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Liu Shi (Tang Dynasty)
Liu Shi (柳奭) (died 25 July-22 August 659), courtesy name Zishao (子邵), was a chancellor of the Chinese Tang Dynasty, during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. His niece was Emperor Gaozong's first wife Empress Wang; as Emperor Gaozong's favors for her waned, Liu found himself in a precarious position. In 654, he resigned his chancellor post, but was not able to escape being exiled in 655 when Empress Wang was deposed and killed, in favor of Empress Wu. In 659, as part of a campaign of Empress Wu's attempt to take vengeance on anyone who opposed her ascension, Emperor Gaozong issued an edict to have Liu executed. Background It is not known when Liu Shi was born. His family was from Pu Prefecture (蒲州, roughly modern Yuncheng, Shanxi). His father Liu Ze (柳則) had served as an imperial guard commander during Sui Dynasty and died while serving as an emissary to Goguryeo. It was said that Liu Shi went to Goguryeo to retrieve his father's body, and his mournfulness impressed ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Courtesy Name
A courtesy name (), also known as a style name, is a name bestowed upon one at adulthood in addition to one's given name. This practice is a tradition in the East Asian cultural sphere, including China, Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.Ulrich TheobaldNames of Persons and Titles of Rulers/ref> A courtesy name is not to be confused with an art name, another frequently mentioned term for an alternative name in East Asia, which is closer to the concept of a pen name or a pseudonym. Usage A courtesy name is a name traditionally given to Chinese men at the age of 20 ''sui'', marking their coming of age. It was sometimes given to women, usually upon marriage. The practice is no longer common in modern Chinese society. According to the ''Book of Rites'', after a man reached adulthood, it was disrespectful for others of the same generation to address him by his given name. Thus, the given name was reserved for oneself and one's elders, whereas the courtesy name would be used by adults of t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have used malevolent magic against their own community, and often to have communed with evil beings. It was thought witchcraft could be thwarted by protective magic or counter-magic, which could be provided by cunning folk or folk healers. Suspected witches were also intimidated, banished, attacked or killed. Often they would be formally prosecuted and punished, if found guilty or simply believed to be guilty. European witch-hunts and witch trials in the early modern period led to tens of thousands of executions. In some regions, many of those accused of witchcraft were folk healers or midwives. European belief in witchcraft gradually dwindled during and after the Age of Enlightenment. Contemporary cultures that believe in magic and the superna ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Laibin
Laibin (, Zhuang: Laizbinh) is a prefecture-level city in the central part of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China. History Laibin is an ancient town with more than 2000 years of history. The area was settled in prehistoric times, more than 30,000 years ago. Geography and climate Laibin is located in central Guangxi. The Hongshui River or Red River and Rong River, both tributaries of the Xi River, meet in Laibin. Its administrative area is , of which more than 43% is forested. Administration Laibin administers 1 district, 1 county-level city 3 counties, and 1 autonomous county. District: * Xingbin District () County-level city: * Heshan City () Counties: * Xincheng County () * Xiangzhou County () * Wuxuan County () Autonomous county: * Jinxiu Yao Autonomous County () Demographics Laibin's population is 2,498,236(2010). 69.4% of the people belong to the Zhuang ethnic group. The rest include Han, Yao, and other ethnic groups. * ''These figures are based on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chu Suiliang
Chu Suiliang (596–658), courtesy name Dengshan, formally the Duke of Henan, was a Chinese calligrapher, historian, and politician who served as a chancellor during the reigns of the emperors Taizong and Gaozong in the Tang dynasty. He became increasingly trusted by Emperor Taizong toward the end of his reign and was charged with the responsibilities of serving as the imperial historian and providing honest advice. After Emperor Taizong's death, Chu was entrusted with the responsibilities of assisting Emperor Gaozong, along with Emperor Gaozong's maternal uncle, Zhangsun Wuji and early in the reign of the young emperor, he and Zhangsun Wuji gained great powers. In 655, over his strenuous opposition to Emperor Gaozong's removal of his first wife, Empress Wang, and replacing her with Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), Chu was demoted, and that began a series of demotions, which was successfully launched by Empress Wu. Eventually, he was appointed as the prefect of the Ai Prefe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lai Ji
Lai Ji () (610–662) was Chinese military general and politician during the Tang dynasty, serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He later offended Emperor Gaozong by opposing the ascension of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) and was exiled to be a prefect in the extreme western part of the state. In 662, he died in battle while defending his prefecture against a Western Tujue attack. His brother Lai Heng also served as a chancellor during Emperor Gaozong's reign. Early life Lai Ji's family was from Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu). His father Lai Hu'er () was a major general during Sui Dynasty and carried the title of Duke of Rong. In 618, while Emperor Yang of Sui was at Jiangdu with the Sui state engulfed in agrarian rebellions, the general Yuwen Huaji led a coup and overthrew Emperor Yang. Yuwen executed a large number of high level officials, and Lai Hu'er, along with most of his family, was killed. Onl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Han Yuan
Han Yuan () (606 – 659),Accord to Han Yuan's biographies in '' Old Book of Tang'' and '' New Book of Tang'', he was 54 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died in the 4th year of the Xianqing era of Tang Gaozong's reign (659). By calculation, his birth year should be 606. courtesy name Boyu (伯玉), formally Duke of Yingchuan (潁川公), was an official of the Tang dynasty of China, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong. He drew the ire of Emperor Gaozong by opposing the removal of Emperor Gaozong's first wife Empress Wang and replacement by his favorite concubine, Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) and was exiled. He died in 659, just in advance of a wave of reprisals initiated by the new Empress Wu and her allies that would have resulted in his execution had he not died. Background Han Yuan was born in 606, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. His family was from the region of Sui's (and later its successor Tang's) capital Chang'an. His grandfa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Li Yifu
