Lai Junchen
Lai Junchen ( Chinese: 來俊臣) (died April 28, 697) 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. Background It is not known when Lai Junchen was born, but it is known that he was from Wannian County (), one of the two counties making up the Tang Dynasty capital Chang'an. His father was one Lai Cao () -- who was said to have won Lai Junchen's mother, then the wife of his friend Cai Ben (), after winning in gambling with Cai. Lai Junchen was said to be a thug who did not work, who was investigated for thievery while he was at He Prefecture (和州, roughly modern Chaohu, Anhui) and who then made false accusations against others to the prefect, Li Xu () the Prin ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Chinese Character
Chinese characters () are logograms developed for the writing of Chinese. In addition, they have been adapted to write other East Asian languages, and remain a key component of the Japanese writing system where they are known as '' kanji''. Chinese characters in South Korea, which are known as '' hanja'', retain significant use in Korean academia to study its documents, history, literature and records. Vietnam once used the ''chữ Hán'' and developed chữ Nôm to write Vietnamese before turning to a romanized alphabet. Chinese characters are the oldest continuously used system of writing in the world. By virtue of their widespread current use throughout East Asia and Southeast Asia, as well as their profound historic use throughout the Sinosphere, Chinese characters are among the most widely adopted writing systems in the world by number of users. The total number of Chinese characters ever to appear in a dictionary is in the tens of thousands, though most are g ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Cen Changqian
Cen Changqian (; died November 7, 691), briefly known as Wu Changqian (武長倩) during the reign of Wu Zetian, formally the Duke of Deng (鄧公), was a Chinese military general and politician of the Tang and Wu Zhou dynasties of China, serving as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Gaozong as well as Wu Zetian's reign and her earlier regency over her sons Emperor Zhongzong and Emperor Ruizong. In 691, he offended Wu Zetian by opposing the movement to declare her nephew Wu Chengsi crown prince (thus displacing the former Emperor Ruizong, whom she demoted to crown prince status in 690 after taking the throne herself), and he, along with his fellow chancellors Ge Fuyuan and Ouyang Tong, were accused of treason and executed. Background It is not known when Cen Changqian was born. His father was Cen Wenshu (), an older brother of Cen Wenben, who served as chancellor during the reign of Emperor Taizong of Tang. Cen Wenshu died early, so Cen Wenben raised Cen Changqian as ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Shaanxi
Shaanxi (alternatively Shensi, see § Name) is a landlocked 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 Chinese capitals Fenghao and Chang'an – is the 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 Four Great Ancient Capitals, being the capital for the Western Zhou, Western Han, Jin, Sui and Tang dynasties. Xianyang, which served as the Qin dynasty capital, is just north across Wei River. The other prefecture-level cities into which the province is divided are Ankang, Baoji, Hanzhong, Shangluo, Tongchuan, Weinan, Yan'an and Yulin. The province is geographically div ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Weinan
Weinan () is a prefecture-level city in the east central Shaanxi province, China. The city lies on the lower section of the Wei River confluence into the Yellow River, about east of the provincial capital Xi'an, and borders the provinces of Shanxi and Henan to the east. The name "Weinan", literally meaning "south of the Wei River", describes the location of the city's urban districts being mostly south of the Wei River, although majority of its metropolitan area actually lies on the north side of the river. History As a significant area between the ancient Chinese capital Xi'an and Luoyang, Weinan has a long history. Ancient The ancient Dali Man lived in the modern area of Weinan. The Xiagui county was settled in the year of 668 BC by the state of Qin. Weinan got its name in the year of 360 by the Former Qin state. In the Tang Dynasty, 10 emperors were buried in Weinan after their death. On the morning of 23 January 1556, the deadliest earthquake on record with its ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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An Jinzang
An Jincang () (? - 711) was a Tang Dynasty court official responsible for saving the life of Li Dan, the future emperor. A native of Luoyang, he was employed in the Court of Sacrificial Worship under the Empress Wu Zetian. When charges of treason were brought against the heir apparent Li Dan (future Emperor Ruizong of Tang), he loudly protested that the latter was innocent; and in token of good faith seized a knife and ripped up his own belly so that his bowels hung down to the ground. It was with difficulty that his life was saved; the Empress, however, was convinced of his loyalty, and Li Dan was left in peace. His name was subsequently carved upon Mount Tai and Mount Hua, and he was canonized as Zhong 忠. An Jincang is depicted in the Wu Shuang Pu (無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang. The illustrations for this 17thC book were widespread and reused, including in porcelain. References External links *An Jincangon the site of Baidu Baike Baidu Baike ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Yeon Gaesomun
Yeon GaesomunSome Chinese and Korean sources stated that his surname was Yeongae () and personal name was Somun (), but the majority of sources suggest a one-syllable surname and a three-syllable personal name. (594–666) was a powerful military dictator in the waning days of the Goguryeo kingdom, which was one of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. He is remembered for his successful resistance against Tang China under Emperor Taizong and his son Emperor Gaozong. Traditional Korean histories from Joseon painted Yeon Gaesomun as a despotic leader, whose cruel policies and disobedience to his monarch led to the fall of Goguryeo. However, his achievements in defending Goguryeo against Chinese onslaughts have inspired early Korean nationalist historians, most notably the 19th-century Korean historian and intellectual Sin Chaeho, to term Yeon Gaesomun the greatest hero in Korean history. In popular culture Yeon Gaesomun is often remembered as a exceptional soldier-statesman with ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Goguryeo
