Sun Xiu | |
---|---|
孫秀 | |
Prefect of the Palace Secretariat (中書令) | |
In office 300 –301 | |
Monarch | Emperor Hui of Jin |
Palace Attendant (侍中) | |
In office 300 –301 | |
Monarch | Emperor Hui of Jin/Sima Lun |
General Who Upholds The State (輔國將軍) | |
In office 300 –301 | |
Monarch | Emperor Hui of Jin |
Marshal to the Chancellor of State (相國司馬) | |
In office 300 –301 | |
Monarch | Emperor Hui of Jin |
Chief of the Palace Secretariat (中書監) | |
In office 301 –301 | |
Monarch | Sima Lun |
General of Agile Cavalry (票騎將軍) | |
In office 301 –301 | |
Monarch | Sima Lun |
Personal details | |
Born | Unknown [1] Linyi,Shandong |
Died | 30 May,301 |
Relations | Sun Qi (clansman;maternal grandfather of Yang Xianrong [2] ) Sun En (descendant) Sun Tai (clansman and uncle of Sun En) |
Children | Sun Hui (281-301) [3] |
Courtesy name | Junzhong (俊忠) |
Sun Xiu (died 30 May 301 [4] ),courtesy name Junzhong,was an official of the Jin dynasty. He was the favoured advisor to the Prince of Zhao,Sima Lun,who guided and supported him with advice in their rise to power. After Sima Lun took over the government in May 300,Sun Xiu was essentially in charge of running the state,as Lun delegated all affairs over to him. Sun helped Lun assume the throne in 301,but a coalition against him led by Sima Jiong was formed shortly later. As the coalition approached Luoyang in May 301,Sun was killed in the capital during a coup led by disgruntled officials.
The prominent Jin dynasty rebel,Sun En,whose rebellion in December 399 caused great trouble for the Eastern Jin,was from Sun Xiu's clan. [5]
Sun Xiu was a native of Langya Commandery. For generations,his family followed the Way of the Five Pecks of Rice,and Sun himself was also a practitioner of this teaching. Sun grew to become a minor official in Langya,but it was said that he displayed poor behaviour. His superior at the time,Pan Yue,despised him because of this and had him flogged on numerous occasions. [6]
Some time after Sima Lun became the Prince of Langya in February 266,Sun Xiu managed to win his trust through flattery and became an official under him. Sun would write documents on his behalf,and Lun greatly appreciated his literary talents. When Lun was made Prince of Zhao in October 277,Sun Xiu decided to change his family register to Zhao Commandery and was subsequently made an attendant. [7]
After the ascension of Emperor Hui in May 290,Sima Lun was given military command over Qinzhou and Yongzhou. During his tenure,Lun's administration caused a series of tribal revolt which peaked in 296. Both Lun and Sun Xiu placed the blame on the Inspector of Yongzhou,Xie Xi (解系), [8] and the two sides sent petitions to the court accusing one another. Lun was eventually recalled to Luoyang,and was replaced by his half-brother Sima Rong (司馬肜). Xie also called for Sun Xiu's execution,believing that it would appeal to the tribes' demands. The minister,Zhang Hua considered it and told Sima Rong to prepare Sun's execution. However,an acquaintance of Sun Xiu,Xin Ran managed to convince Sima Rong not to carry out Zhang's orders. [9]
While in Luoyang,Sun advised Sima Lun to win the trust of Empress Jia (Jin's paramount leader at the time) as well as her family members Jia Mi and Guo Zhang (郭彰). Lun did so and quickly gained favour in the court. Lun was even confident enough to demand both Zhang Hua and Pei Wei's positions,but the two of them strongly refused to give their offices. [10]
In early 300,a group of officials was angered by the Empress Jia's decision to remove the Crown Prince Sima Yu in February. They wanted to overthrow her,so they looked towards Sima Lun who possessed a strong army to stage a coup. They approached Sun Xiu,and Sun informed their plot to Lun. Lun agreed,and the plot was nearly set up. However,Sun advised Lun to wait a while longer until the Empress decided to kill Sima Yu,because he thought that Sima Yu would be detrimental to their future plans if he were to be restored to the throne. [11] Sima Lun agreed and postponed the date of the coup. Sun sent a subordinate to spread a rumour of a plot to remove the empress and restore Sima Yu. Hearing this,Empress Jia sent her servants to eavesdrop around the palace,and her suspicions were soon confirmed. Lun and Sun then told Jia Mi that Sima Yu had to be killed in order to prevent his restoration. The Empress agreed with the idea,and Sima Yu was forced to commit suicide in April;when he refused to do so,he was killed. [12]
