Sun Yuanheng

Last updated • 2 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Sun Yuanheng (孫元亨) (died October 26, 696 [1] ) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.

Despite Sun's high status, little is firmly established about his career except for the time that he served as chancellor—as, unusual for a chancellor, he did not have a biography in either the Old Book of Tang or the New Book of Tang . [2] He was not even listed in the table of the chancellors' family trees in the New Book of Tang for the Sun clan, and therefore, nothing is known about his family tree. [3]

In spring 696, Sun was serving as the acting minister of defense (夏官尚書, Xiaguan Shangshu), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor de facto.

In late 696, there was a treasonous plot by the officials Liu Sili (劉思禮), Qilian Yao (綦連耀), and Wang Ju (王勮) -- as the conspirators believed that Qilian was fated to be emperor one day. The official Ji Xu heard of the plot and relayed it to the secret police official Lai Junchen, who in turn reported it to Wu Zetian. Wu Zetian had Wu Yizong (武懿宗) the Prince of Henan (the grandson of her uncle Wu Shiyi (武士逸)) investigate, and Wu Yizong, promising Liu that he would be spared, had him implicate as many officials as he could, and Liu implicated some 36 officials, including Sun, fellow chancellor Li Yuansu, and other officials Shi Baozhong (石抱忠), Liu Qi (劉奇), Zhou Bo (周譒), and Wang Ju's brothers Wang Mian (王勔) and Wang Zhu (王助). All 36 households were slaughtered on the same day, and some 1,000 related persons were exiled.

Notes and references

  1. 兩千年中西曆轉換
  2. See the Table of Contents for the Old Book of Tang and the Table of Contents for the New Book of Tang.
  3. New Book of Tang, vol. 73, part 2 Archived 2007-10-11 at the Wayback Machine


Related Research Articles

Li Jiao, courtesy name Jushan (巨山), formally the Duke of Zhao (趙公), was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian, her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong, and her grandson Emperor Shang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Di Renjie</span> Chinese politician of the Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties

Di Renjie, courtesy name Huaiying (懷英), formally Duke Wenhui of Liang (梁文惠公), was a Chinese politician of the Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties, twice serving as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian. He was one of the most celebrated officials of Wu Zetian's reign. Di Renjie is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu by Jin Guliang.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Emperor Ruizong of Tang</span> Emperor of the Tang dynasty

Emperor Ruizong of Tang, personal name Li Dan, also known at times during his life as Li Xulun, Li Lun, Wu Lun, and Wu Dan, was the fifth and ninth emperor of the Chinese Tang dynasty. He was the eighth son of Emperor Gaozong and the fourth son of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu. He was wholly a figurehead during his first reign when he was controlled by his mother, and he was the titular and puppet ruler of the Tang Empire from 684 to 690. During his second reign after his mother's death, significant power and influence was exercised by his sister Princess Taiping.

Wang Benli (王本立) was a Chinese military general and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as chancellor during the first reign of Emperor Ruizong.

Lai Junchen was a Chinese politician and writer. He was a well-known secret police official during the Chinese Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties, whose ability to interrogate and falsely implicate officials of crimes made him a subject of fear and hatred. In 697, he was accused of plotting to falsely accuse Wu Zetian's sons and other family members of treason, and he was executed.

Shi Wuzi (史務滋) was a Chinese politician of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

Ren Zhigu (任知古) was a Chinese politician of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.

Yuan Zhihong (袁智弘) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor.

Yao Shu (姚璹), courtesy name Lingzhang (令璋), formally Count Cheng of Wuxing (吳興成伯), was a Chinese politician of the Tang and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, and served twice as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

Li Yuansu (李元素) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving twice as chancellor.

Wang Xuan (王璿) was an official of Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor.

Lou Shide, courtesy name

Wang Xiaojie (王孝傑), formally the Duke of Geng (耿國公), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving in campaigns against Tibet, Eastern Turks, and Khitan and briefly serving as chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign. He was killed in 697 in a battle against Khitan's khan Sun Wanrong.

Wang Fangqing, formal name Wang Lin (王綝) but went by the courtesy name of Fangqing, formally Duke Zhen of Shiquan (石泉貞公), was a Chinese politician during the Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

Ji Xu was a Chinese politician during Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor.

Zhu Jingze, courtesy name Shaolian, was an official of China's Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as a chancellor during Wu Zetian's reign.

Xiao Zhizhong was an official of the Chinese Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian's sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong and grandsons Emperor Shang and Emperor Xuanzong. He was known for his willingness to point out corruption in high-level officials, but was later himself implicated as a partisan of the powerful Princess Taiping and executed in 713 when Emperor Xuanzong suppressed Princess Taiping's party.

Zhang Renyuan (張仁愿), né Zhang Rendan (張仁亶), formally the Duke of Han (韓公), was a Chinese military general and politician during the Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian's sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong and grandson Emperor Shang

Cen Xi, courtesy name Bohua (伯華), was a Chinese historian and politician. He worked as an official during the Tang dynasty and under Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reigns of Emperor Shang, Emperor Ruizong, and Emperor Xuanzong. He was known for his integrity as an official in charge of civil service affairs, but was later implicated as a partisan of Emperor Xuanzong's aunt Princess Taiping in 713 and was executed when Emperor Xuanzong suppressed Princess Taiping's party.

Zhang Jiafu (張嘉福) was a Chinese politician of the Tang dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Shang.