刘

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Liu Yan刘晏

TangHistory × Fiction

Minister of Personnel, appointed Linghu Heng to judge the Southern Section.

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DIRECT FIGURES
26
RELATION RECORDS
39
SOURCE WORKS
3

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Liu Yan, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
MENTORSHIP

Mentorship

Teachers, disciples and transmission

1 figure · 1 record
02
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

10 figures · 13 records
6 more in the complete record
03
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

12 figures · 16 records
8 more in the complete record
04
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

7 figures · 9 records
4 more in the complete record
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12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

In history · Old Book of Tang

Minister of Personnel, appointed Linghu Heng to judge the Southern Section; Prefect of Tongzhou, later Vice Minister of Revenue; Minister of Revenue, concurrently Commissioner of Transport and other duties.

In fiction · New Book of Tang · Romance of Sui and Tang

A child prodigy, at age nine became a corrector in the Palace Library, intelligent and knowledgeable.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. Official history

    Old Book of Tang

    24 profile notes
    16 relations22 verified quotations
    • Emperor Dezong of Tang→ demote →Liu Yan
    • Emperor Daizong→ appoint →Liu Yan
    • Yuan Zai→ friendly →Liu Yan
    • Liu Yan→ interrogate →Yuan Zai
    Verified original text · 22
    1. 贬尚书左仆射刘晏为忠州刺史

      demote · Old Book of Tang, 德宗本纪上

    2. 忠州刺史刘晏赐自尽

      order suicide · Old Book of Tang, 德宗本纪上

    20 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  2. Literature / legend

    Romance of Sui and Tang

    1 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • Emperor Xuanzong of Tang→ ruler-subject →Liu Yan
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 玄宗大喜，即命以牙笏锦袍赐之

      ruler-subject · Romance of Sui and Tang, 086

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  3. Official history

    New Book of Tang

    26 profile notes
    29 relations33 verified quotations
    • Liu Yan→ order suicide →Emperor Dezong of Tang
    • Emperor Dezong of Tang→ kill →Liu Yan
    • Liu Yan→ test talent →Zhang Yue
    • Liu Yan→ ruler-subject →Emperor Daizong
    Verified original text · 33
    1. 诏中人赐晏死

      order suicide · New Book of Tang, 刘第五班王李传

    2. 杀忠州刺史刘晏。

      kill · New Book of Tang, 德宗顺宗宪宗本纪

    31 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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History vs. fiction

In the official history, Liu Yan was recommended as a child prodigy at the age of seven and was appointed to an official post, while the novel dramatizes his talent at the age of nine in composing a poem about a long pole.

  • attestedLiu Yan was recommended as a child prodigy in his early years and was appointed as a corrector of texts in the Palace Library.

    The Old Book of Tang, Biography of Liu Yan, Diwu Qi, Ban Hong, Ban Shao, and Li Xun, records: 'Liu Yan, courtesy name Shian, was a native of Nanhua, Caozhou. At the age of seven, he was recommended as a child prodigy and was appointed as a corrector of texts in the Palace Library.' In Chapter 086 of the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it is dramatized that 'at that time there was a child prodigy Liu Yan, only nine years old, exceptionally intelligent,' who was summoned to the Diligent Government Hall to compose a poem on the spot about Lady Wang's long pole dance. The official history indeed confirms that he was appointed to an official post as a child prodigy in his early years.

Relationship network

27 figures · 123 links
Liu YanLiu YanEmperor Xuanzong of TangEmperor Xuanzong of TangEmperor Dezong of TangEmperor Dezong of TangZhang YueZhang YueEmperor DaizongEmperor DaizongYuan ZaiYuan ZaiYan ZhenqingYan ZhenqingZhu CiZhu CiYang YanYang YanTian YueTian YueShi ChaoyiShi ChaoyiCui NingChang GunZhang JianfengChen ShaoyouWang JinLi ZhengjiDiwu QiCui YoufuYan WuLi XunLinghu ZhangLi HanLi GanXiao HuaCheng YuanzhenDeng Jingshan
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: New Book of Tang, 三郑高权崔传; Old Book of Tang, 于休烈令狐峘归崇敬奚陟张荐蒋乂柳登沈传师传; Romance of Sui and Tang, 086; New Book of Tang, 二李崔萧二郑视卢韦周二裴刘赵王传; Old Book of Tang, 代宗本纪; New Book of Tang, 于王二杜范传; Old Book of Tang, 元载王昂李少良王缙杨炎黎干庾准传; New Book of Tang, 令狐张康李刘田王牛史传

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.