Sima Lun launched his coup on the night of 7 May. That same day,Sun Xiu invited Zhang Hua to join him in overthrowing the empress,but Zhang refused. The coup was a success,and Empress Jia was placed under arrest. She was later forced to kill herself through poisoning. [13]
After the removal of Empress Jia,Sima Lun began making plans with Sun Xiu to take the throne. Their political enemies,including Xie Xi,Zhang Hua and Pei Wei,were all executed. Sima Lun effectively made himself regent and issued a general amnesty. He also granted military and administrative power to his and Sun Xiu's allies. As Sima Lun had very little interest in running the court,he passed over his responsibilities to Sun Xiu by making him Prefect of the Palace Secretariat. All the state's affairs were handled by Sun without needing Lun's consent. [14]
Sima Lun had appointed the Prince of Huainan,Sima Yun (司馬允;a son of Emperor Wu [15] ) to be an acting Protector of the Palace. However,both Yun and Lun were suspicious of one another. Lun decided to take away Yun's position of Protector by giving him a new position to strip him off his military power,but Yun pretended to be ill to avoid this. Sun Xiu sent the Imperial Secretary Liu Ji (劉機) to force him into accepting his new office. Liu arrested Yun's subordinates and presented an imperial edict as proof that Yun was going against Emperor Hui's orders. However,Yun knew by the writing that it was Sun Xiu who wrote the edict. Yun arrested Liu Ji and rebelled,but Sima Lun managed to quell his revolt and kill him. [16]
After Sima Yun's death,Sun Xiu had more of his political enemies executed,using the failed coup as a pretext. He arrested Shi Chong,Ouyang Jian (歐陽建) and his former superior Pan Yue. Ouyang Jian supported Xie Xi in removing Lun from military command in Qinzhou and Yongzhou in 296. Shi Chong was Ouyang Jian's uncle,and he and Sun Xiu had a dispute over a woman named Lüzhu that Shi had an intimate relation with. All three men were executed along with their family members. [17] Sun Xiu also had Sima Jiong sent away to Xuchang,fearing he would also rebel,as Jiong was not satisfied with his position despite his involvement in Empress Jia's removal. [18]
Following the aftermath of Sima Yun's attempted coup,Sun Xiu brought up the subject of granting Sima Lun the nine bestowments to the court. Many were afraid of opposing him,so they agreed,except for one official named Liu Song (劉頌). Sun's ally Zhang Lin (張林) accused Liu of being one of Zhang Hua's partisan. Zhang Lin was about to execute him,but Sun stopped him to prevent further enmity between their faction and members of the old court. [19]
An edict was made granting Sima Lun the nine bestowments. Sun Xiu became Palace Attendant,General Who Upholds The State,and Marshal to the Chancellor of State. After that,Sun appointed Sima Rong to the newly-established position of Prime Minister (although Rong refused and never acknowledged his new office) and had his son,Sun Hui (孫會),marry Emperor Hui's daughter,the Princess of Hedong. [20]
In early 301,Sima Lun and Sun Xiu had the general,Zhao Feng (趙奉) write a report which the pair claim was said by the spirit of Lun's father,Sima Yi,stating,"Sima Lun should enter the Western Palace at once." After preparations were made for his day of ascension,Sima Lun entered the Western Palace on an imperial carriage and assumed the throne on 3 February. After Emperor Hui abdicated,Sun Xiu was made Palace Attendant,Chief of the Palace Secretariat,and General of Agile Cavalry,with equal ceremonial to the Three Excellencies.
At this point,Sun Xiu had complete control over the court and state. Sun began living in Sima Zhao's residence during Zhao's regency over Cao Wei. Sima Lun would always consult Sun on every matter,and edicts published out by Lun were always edited by Sun to fit his liking,unbeknownst to the emperor. The court was constantly undergoing changes as Sun appointed and removed officials overnight.
