Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Commander of the Guards

Yuan Cha 元叉

Yuán Chā

Attested AD 515 - AD 525

Passages: 19
Chapters: 6
Histories: 2

Overview

Yuan Cha was a Commander of the Guards.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 520 正光元年七月
Directly stated · Book of Wei 27, passage 143
AD 520 元叉廢靈太后
Directly stated · Book of Wei 81, passage 68
AD 523 to AD 525 六鎮、隴西二方起逆
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 86, passage 44
AD 515 to AD 525 剛為元叉所厚，故稚驟得轉進。
Directly stated · Book of Wei 30, passage 106
AD 520 to AD 525 崔暹廷尉獲免時
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 95, passages 215-216
AD 520 to AD 525 領軍元叉
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 36, passages 18, 20

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Prince Ji of Jiangyang (江陽王繼)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Wei 81, passage 112
Kin of Empress Dowager Ling (靈太后)
sister's husband 妹夫
Directly stated · Book of Wei 27, passage 139

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Director of the Masters of Writing 尚書令
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 36, passage 18
commander of the guards 領軍
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 36, passage 18; Book of Wei 27, passage 139

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Wei 北魏 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Wei 95, passage 216

Events and relationships

Deposed
Political · Deposer · With Empress Dowager Ling (靈太后)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 81, passage 68
Opened appointments for Dai northerners
Political · Proponent
Directly stated · Book of Wei 86, passages 44-46
Received bribe of entertainers, gardens, and fields from Cui Xian and secured his release
Political · Recipient · With Cui Xian (崔暹)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 95, passage 216
Relation Patron of · Person Xing Shao (邢卲)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 36, passage 18
Relation Killed · Person Yuan Yi (元懌)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 27, passage 143

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 36Volume 36 Biographies 28: Xing Shao · 1 passage

深為領軍元叉所禮，叉新除尚書令，神儁與陳郡袁翻在席，叉令卲作謝表，須臾便成，以示諸賓。 The commander of the guards Yuan Cha treated him with great respect; when Cha had just become director of the masters of writing, Shenjun and Yuan Fan of Chen were present, and Cha had Shao write a letter of thanks—it was finished at once and shown round.

Book of Wei, Chapter 27Volume 22: Emperor Xiaowen's Five Princes · 6 passages

領軍元叉，太后之妹夫也，恃寵驕盈。 Yuan Cha, the dowager's brother-in-law and commander of the guards, grew insolent on favor.

懌裁之以法，每抑黜之，為叉所疾。 Yi checked him with law and repeatedly humiliated him; Cha came to hate him.

叉黨人通直郎宋維希叉旨，[7]告懌謀反，禁懌門下，訊問左右及朝貴，貴人分明，乃得雪釋焉。 Cha's man Song Wei, eager to please, [7] accused Yi of treason; they sealed his staff and questioned attendants and nobles until the truth cleared him.

正光元年七月，叉與劉騰逼肅宗於顯陽殿，閉靈太后於後宮，囚懌於門下省，誣懌罪狀，遂害之，時年三十四。 In the first year of Zhenguang, seventh month, Cha and Liu Teng seized Xiaoming in Xianyang Hall, walled the dowager in the rear palace, jailed Yi in the Gate and Chamber office, forged charges, and killed him at thirty-four.

及清河王懌為元叉所害，悅了無讎恨之意，乃以桑落酒候伺之，盡其私佞。 When Qinghe Wang Yi fell to Yuan Cha, Yue bore no grudge; he courted Cha with mulberry-fall wine and shameless flattery.

叉大喜，以悅為侍中、太尉。 Cha was delighted and made him palace attendant and grand marshal.

Book of Wei, Chapter 30Volume 25: Zhang Sunsong, Zhangsun Daosheng · 1 passage

剛為元叉所厚，故稚驟得轉進。 Gang stood high with Yuan Cha, and Zhi rose in rank again and again.

Book of Wei, Chapter 81Volume 76: Lu Tong, Zhang Lie · 5 passages

元叉之廢靈太后也，相州刺史、中山王熙起兵於鄴。 When Yuan Cha deposed Empress Dowager Ling, Prince Xi of Zhongshan, who was Inspector of Xiangzhou, raised an army at Ye.

同善事在位，為叉所親，戮熙之日，深窮黨與，以希叉旨，論者非之。 Tong knew how to please those in power and was favored by Cha; on the day Xi was killed he pursued associates relentlessly to win Cha's approval, and critics condemned him for it.

靈太后反政，以同叉黨，除名。 When Empress Dowager Ling regained power, Tong was struck from the rolls as a member of Cha's faction.

先是，元叉父江陽王繼曾為青州刺史，及叉當權，烈託故義之懷，遂相諂附。 Earlier, Yuan Cha's father, Prince Ji of Jiangyang, had served as Inspector of Qingzhou; when Cha came to power, Lie invoked their old ties and attached himself to him with flattery.

後靈太后反政，以烈叉黨，出為鎮東將軍、青州刺史。 When Empress Dowager Ling later regained power, Lie was sent out as General Who Pacifies the East and Inspector of Qingzhou because he was counted among Cha's faction.

Book of Wei, Chapter 86Volume 81: Qi Jun, Shan Wei, Liu Renzhi, Yuwen Zhongzhi · 5 passages

及六鎮、隴西二方起逆，領軍元叉欲用代來寒人為傳詔以慰悅之，而牧守子孫投狀求者百餘人。 When the six garrisons and Longxi rebelled, army supervisor Yuan Cha wished to appoint newly arrived northerners from Dai as edict-bearers to win them over, yet more than a hundred sons and grandsons of governors and defenders submitted petitions seeking posts.

又欲杜之，因奏立勳附隊，令各依資出身。 Cha also wished to block this and memorialized to establish an attached merit corps, ordering each man to enter office according to his qualifications.

偉遂奏記，贊叉德美。 Wei then sent in a memorial praising Cha's virtue.

叉素不識偉，訪侍中安豐王延明、黃門郎元順，順等因是稱薦之。 Cha had never known Wei and asked Palace Attendant Prince Anfeng, Yanming, and yellow gate gentleman Yuan Shun; Shun and the others thereupon recommended him.

叉令僕射元欽引偉兼尚書二千石郎，後正名士郎。 Cha had Vice Director Yuan Qin bring Wei in as concurrent gentleman of two thousand piculs in the Masters of Writing; later he was made regular gentleman of famous scholars.

Book of Wei, Chapter 95Volume 89: Cruel Officals: Yu Luohou, Hu Ni, Li Hongzhi, Gaozun Zhang Sheti, Yang Zhi, Cui Xian, Li Dao Yun · 1 passage

以女妓園田貨元叉，獲免。 He bribed Yuan Cha with female entertainers, gardens, and fields and obtained his release.