Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Ruler

Yuwen Yun 宇文贇

First attested AD 561; died AD 580

Passages: 29
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Yuwen Yun was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Emperor Xuan	宣帝	Xuandi
Alternate name	Emperor Xuan	宣皇	Xuanhuang

Life and dates

Death

AD 580 大象二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passage 75
AD 580 宣帝崩
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 70

Attested activity

AD 580 大象二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Zhou 13, passage 75
AD 579 大象元年二月
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 63
AD 578 宣帝初
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 10, passage 153
AD 578 宣帝卽位
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 62; Book of Zhou 10, passage 100
AD 580 宣帝崩
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 70
AD 561 to AD 578 武帝在位
Strongly inferred · Book of Zhou 13, passage 84

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Yuchi Chifan (尉遲熾繁)
installed as 立為 · Marriage · AD 580 大象二年三月
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 144
Parent of Yuwen Chan (宇文闡)
bore Emperor Jing 生靜帝
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 109
Child of Empress Li (李皇后)
born of 生
bore 生
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 84
Spouse of Yang Lihua (楊麗華)
crown prince consort 皇太子妃
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 74
Child of Emperor Wu of Northern Zhou (周武)
son 男
Emperor Xuan as Wu's successor 宣帝
son 生
Sources vary in certainty · Book of Zhou 13, passages 83-84; Book of Zhou 9, passages 62, 174
Spouse of Yuan Yueshang (元樂尚)
installed as 立為 · Marriage
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 197
Spouse of Chen Yueyi (陳月儀)
installed as 立為 · Marriage
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 123
Spouse of Zhu Manyue (朱滿月)
summoned and favored 召而幸之 · Concubinage
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passage 109
Sibling of Yuwen Zan (宇文贊)
Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 13, passage 84

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Zhou 北周 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 10, passage 153; Book of Zhou 13, passage 75

Works and attributed material

Edict · Author · With Empress Ashina (阿史那皇后)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passages 65-69
Edict · Author · With Yang Lihua (楊麗華)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passages 78-81, 85-86
Edict · Author · With Li Ezi (李娥姿)
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passages 180-184

Assessments and attributes

Assessment debauched and insatiable in taking consorts · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 9, passages 13, 18-19

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Zhou 10, passage 153; Book of Zhou 13, passage 75

References in the histories

Search passages

History

29 passages

Book of Zhou, Chapter 9Volume 9 Biographies 1: Empresses · 24 passages

文帝元皇后文宣叱奴皇后孝閔帝元皇后明帝獨孤皇后武帝阿史那皇后武帝李皇后宣帝楊皇后宣帝朱皇后宣帝陳皇后宣帝元皇后宣帝尉遲皇后靜帝司馬皇后 Empress Yuan, consort of Emperor Wen Yuwen Tai; Empress Chinu, consort of Emperor Wen Yuwen Tai; Empress Yuan, consort of Emperor Min Yuwen Jue; Empress Dugu, consort of Emperor Ming Yuwen Yu; Empress Ashina, consort of Emperor Wu Yuwen Yong; Empress Li, consort of Emperor Wu Yuwen Yong; Empress Yang, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun; Empress Zhu, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun; Empress Chen, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun; Empress Yuan, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun; Empress Yuchi, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun; Empress Sima, consort of Emperor Jing Yuwen Chan

宣皇外行其志，內逞其欲，溪壑難滿，采擇無厭。 Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun outwardly pursued his ambitions while inwardly indulging his desires; his appetite was insatiable, and his taking of consorts never ceased.

宣帝卽位，尊為皇太后。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun ascended the throne, she was honored as empress dowager.

册曰：「天元皇帝臣贇，奉璽綬册，謹上天元皇太后尊號曰天元上皇太后。 The edict of investiture stated: "The Heavenly Primordial Emperor, your subject Yun, reverently presents the seal and cord of investiture and respectfully bestows upon the Heavenly Primordial Empress Dowager the honorific title Heavenly Primordial Upper Empress Dowager.

宣帝崩，靜帝尊為太皇太后。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun died, Emperor Jing Yuwen Chan honored her as grand empress dowager.