Meanwhile,Zhang Lin was not happy with what little he received after Lun's ascension,along with the fact that Sun had complete control over the court. He wrote a letter to Lun's Crown Prince,Sima Fu (司馬荂) to get his father to execute Sun,but Fu instead presented the letter to his father who in turn presented it to Sun. Sun told the emperor to have Zhang Lin killed,and so he did. To further cement his control,Sun had his allies assigned as advisors to the three most powerful princes at the time,Sima Jiong,Sima Ying and Sima Yong. [21]
Sima Lun's usurpation enraged Sima Jiong,who then formed a coalition to restore the deposed Emperor Hui. Sima Ying and Sima Yong soon joined him,causing Lun and Sun to panic. In response,the two forged a petition purportedly from Jiong,claiming he was struggling against bandit attacks and was weak and incompetent. They then divided their armies into two groups and sent them to confront Sima Jiong and Sima Ying.
Supposedly,Sima Lun and Sun Xiu began praying each day and had shamans predict favourable days to engage in battle. They also had their men travel to Mount Song in feathered clothing along with forging and publishing a letter that they claim was from the sage,Wang Qiao (王乔),which said that Lun was destined for a long reign. When news of Sima Jiong's victory reached Sun,he attempted to hide their defeat to the public by claiming in an edict that Jiong had already been captured and ordering the ministers to congratulate the general,Zhang Hong (張泓). [22]
The situation for Sima Lun gradually worsened as Sima Ying won the Battle of Huangqiao and crossed the Yellow River to approach Luoyang. Officials in the capital were also beginning to openly express their frustration over Sima Lun and Sun Xiu,causing Sun to hole himself up in his office out of fear. Sun only moved to the office of the Masters of Writing after the Prince of Yiyang,Sima Wei (司馬威;a grandson of Sima Wang [23] ),called him to discuss strategy. They ordered a full conscription of men in Luoyang to follow Sima Lun in battle. However,the conscripts later urged Sima Wei to kill Sun;Wei refused by secretly fleeing to his residence. [24]
The army from Huangqiao returned,and their generals immediately planned their next move with Sun Xiu. They thoroughly discussed,but could not come to a conclusive agreement. It was around this time when the general of the guards,Wang Yu (王輿),rebelled and stormed the palace. Wang personally led his group to attack Sun Xiu,blocking the southern gates of Sun's office. Sun and the generals attempted to flee,but they were all caught by Zhao Quan (趙泉) and beheaded to be made as examples. [25]
Sima Lun was also arrested by the rebels. He was forced to write an edict stating,"I was misled by Sun Xiu and the others,and so I incurred the anger of the three Princes. I have already put Sun Xiu to death. Now I shall welcome the Retired Emperor back to the throne,and I myself shall live out my life tending a field." [26] Emperor Hui was restored,and despite the last statement of his edict,Sima Lun was forced to commit suicide in the same manner as Empress Jia. Before his death,Sima Lun reportedly lamented that he was misled by Sun Xiu. [27]
Zhuge Dan,courtesy name Gongxiu,was a Chinese military general and politician of the state of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period of China. When he held key military appointments throughout his middle to late career,he was involved in all of the three rebellions which broke out in Shouchun between 251 and 258. During the second rebellion,he actively assisted the Wei regent Sima Shi in suppressing the revolt. After the rebellion,the Wei government put him in charge of Shouchun. As the Sima clan became more powerful and established themselves as the de facto rulers of Wei,Zhuge Dan feared that he would end up slain like Wang Ling and Guanqiu Jian –the leaders of the first two rebellions –so he started the third rebellion against Sima Zhao,who succeeded Sima Shi as regent of Wei in March 255. Although he received some support from Wei's rival state Eastern Wu,his rebellion was eventually suppressed by Wei imperial forces and he met his end at the hands of Hu Fen,a military officer under Sima Zhao.
Sima Jiong (司馬冏),courtesy name Jingzhi (景治),formally Prince Wumin of Qi (齊武閔王),was an imperial prince of the Jin dynasty of China. He briefly served as Emperor Hui's regent after overthrowing the usurper Sima Lun in May 301. He was the fourth of the eight princes commonly associated with the War of the Eight Princes.
Sun Luyu,courtesy name Xiaohu,was an imperial princess of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China. She was the younger daughter of Sun Quan,the founding emperor of Wu,and his concubine Bu Lianshi. She is also referred to as Princess Zhu (朱公主/朱主) because of her marriage to Zhu Ju.
