Fu Yanqing符彦卿

History vs. fiction

Taizong was already deceased at the time of his accession, consistent with historical facts

• attestedTaizong had already passed away at the time of his accession

  In Chapter 5 of The Generals of the Yang Family, it is written that when Taizong ascended the throne, Fu Yanqing was already deceased: "At the beginning of Taizong's reign, he paid attention to generals. Fu Yanqing, Ma Quanyi, and others had already passed away." The official history records that Fu Yanqing died in the eighth year of Kaibao of Taizu, while Taizong ascended the throne in the ninth year of Kaibao, which is highly consistent. In the History of Song, Biographies of Han Lingkun, Murong Yanzhao, Dezhao, Defeng, Deshen, Fu Yanqing, Zhaoyuan, and Zhaoshou, it is recorded: "In the sixth month of the eighth year, he died at the age of seventy-eight." Combined with the History of Song, Annals of Taizong: "In the tenth month of the ninth year of Kaibao, on the day Guichou, Taizu died, and the emperor then ascended the throne." The novel's background setting that Fu Yanqing had died before Taizong's accession is completely consistent with history.