Gao Dezheng; Cui Ang · 1 passage

天保十年，策拜儀同燕子獻，百司陪列，昂在行中。 In the tenth year of Tianbao, at the ceremony investing Yan Zixian as equal in insignia with opening office, the hundred offices lined the route — Ang stood among them.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies 26: Yang Yin; Yan Zixian; Song Qindao; Zheng Yi · 9 passages

楊愔燕子獻宋欽道鄭頤 Yang Yin; Yan Zixian; Song Qindao; Zheng Yi

愔與尚書左僕射平秦王歸彥、侍中燕子獻、黃門侍郎鄭子默受遺詔輔政，並以二王威望先重，咸有猜忌之心。 Yang Yin with left vice director Prince Guiyan of Pingqin, palace attendant Yan Zixian, and yellow gate vice director Zheng Zimo received the deathbed testament to govern as regents; because the two princes already carried such weight, all harbored suspicion.

子獻立計，欲處太皇太后於北宮，政歸皇太后。 Zixian proposed housing the grand empress dowager in the northern palace so that power would rest with the empress dowager.

羊為愔也，「角」文為用刀，「道人」謂廢帝小名，太原公主嘗作尼，故曰「阿麼姑」，愔子獻、天和皆帝姑夫云。 Sheep stood for Yin; the character for 'horn' splits into 'use' and 'knife'; 'Daoist' meant the deposed emperor's childhood name; the princess of Taiyuan had once been a nun, hence 'Auntie'; Zixian and Tianhe, both sons-in-law of the house, were tied to the rhyme.

燕子獻，字季則，廣漢下洛人。 Yan Zixian, styled Jize, was from Xialuo in Guanghan.

子獻欲驗相者之言，來歸。 Zixian wanted to test the physiognomist's prediction, so he came over in submission.

高祖見之大悅，尚淮陽公主，甚被待遇。 Gaozu was delighted when he met him; Zixian married Princess Huaiyang and received especially favorable treatment.

子獻素多力，頭又少發，當狼狽之際，排衆走出省門，斛律光逐而擒之。 Zixian was always strong and had little hair. In the panic he pushed through the crowd and fled out the office gate, but Hulu Guang pursued and seized him.

子獻嘆曰：「丈夫為計遲，遂至於此矣。」 Zixian sighed, "A man planned too late, and so it has come to this."