Liu Kun,courtesy name Yueshi,was a Chinese military general and poet of the Jin dynasty. An esteemed writer during the early years of his career,he was also known for his time as the Inspector of Bingzhou,during which he spearheaded Jin's efforts in fighting back against the Xiongnu-led Han-Zhao dynasty. Despite his determination and active role in the war against Han,he lacked the sufficient military and administrative skills to quash the growing Han threat,suffering repeated defeats and having to heavily rely on his alliance with the Tuoba-Xianbei. He was eventually driven out from Bingzhou following a decisive defeat to Shi Le in 316 and fled to Youzhou,where he allied with the chieftain,Duan Pidi. After Pidi suspected him of betrayal,he was arrested and executed via strangulation in 318.
Gou Xi,courtesy name Daojiang,was a Chinese military commander of the Western Jin Dynasty. He came to prominence as a general under the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue,after he quelled the rebellions of Gongshi Fan (公師藩),Ji Sang and Shi Le. Sima Yue initially valued Gou Xi,but after Gou Xi was constantly antagonized by Yue,their relationship broke down in 310. Gou Xi plotted with Emperor Huai of Jin to overthrow Yue from power,which caused Yue to die of stress shortly after,and Gou Xi being instated to the positions of Grand General and Grand Commander. However,their victory was short-lived due to the Disaster of Yongjia,which saw Emperor Huai and Luoyang’s capture at the hands of Han-Zhao forces in 311. That same year,Gou Xi was captured and later executed by Shi Le.
Xi Jian,courtesy name Daohui,was a Chinese military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). As a refugee leader in the north at the time of the Disaster of Yongjia,he later fled south to escape the encroaching Later Zhao dynasty and join the Eastern Jin. There,he quickly became an important pillar of the dynasty due to his contributions during the rebellions of Wang Dun and Su Jun. By the end of his life,he formed part of a triumvirate within the Jin government that consisted of him and two other top-ranking ministers,Yu Liang and Wang Dao. His name can be rendered as Chi Jian.
Shao Xu,courtesy name Sizu, was a military general and warlord of the Jin dynasty (266–420). Shao Xu was an official under the Youzhou warlord,Wang Jun but after Wang was killed in 314,he submitted to Han-Zhao. In 315,Shao Xu declared his allegiance to Sima Rui in the south and revolted against Han. Shao Xu served as a loyal Jin vassal in Jizhou where he allied himself with the Duan chieftain,Duan Pidi before he was eventually captured by Shi Le in 320. Shi Le respected Shao Xu's loyalty and initially treated him as a guest. However,Shi Le became worried that he would rebel,and in 321,had him executed along with Duan Pidi.
Wang Yan,courtesy name Yifu,was a Chinese politician. He served as a minister and was one of the pure conversation leaders of the Western Jin. During the reign of Emperor Hui of Jin,Wang Yan grew popular among the court for his mastery in Qingtan and for being a patron of Xuanxue. Wang Yan vacillated between the warring princes during the War of the Eight Princes until he ended up with Sima Yue,who gave him a considerable amount of power in his administration. After Yue died in April 311,Wang Yan led his funeral procession but was ambushed and later executed by the Han-Zhao general,Shi Le at Ningping City. Though a bright scholar,Wang Yan was often associated by traditional historians as one of the root causes for Western Jin's demise due to his influential beliefs.
Zhang Fang was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was the influential general of the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong during the War of the Eight Princes who helped him in subduing the Prince of Changshan,Sima Ai,and had the imperial family briefly under his control in 304. Though capable,he was infamous for his transgressions against the emperor and the cruelty that he and his soldiers displayed,with one account claiming that he had them engage in cannibalism. His act of forcibly moving Emperor Hui of Jin from Luoyang to Chang'an provided the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue and his allies with pretext to start a coalition to punish him and Sima Yong in 305. In a desperate attempt to settle for peace,Sima Yong had Zhang Fang assassinated the following year.
Zhang Chai was a minister and regent of China's Later Zhao dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was a close ally to Shi Hu 's empress,Empress Liu,who helped her establish themselves as the paramount leaders of Zhao through her son Shi Shi following the death of Shi Hu in 349. The pair attempted to centralize their power and eliminate their rivals,but a popular coup led by Shi Zun saw their reign barely lasting a month as they were removed and subsequently executed. Despite the coup,it would soon be known as the beginning of a bigger power struggle within the Shi family over the throne that led to the destruction of Later Zhao in 351 in the hands of Ran Min.