Goguryeo (37 BC–668 AD) ( ) also called Goryeo (), was a Korean kingdom located in the northern and central parts of the Korean Peninsula and the southern and central parts of Northeast China. At its peak of power, Goguryeo controlled most of the Korean peninsula, large parts of Manchuria and parts of eastern Mongolia and Inner Mongolia. Along with Baekje and Silla, Goguryeo was one of the Three Kingdoms of Korea. It was an active participant in the power struggle for control of the Korean peninsula and was also associated with the foreign affairs of neighboring polities in China and Japan. The ''Samguk sagi'', a 12th-century text from Goryeo, indicates that Goguryeo was founded in 37 BC by Jumong (), a prince from Buyeo, who was enthroned as Dongmyeong. Goguryeo was one of the great powers in East Asia, until its defeat by a Silla–Tang alliance in 668 after prolonged exhaustion and internal strife caused by the death of Yeon Gaesomun (). After its fall, i ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Le Sihui
Le Sihui (樂思晦) (died 691) was an official during Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, briefly serving as chancellor. It is not known when Le Sihui was born. His father Le Yanwei served as chancellor during the reign of Wu Zetian's husband Emperor Gaozong of Tang. In 691, after Wu Zetian had herself assumed the title of "emperor" in 690, Le Sihui was ''Luantai Shilang'' (鸞臺侍郎), the deputy head of the examination bureau of government (鸞臺, ''Luantai''), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation of ''Tong Fengge Luantai Pingzhangshi'' (同鳳閣鸞臺平章事), making him a chancellor ''de facto''. About four months later, however, for reasons lost to history, he was executed. (His son, who was not yet 10 years old and whose name is lost to history, was made a servant at the ministry of agriculture, and in 692 was instrumental in submitting a petition to persuade Wu Zetian to release the officials Ren Zhigu, Di Renjie, Pei Xingben, Cui Xuanli (崔宣禮), Lu Xian (盧獻), Wei ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Wei Yuanzhong
Wei Yuanzhong (魏元忠) (died 707), né Wei Zhenzai (魏真宰), formally Duke Zhen of Qi (齊貞公), was an official of the Chinese Tang Dynasty and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving as chancellor during the reigns of Wu Zetian and her son Emperor Zhongzong. Background It is not known which year Wei Yuanzhong was born,However, Wei Yuanzhong was said to be "in his 70s" when he died in 707 – and based on the traditional Chinese age nomenclature, could thus be anywhere from 69 to 78 at the time of his death. but it is known that his family was from Songzhou. He was originally named Wei Zhenzai, but later changed his name to observe naming taboo for Lady Yang, the mother of Emperor Gaozong's second wife Empress Wu (later known as Wu Zetian).Lady Yang's name is not recorded in history, and therefore it is unclear which character of the name "Zhenzai" conflicted with her name. He was a student at the imperial university in his youth, and was said to be unrestrained in his behavi ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Pei Xingben
Pei Xingben (裴行本) was a Chinese politician of Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty, serving briefly as chancellor. Despite Pei's high status, little is firmly established about his background or 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''. It is known that his grandfather Pei Xian (裴獻) served as a provincial governor during Tang Dynasty's predecessor dynasty Sui Dynasty and carried the title of Duke of Linfen, but nothing is known about his father Pei Yishan (裴義山) except the name. As of 691, Pei Xingben was serving as the deputy minister of public works (冬官侍郎, ''Donguan Shilang''), when Wu Zetian gave him the designation ''Tong Fengge Luantai ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Di Renjie
Di Renjie (630 – November 11, 700), courtesy name Huaiying (懷英), formally Duke Wenhui of Liang (梁文惠公), was a Chinese politician of 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 (無雙譜, Table of Peerless Heroes) by Jin Guliang. Background Di Renjie was born in Yangqu County, Bing Province in 630, during the reign of Emperor Taizong. His family, from Taiyuan, was one that had produced many officials. His grandfather Di Xiaoxu (狄孝緒) served as ''Shangshu Zuo Cheng'' (尚書左丞), a secretary general of the executive bureau of government (尚書省, ''Shangshu Sheng''), and his father Di Zhixun (狄知遜) served as the prefect of Kui Prefecture (夔州, modern eastern Chongqing). Di Renjie was known for being studious in his youth, and after passing the imperial examination served as a secretary at the ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Ren Zhigu
Ren or REN may refer to: Abbreviations * Orenburg Tsentralny Airport, IATA code REN, civil airport in Russia * Redes Energéticas Nacionais (REN), Portuguese company * Renanthera, abbreviated as Ren, orchid genus * Ringer equivalence number (REN), a number which denotes the loading effect of a telephone ringer on a telephone line Geography * Ren County, in Hebei, China * Ren, Iran, a village in Kerman Province, Iran * Ren (building), a high-rise residential building in Seattle, Washington, United States Science, technology and medicine * REN (gene) * Ren, in anatomy, a kidney * Ren (command), a shell command in computing People * A diminutive of the given name Renée * Ren (surname) (任), Chinese surname * MC Ren, rapper from the group NWA * Ren (singer), member of South Korean boy band NU'EST * Renforshort, Canadian singer formerly known as Ren * , Japanese traditional calligrapher * , Japanese businessman * , Japanese actor * , Japanese politician * , Japanese foo ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |