Yelü Yaozhi (耶律瑤質)

Overview

Yelü Yaozhi was an official and Strategist.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Balijin	拔裏堇	Balijin

Life and dates

Death

Died in office
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 172

Attested activity

AD 992 統和十年
Dated from the passage context · History of Liao 88, passage 157

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Hougu (侯古)
father 父
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 155

Career and standing

Commissioner of the Jiqing Palace 積慶宮使
Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 157
Detailed Commandant of the Four Fan Tribes 四蕃部詳穩
Appointed
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 167

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liao · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 157
At Jiqing Palace 積慶宮 · Relation Affiliated with
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 154

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · With Emperor Shengzong of Liao (遼聖宗) · Mode quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 168
Speech · Addressee · With Emperor Shengzong of Liao (遼聖宗) · Mode quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passages 158-159
Speech · Speaker · Mode quotation
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passages 163-164

Events and relationships

Helped defeat Kang Zhao at Tongzhou
Military · Contributor · With Kang Zhao (康肇)
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 161
Reduced Goryeo troops by stratagem
Military · Strategist
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 166
Relation Refused subordination to · Person Yelü Pode (耶律頗的)
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passage 168

Assessments and attributes

Assessment upright; administrative achievements conspicuous · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 88, passages 156, 171

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

History of Liao, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 18: Xiao Dilie, Yelu Pennu, Xiao Paiya, Yelu Zizhong, Yelu Yaozhi, Yelu Honggu, Gao Zheng, Yelu Delu, Da Kangyi · 8 passages

Open chapter

耶律資忠耶律瑤質耶律弘古高正耶律的錄大康乂 Yelü Zizhong, Yelü Yaozhi, Yelü Honggu, Gao Zheng, Yelü Delu, and Da Kangyi

耶律瑤質，字拔裏堇，積慶宮人。 Yelü Yaozhi, whose style name was Balijin, was a man of the Jiqing Palace.

瑤質篤學廉介，有經世誌。 Yaozhi was devoted to learning, upright and self-restrained, and had the will to bring order to the age.

聖宗嘗諭瑤質曰：「聞卿正直，是以進用。 Emperor Shengzong once instructed Yaozhi: "I have heard you are upright, and for this I advance you.

上征高麗，破康肇軍於銅州，瑤質之力為多。 When the emperor campaigned against Goryeo and defeated Kang Zhao's army at Tongzhou, Yaozhi's effort counted for much.

瑤質曰：「王詢始一戰而敗，遽求納款，此詐耳，納之恐墮其奸計。 Yaozhi said: "King Sun was defeated in a single battle and hastily sought to submit. This is deceit; to accept him now may fall into his treacherous scheme.

其眾阻險而壘，攻之不下，瑤質以計降之。 His troops held difficult terrain and built ramparts. The attack could not succeed, and Yaozhi reduced them by stratagem.

時招討使耶律頗的為總官，瑤質恥居其下，上表曰：「臣先朝舊臣，今既垂老，乞還新命，覬得常侍左右。」 At that time Pacification Commissioner Yelü Pode was overall commander. Yaozhi was ashamed to serve beneath him and submitted a memorial: "Your servant is an old minister of the former court. Now that I am old, I beg to return the new appointment and hope to attend constantly at Your Majesty's side."