冊曰：「天元皇帝臣贇，奉璽綬冊，謹上天皇太后尊號曰天元聖皇太后。 The edict of investiture stated: "The Heavenly Primordial Emperor, your subject Yun, reverently presents the seal and cord of investiture and respectfully bestows upon the Heavenly Sovereign Empress Dowager the honorific title Heavenly Primordial Sage Empress Dowager.

宣帝崩，靜帝尊為太帝太后。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun died, Emperor Jing Yuwen Chan honored her as Grand Imperial Empress Dowager.

宣帝楊皇后名麗華，隋文帝長女。 Empress Yang, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun, named Lihua, was the eldest daughter of Sui Emperor Wen Yang Jian.

帝在東宮，高祖為帝納后為皇太子妃。 While Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun was in the Eastern Palace, High Ancestor Yuwen Yong had her taken as crown prince consort for him.

帝后自稱天元皇帝，號后為天元皇后。 Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun styled himself Heavenly Primordial Emperor and titled the empress Heavenly Primordial Empress.

帝後昏暴滋甚，喜怒乖度。 Afterward Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun grew ever more benighted and violent, and joy and anger departed from measure.

帝崩，靜帝尊後為皇太后，居弘聖宮。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun died, Emperor Jing Yuwen Chan honored her as empress dowager, and she resided at Hongsheng Palace.

初，宣帝不豫，詔后父入禁中侍疾。 Initially, when Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun fell ill, an edict ordered the empress's father to enter the inner palace to attend him.

宣帝朱皇后名滿月，吳人也。 Empress Zhu, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun, was named Manyue; she was a native of Wu.

帝之為太子，后被選掌帝衣服。 While Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun was crown prince, she was selected to manage his clothing.

大象元年，立為天元帝后，尋改為天皇后。 First year of Daxiang, she was installed as empress of the Heavenly Primordial Emperor; soon after she was retitled Heavenly Empress.

宣帝崩，靜帝尊為帝太 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun died, Emperor Jing Yuwen Chan honored her as Imperial

宣帝陳皇后名月儀，自云潁川人，大將軍山提第八女也。 Empress Chen, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun, was named Yueyi; she claimed to be from Yingchuan, the eighth daughter of Grand General Shanti.

帝崩，后出家為尼，改名華光。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun died, the empress left home to become a nun, changing her name to Huaguang.

宣帝元皇后名樂尚，河南洛陽人也。 Empress Yuan, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun, was named Yue Shang, a native of Luoyang in Henan.

宣帝尉遲皇后名熾繁，蜀國公迥之孫女。 Empress Yuchi, consort of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun, was named Chifan, granddaughter of Duke of Shu Yuchi Jiong.

初適杞國公亮子西陽公溫，以宗婦例入朝，帝逼而幸之。 Initially she married Wen, Duke of Xiyang, son of Liang, Duke of Qi State; entering court by the precedent for consorts of the imperial clan, Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun forced and favored her.

帝崩，后出俗為尼，改名華首。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun died, the empress left the lay life to become a nun, changing her name to Huashou.

大象元年二月，宣帝傳位於帝，七月，為帝納為皇后。 Second month of the first year of Daxiang, Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun transferred the throne to Emperor Jing; seventh month, she was taken in marriage for the emperor as empress.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 10Volume 10 Biographies 2: Duke Hao of Shaohui; Duke Lian of Qijian; Duke Luosheng of Juzhuang; Duke Zhong of Yuguo · 3 passages

宣帝卽位，出為安州總管。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun acceded, he was sent out as governor-general of An Province.

宣帝即位，拜大司寇。 When Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun acceded, he was appointed grand minister of justice.

宣帝初，被誅，國除。 At the opening of Emperor Xuan Yuwen Yun's reign he was executed and the fief abolished.

Book of Zhou, Chapter 13Volume 13 Biographies 5: Princes of Wen, Xiaomin, Wu, and Xuan · 2 passages

明年，宣帝崩。 The next year Emperor Xuan (Yuwen Yun) died.

李皇后生宣帝、漢王贊，厙汗姬生秦王贄、曹王允，馮姬生道王充，薛世婦生蔡王兌，鄭姬生荊王元。 Empress Li bore Emperor Xuan and Prince of Han Zan; Consort Kuhan bore Prince of Qin Zan and Prince of Cao Yun; Lady Feng bore Prince of Dao Chong; Lady Xue bore Prince of Cai Dui; Lady Zheng bore Prince of Jing Yuan.