Yuan Wenyao (元文遙)

Overview

Yuan Wenyao was an official.

IdentityHistorical · Male

Roles

Found in

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Changed name	Gao	高	Gāo
Courtesy name	Deyuan	德遠	Déyuǎn

Life and dates

Age

10
Reckoning Sui · Qualifier just over
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 57

Attested activity

AD 561 to AD 565 世祖踐祚
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 10
AD 566 天統二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 73
AD 565 天統初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 13, passage 87
AD 565 後主嗣位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 89
AD 543 to AD 550 武定中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 63
AD 561 to AD 565 武成
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 10, passage 228

Show 3 more source-backed claims

AD 565 武成
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 39, passages 148, 152
AD 550 to AD 570 齊世
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 33, passage 171
AD 550 齊受禪
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 64

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Yuan Zun (元遵)
fifth-generation ancestor 五世祖 · 5 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 51
Descendant of Emperor Zhaocheng (昭成皇帝)
sixth-generation descendant 六世孫 · 6 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 50
Child of Yuan Xi (元晞)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 52
Child of Mother of Yuan Wenyao
mother 母
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 62
Parent of Yuan Xinggong (元行恭)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 93

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

sixth-generation descendant of Emperor Zhaocheng of Wei
Generation Distance 6 · Ancestor Person Id Emperor Zhaocheng (昭成皇帝)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 50

Career and standing

left vice director of the masters of writing 尚書左僕射
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 74
secretariat drafting officer 中書舍人
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 64
Attendant-in-Ordinary and Left Vice Director 侍中左僕射
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 39, passage 148
duke of Ningdu commandery 寧都郡公
Advanced
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 74
baron of Yongle county 永樂縣伯
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 70
Received
Granted surname Gao
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 73

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Qi 北齊 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 39, passage 148
At Luoyang, Henan 河南洛陽
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 50

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Lu Sidao (盧思道)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 99

Events and relationships

Delivered edict
AD 561 to AD 565 武成 · Diplomatic · Envoy · With Emperor Wucheng (武成帝), Run (潤) · At Ding Province 州
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 10, passage 228
Plotted to remove
Political · Conspirator · With He Shikai (和士開)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 89
Relation Compared with · Person He Shikai (和士開)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passage 82
Relation Compared with · Person Zhao Yanshen (趙彥深)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 38, passages 82-83

Assessments and attributes

Assessment monopolizes-authority-with-faction · Mode named-person-speech Speaker Zu Ting (祖珽)
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 39, passage 152

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 10, passage 228

References in the histories

Search passages

History

30 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 10Volume 10 Biographies 2: Eleven Princes of Shenwu · 1 passage

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武成使元文遙就州宣勑曰：「馮翊王少小謹慎，在州不為非法，朕信之熟矣。 Gao Zhan sent Yuan Wenyao with an edict: "Prince Run has been careful from youth and committed no crime in office — I know him thoroughly.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 13Volume 13 Biographies 5: Gao Chen; Gao Rui (Northern Qi); Gao Yue (Northern Qi); Gao Mai · 1 passage

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世祖崩，葬後數日，叡與馮翊王潤、安德王延宗及元文遙奏後主云：「和士開不宜仍居內任。」 When Gao Zhan died, several days after the burial, Rui, together with Prince of Fengyi Gao Run, Prince of Ande Gao Yanzong, and Yuan Wenyao, memorialized the Last Emperor, saying, "He Shikai should not continue to hold an inner appointment."

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies 25: Xiao Yuanming; Xiao Zhi (Liang); Xiao Tui; Xiao Fang (Liang); Xu Zhicai · 1 passage

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又以小史好嚼筆，故嘗執管就元文遙口曰：「借君齒。」 Because a junior clerk liked to chew his brush, he once held the tube to Yuan Wenyao's mouth and said, "Lend me your teeth."

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 38Volume 38 Biographies 30: Xin Shu; Yuan Wenyao; Zhao Yanshen · 22 passages

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辛術元文遙趙彥深 Xin Shu; Yuan Wenyao; Zhao Yanshen

元文遙，字德遠，河南洛陽人，魏昭成皇帝六世孫也。 Yuan Wenyao, styled Deyuan, was from Luoyang in Henan commandery, a sixth-generation descendant of Emperor Zhaocheng of Wei.

文遙貴，贈特進、開府儀同三司、中書監，諡曰孝。 When Wenyao rose high, Xi was posthumously made special advancement, grand mentor equal to the three excellencies, and supervisor of the secretariat, with the posthumous name Filial.

文遙敏慧夙成，濟陰王暉業每云：「此子王佐才也。」 Wenyao was clever from childhood. The prince of Jiyin, Huiye, often said, "This child has the makings of a king's helper."

河間邢卲試命文遙：「誦之幾遍可得？」 Xing Shao of Hejian tested Wenyao: "Recite it—how many readings before you can?"

文遙一覽便誦，時年十餘歲。 Wenyao read it once and recited it; he was barely past ten.

孝昭攝政，除大丞相府功曹參軍，典機密。 When Gao Yan acted as regent, Wenyao was made staff officer in the grand chancellor's office and handled confidential matters.

及踐祚，除中書侍郎，封永樂縣伯，參軍國大事。 When Gao Yan took the throne, Wenyao was made secretariat attendant, enfeoffed as baron of Yongle county, and took part in great affairs of state.

卽位，任遇轉隆，歷給事黃門侍郎、散騎常侍、侍中、中書監。 After Gao Zhan took the throne, Wenyao's favor rose still higher. He served in turn as attendant-in-ordinary of the yellow gate, regular attendant of the scattered cavalry, chamberlain for attendants, and supervisor of the secretariat.

天統二年，詔特賜姓高氏，籍屬宗正，子弟依例歲時入朝。 In the second year of Tiantong an edict specially granted him the surname Gao, registered him with the director of the imperial clan, and allowed his sons and younger brothers to attend seasonal court audiences by regulation.

文遙歷事三主，明達世務，每臨軒，多命宣勑，號令文武，聲韻高朗，發吐無滯。 Wenyao served three sovereigns and knew the affairs of the age. Whenever he faced the throne he was often ordered to proclaim edicts; his voice rang clear, and he delivered civil and military orders without stumbling.

文遙以縣令為字人之切，遂請革選。 Wenyao held that the magistrate was the hinge of caring for the people and asked to reform how they were chosen.

初，文遙自洛遷鄴，惟有地十頃，家貧，所資衣食而已。 When Wenyao first moved from Luoyang to Ye he had only ten qing of land; the household was poor and had barely enough to eat and wear.

魏之將季，宗姓被侮，有人冒相侵奪，文遙卽以與之。 As Wei neared its fall, clan members were bullied. Someone seized his land by force; Wenyao at once yielded it.

及貴，此人尚在，乃將家逃竄。 When Wenyao rose high, that man was still alive and fled with his family.

文遙大驚，追加慰撫，還以與之。 Wenyao was alarmed, sent after him with reassurances, and again offered him the land.

至後主嗣位，趙郡王叡、婁定遠等謀出和士開，文遙亦參其議。 When the Later Sovereign succeeded, Prince of Zhao Jun Rui, Lou Dingyuan, and others plotted to remove He Shikai; Wenyao joined the plot.

叡見殺，文遙由是出為西兗州刺史。 Rui was killed, and Wenyao was sent out as governor of western Yanzhou.

旣言而悔，仍執手慰勉之。 Having said it, he regretted his words and still took Wenyao's hand in consolation.

猶慮文遙自疑，用其子行恭為尚書郎，以慰其心。 Still fearing Wenyao would doubt him, he appointed Wenyao's son Xinggong as a masters of writing lang to set his mind at ease.

行恭少頗驕恣，文遙令與范陽盧思道交遊。 Xinggong was rather proud in youth; Wenyao had him keep company with Lu Sidao of Fanyang.

文遙嘗謂思道云：「小兒比日微有所知，是大弟之力，然白擲劇飲，甚得師風。」 Wenyao once told Sidao, "The boy has learned a little lately—your doing as elder brother; but his dice-playing and hard drinking are very much in your master's style."

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 39Volume 39 Biographies 31: Cui Jishu; Zu Ting · 2 passages

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先與黃門侍郎劉逖友善，乃疏侍中尚書令趙彥深、侍中左僕射元文遙、侍中和士開罪狀，令逖奏之。 He had been friendly with secretariat attendant Liu Ti. He now memorialized the crimes of attendant-in-ordinary and director of the masters of writing Zhao Yanshen, attendant-in-ordinary and left vice director Yuan Wenyao, and attendant-in-ordinary He Shikai, and told Ti to present it.

士開、文遙、彥深等專弄威權，控制朝廷，與吏部尚書尉瑾內外交通，共為表裏，賣官鬻獄，政以賄成，天下歌謠。 Shikai, Wenyao, Yanshen, and the rest twist power and run the court. With director of the ministry of personnel Wei Jin they traffic inside and out, outer shell and inner hand, selling offices and peddling verdicts until government is bought with bribes—the realm sings of it.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 40Volume 40 Biographies 32: Yu Jin (Northern Qi); Feng Zicong; Helian Ziyue; Tang Yong; Bai Jian · 3 passages

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世祖踐祚，趙彥深本子如賓僚，元文遙、和士開並帝鄉故舊，共相薦達，任遇彌重。 When Gao Zhan took the throne, Zhao Yanshen had been Ziru's guest-officer, and Yuan Wenyao and He Shikai were all old friends from the imperial hometown. They recommended him together, and his rank and favor grew heavier still.

病卒，世祖方在三臺飲酒，文遙奏聞，遂命徹樂罷飲。 He died of illness while Gao Zhan was drinking at Santai. Wenyao reported it, and the emperor ordered the music stopped and the drinking ended.

元文遙以子琮太后妹夫，恐其獎成太后干政，說趙郡王及士開出之，拜鄭州刺史，即令之任。 Yuan Wenyao, because Zicong was the empress's brother-in-law, feared he would encourage her to meddle in government. He persuaded Prince of Zhao commandery and He Shikai to send him out, made him governor of Zheng, and ordered him to take up the post at once.