Li Yifu (; 614–666) was a Chinese historian, poet, and politician who served as a chancellor of the Tang dynasty, during the reign of the Emperor Gaozong. He became particularly powerful because of his support for the Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian) when her ascension was opposed by then-chancellors, and he had a reputation for treachery. He was also fully involved in the elimination of Empress Wu's political rivals and played an important role in it. In 663, on account of corruption, he was removed from his post and exiled, and in 666, after Emperor Gaozong had declared a general pardon but excepted the long-term exiles from the pardon, Li Yifu died in anger. Background Li Yifu was born in 614, during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui, and his clan was originally from what would become Ying Prefecture (瀛州, part of modern Cangzhou, Hebei), but as his grandfather served as the secretary to the county magistrate of Shehong County (射洪, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Xu Jingzong
Xu Jingzong (592 – September 20, 672), courtesy name Yanzu, posthumously known as Duke Gong of Gaoyang, was a Chinese cartographer, historian, and politician who served as a chancellor in the Tang dynasty. Allied with Emperor Gaozong's powerful wife, Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), Xu Jingzong was exceedingly powerful and effective throughout most of Gaozong's reign. By order of Empress Wu, he played a major role in the elimination of the chancellors opposed to her, between years 657 to 659 and 665. Early life Xu Jingzong was born in 592, during the reign of Emperor Wen in the Sui dynasty. His ancestors had served as officials of the Southern Dynasties during the Southern and Northern Dynasties period for generations and claimed to be originally from Gaoyang Commandery (, roughly modern Baoding, Hebei) before moving south of the Yangtze River in light of the Jin dynasty's loss of the north. Xu Jingzong's father, Xu Shanxin (), was serving as an emissary of Chen Shubao ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Consort Xiao (Gaozong)
Consort Xiao, Pure Consort Xiao or Xiao shufei (蕭淑妃, personal name unknown) (died after 16 November-3 December 655), was a concubine of Emperor Gaozong of Tang (Li Zhi). She was initially favored by him and bore him a son and two daughters -- Li Sujie and the Princesses Yiyang and Gao'an—but later, after her romantic rival Empress Wang introduced another concubine, Consort Wu (later known as Wu Zetian), to Emperor Gaozong, Emperor Gaozong became enamored with Consort Wu. Empress Wang and Consort Xiao instead joined forces to try to counter Consort Wu, but in 655, Emperor Gaozong deposed both of them on accusations of witchcraft and replaced Empress Wang with Consort Wu. Soon, they were executed on the new Empress Wu's orders. Background Little is known about Consort Xiao's background. What is known is that she was already a concubine of Li Zhi when he was crown prince under his father Emperor Taizong, as her son Li Sujie was born in 645, before his ascension in 649. ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zigong
Zigong (, ), formed by the merger of the two former towns of Ziliujing (Tzuliuching, literally "self-flow well") and Gongjing (Kungching, literally "offering well"), is a prefecture-level city in Sichuan, southwestern China. Demographics According to the 2020 Chinese census, the prefecture-level city of Zigong has a population of 2,489,256 inhabitants, less than its population in 2010 (the average annual population growth for the period 2010–2020 was of -0.73%). However, the built-up (''or metro'') area, consisting of the 4 urban districts, grew, with 1,297,695 inhabitants (1,262,064 in 2010). History The area of Zigong has a long history in ancient China - with the invention and development of "Percussion Drilling rig" being one of the city's accomplishments. There are essentially two cities - that of the old and the new. The city was reached by rail in the 1950s. Several four-lane highways reach the city from other cities in the Sichuan province. The new city of Zigong has ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see #Name, § Name) is a landlocked Provinces of China, province of China. Officially part of Northwest China, it borders the province-level divisions of Shanxi (NE, E), Henan (E), Hubei (SE), Chongqing (S), Sichuan (SW), Gansu (W), Ningxia (NW) and Inner Mongolia (N). Shaanxi covers an area of over with about 37 million people, the 16th highest in China. Xi'an – which includes the sites of the former Capitals of China, Chinese capitals Fenghao and Chang'an – is the Xi'an, provincial capital as well as the largest city in Northwest China and also one of the oldest cities in China and the oldest of the Historical capitals of China, Four Great Ancient Capitals, being the capital for the Western Zhou, Western Han, Sima Jin, Jin, Sui dynasty, Sui and Tang dynasty, Tang List of Chinese dynasties, dynasties. Xianyang, which served as the Qin dynasty capital, is just north across Wei River. The other Prefectures of China, prefecture-level pr ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Baoji
() is a prefecture-level city in western Shaanxi province, People's Republic of China. Since the early 1990s, Baoji has been the second largest city in Shaanxi. Geography The prefecture-level city of Baoji had a population of 3,321,853 according to the 2020 Chinese census, inhabiting an area of . The built-up (or metro) area made of 3 urban districts had a population of 1,475,962 inhabitants as of the 2020 Chinese census, Fengxiang District not being conurbated yet. Surrounded on three sides by hills, Baoji is in a valley opening out to the east. Its location is strategic, controlling a pass on the Qin Mountains between the Wei River valley and the Jialing River. History Thriving early in the Tang dynasty, it has roots to 2000 BC. Today it is a large industrial center. Railways first reached Baoji in 1937 and have been key to its modern growth. Passing through Baoji is the ancient Northern Silk Road, the northernmost route of about in length, which connected the ancient Chi ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
