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Overview Life and dates Key source chapters Career and standing Places and affiliations Works and attributed material Events and relationships Assessments and attributes References in the histories
Overview Yao Lingyan was a general and Rebel.
Identity Historical · Male
Life and dates Death Attested activity Key source chapters
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 131
Volume 127 Biographies 77: Yao Lingyan, Zhang Guangcheng, Yuan Xiu, Qiao Lin, Zhang She, Jiang Zhen, Hong Jinglun, Peng Yan
13 passages
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 129
Volume 125 Biographies 75: Zhang Yi, Liu Congyi, Xiao Fu, Liu Hun
3 passages
Places and affiliations Polity Tang 唐 · Relation ServedAt Hezhong 河中 Works and attributed material Events and relationships Led mutiny
Rebellion · Leader · At capital 京師
Led troops east to the passes by edict
AD 783 建中四年 · Military · Commander
Sent spies to entice
Troops rebelled on reaching capital
AD 783 建中四年 · Military · Commander
Assessments and attributes Assessment first in rebellion · Mode historian-judgmentReferences in the histories
No matching passages.
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 129 Volume 125 Biographies 75: Zhang Yi, Liu Congyi, Xiao Fu, Liu Hun · 3 passages
建中四年，節度使姚令言奉詔率兵赴關東，以河清知兵馬留後，判官、殿中侍御史姚況知州事。
In the fourth year of Jianzhong, military governor Yao Lingyan, obeying an edict, led troops east to the passes. Feng Heqing was made acting rear army commander, and staff judge and Palace Censor Yao Kuang administered prefectural affairs.
及令言至京師，所統兵叛，上幸奉天，河清與況聞之，乃集三軍大哭，因共激勵將吏，誓敦誠節，眾頗義之。
When Yao Lingyan reached the capital, the troops under his command rebelled and the emperor proceeded to Fengtian. Feng Heqing and Yao Kuang heard the news, gathered the three armies, and wept aloud. Together they roused the officers, swearing to uphold loyal integrity, and the troops largely approved.
賊泚及姚令言累遣間諜招誘，河清輒拘而戮焉。
The rebel Zhu Ci and Yao Lingyan repeatedly sent spies to entice him, and Feng Heqing always seized and executed them.
Old Book of Tang, Chapter 131 Volume 127 Biographies 77: Yao Lingyan, Zhang Guangcheng, Yuan Xiu, Qiao Lin, Zhang She, Jiang Zhen, Hong Jinglun, Peng Yan · 13 passages
姚令言，河中人也。
Yao Lingyan came from Hezhong.
建中元年，孟暤為涇原節度留後，自以文吏進身，不樂軍旅，頻表薦令言謹肅，堪任將帥。
In the first year of Jianzhong, Meng Min served as acting military governor of Jingyuan; he had advanced as a civil official and disliked military life, and repeatedly memorialized that Lingyan was diligent and sober and fit to command troops.
暤尋歸朝廷，遂拜令言為四鎮北庭行營涇原節度使、涇州刺史、兼御史大夫。
When Min soon returned to court, Lingyan was appointed military governor of Jingyuan in the Four-Garrisons and Beiting campaign command, prefect of Jingzhou, and concurrent Grand Censor.
十月，詔令言率本鎮兵五萬赴援。
In the tenth month, the court ordered Lingyan to lead fifty thousand troops of his command to the relief.
令言曰：「比約東都有厚賞，兒郎勿草草，此非求活之良圖也。」
Lingyan said: "Our agreement was that we would receive rich rewards in the eastern capital, my lads—do not act rashly; this is no sound plan for survival."
眾不聽，以戈環令言請退，令言急奏之。
The crowd would not listen. They ringed Lingyan with spears and asked him to withdraw; Lingyan urgently reported this to the throne.
上恐，令內庫出繒彩二十車馳賜之，軍聲浩浩，令言不能戢。
The emperor was alarmed and ordered twenty cartloads of silk taken from the inner treasury and sent as gifts at once. The soldiers' clamor was tremendous, and Lingyan could not restrain them.
泚嘗節制涇州，眾知其失權，廢居怏怏，又幸泚寬和，乃請令言率騎迎泚於晉昌裏。
Ci had once commanded Jing Prefecture; the troops knew he had lost power and lived in resentful retirement. They also found Ci mild and tolerant, and they asked Lingyan to lead cavalry to welcome Ci from Jinchang Lane.
既僭號，乃以令言為侍中，與源休同知賊政事。
Once he had usurped the throne he made Lingyan Director of the Secretariat, sharing rebel administration with Yuan Xiu.
既以身先逆亂，頗盡心於賊，害宗室，圍奉天，皆令言為首帥也。
Since he himself had taken the lead in rebellion, he devoted himself heartily to the rebel cause; the slaughter of imperial clansmen and the siege of Fengtian were both led by Lingyan as chief commander.
群兇宴樂，既醉，令言與源休論功，令言自此蕭何，源休曰：「帷幄之謀，成秦之業，無出予之右者。
When the ringleaders feasted and were drunk, Lingyan and Yuan Xiu argued over merit. Lingyan styled himself Xiao He; Yuan Xiu said: "In counsel within the curtains and in completing Qin's enterprise, none stands above me.
硃泚敗，令言與張廷芝尚有眾萬人，從泚將入吐蕃。
When Zhu Ci was defeated, Lingyan and Zhang Tingzhi still had ten thousand men and followed Ci, intending to enter Tibet.
令言遠總師徒，首為叛逆；
Lingyan from afar commanded master and troops and was first in rebellion;