Jia Mi,courtesy name Changyuan,originally named Han Mi,was a Chinese politician of the Jin dynasty. He was the grandson of the Jin minister Jia Chong and nephew of Jin's de facto ruler between 291 and 300,Jia Nanfeng. Jia Mi was trusted with state affair by his aunt throughout her regency and wielded much influence over the Jin court. He was an extravagant minister,and under him,the Jin court became increasingly corrupted. Between 299 and 300,Jia Mi pushed his aunt for the removal and later execution of the Crown Prince,Sima Yu,a decision that would lead to the Jia clan's downfall. In May 300,Jia Mi was killed during Sima Lun's coup d'état.
Wang Hun,courtesy name Xuanchong,was a Chinese military general and politician of Cao Wei during the Three Kingdoms period and Western Jin dynasty period. He spent most of his early career serving at the eastern borders of Jin and Eastern Wu,where he occasionally battled with the southern state. He was most known for his role in the Conquest of Wu between 279 and 280,during which he destroyed Wu's main forces under Zhang Ti,as well as his subsequent dispute with Wang Jun,who he accused of going against orders by capturing Jianye on his own and stealing Wang Hun's chance at glory. Despite the controversy surrounding him following the conquest,he remained an accomplished and well-respected figure within the state.
Liu Qiao,courtesy name Zhongyan,was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He participated in the conquest of Wu and the subjugation of Zhang Chang's rebellion,and was active during the War of the Eight Princes. In 305,he sided with the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong,against the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue and was a central figure in their conflict. His defeat allowed Sima Yue to overcome Sima Yong and win the civil war,but Yue pardoned him and appointed him into the new regime. He was captured and executed by the Han-Zhao general,Shi Le following the Battle of Ningping in 311.
Shi Chao was a military general of the Jin dynasty (266–420). He was active during the War of the Eight Princes,siding with the Prince of Chengdu,Sima Ying,and the Prince of Hejian,Sima Yong. He participated in numerous key conflicts throughout the civil war before dying in battle in 305.
Sima Gan,courtesy name Ziliang (子良),was the youngest son of Sima Yi and his main wife Zhang Chunhua,and a younger brother of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao. Sima Yi,Sima Shi and Sima Zhao eventually became regents of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms era.
Sima Rong,courtesy name Zihui (子徽),posthumously known as Prince Xiao of Liang (梁孝王),was the son of Sima Yi and his concubine Lady Zhang,and a younger half-brother of Sima Shi and Sima Zhao. Sima Yi,Sima Shi and Sima Zhao eventually became regents of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms era. Besides his heritage,Sima Rong was known for his involvement in the death of Jin official Zhou Chu,his association with his half-brother Sima Lun,and his relative mediocrity in the various positions he held in the Western Jin government during the reigns of his nephew,Emperor Wu of Jin,and his grandnephew Emperor Hui.
Sima Tan was a crown prince of the Western Jin. He was installed to the position in 302 to serve as heir apparent for his uncle,Emperor Hui of Jin,but was removed in 304. After his removal,there were several plots to restore him to the position before he was finally put to death by the Prince of Donghai,Sima Yue in 308.
Gu Rong,courtesy name Yanxian,was an official of the Jin dynasty (266–420). A grandson of the Eastern Wu chancellor,Gu Yong,he became a famous celebrity during his time in the Jin capital,Luoyang and served under a succession of princes in the War of the Eight Princes. Due to the turmoil in northern China,Gu Rong returned to his hometown in the Jiangnan,where,despite initially joining,he played a decisive role in quelling Chen Min's rebellion in 307. In his final years,he served the Prince of Langya and future founding emperor of the Eastern Jin,Sima Rui,helping him lay the foundations for the dynasty in the south. Along with Ji Zhan,He Xun,Yang Fang and Xue Jian,Gu Rong was referred to as one of the "Five Eminence" (五俊).
Sima Xin,courtesy name Hongshu (弘舒),posthumously known as Prince Zhuang of Xinye (新野庄王),was a son of Sima Jun and his wife Lady Zang,and a grandson of Sima Yi,regent of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms era. Besides his heritage,Sima Xin was best known for his involvement in the War of the Eight Princes during the reign of his cousin's son,Emperor Hui of Jin,and his death during Zhang Chang's rebellion.
Sima Wei,courtesy name Jingyao (景曜),childhood name A-pi (阿皮),was a son of Sima Hong,a grandson of Sima Wang,and a great-grandson of Sima Fu,Prince Xian of Anping and a younger brother of Sima Yi,regent of the Cao Wei state during the Three Kingdoms era. Besides his heritage,Sima Wei was best known for being one of a few people to be requested for execution by Emperor Hui of Jin.