Deified image of Qin Shubao
Deified image of Qin ShubaoA later devotional image, not a historical portraitWikimedia Commons contributorsSource·Public domain

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Qin Shubao秦叔宝

SuiHistory × Fiction

A great general of the Tang Dynasty, who guarded the palace gate with Yuchi Gong and later became a door god.

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DIRECT FIGURES
27
RELATION RECORDS
59
SOURCE WORKS
6

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Qin Shubao, 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
KINSHIP

Kinship

Blood, marriage and sworn bonds

6 figures · 8 records
3 more in the complete record
03
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

11 figures · 14 records
8 more in the complete record
04
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

9 figures · 12 records
6 more in the complete record
05
THE UNSEEN

Mythic acts

Transformation, aid and divine punishment

4 figures · 5 records
2 more in the complete record
Complete relationships and verbatim sources ↓Open in the civilization atlas ↗

12 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

FeatureFact and Fiction in the Sui-Tang Transition: The Lingyan Pavilion Officials vs. Outlaw Brotherhoods"Romance of Sui and Tang" writes this period of history as a jianghu of sworn brotherhood, martial contests, and roaming, while the "Old Book of Tang" records a different matter. The meritorious officials in the Lingyan Pavilion become greenwood brothers in the romance, and several of the most deeply rooted fierce generals are nowhere to be found in the official history; whereas a coup like the Xuanwu Gate Incident is actually written more plainly in the official history than in the romance. This piece compares the two sides, noting which volume each part comes from.

In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms · Old Book of Tang

A Tang general who participated in the Xuanwu Gate Incident and the Battle of Meiliangchuan, serving under Emperor Taizong.

In fiction · Extensive Records of the Taiping Era · New Book of Tang · Journey to the West · Romance of Sui and Tang

A great general of the Tang Dynasty, who guarded the palace gate with Yuchi Gong and later became a door god.

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

    10 profile notes
    5 relations10 verified quotations
    • Li Shimin→ subordinate →Qin Shubao
    • Qin Shubao→ surrender →Li Shimin
    • Qin Shubao→ submit →Li Mi
    • Qin Shubao→ submit →Wang Shichong
    Verified original text · 10
    1. 遣殷开山、秦叔宝邀之于美良川

      subordinate · Old Book of Tang, 太宗本纪上

    2. 太宗素闻其勇，厚加礼遇

      promote · Old Book of Tang, 尉迟敬德秦叔宝程知节段志玄张公谨传

    8 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  2. 1 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  3. Literature / legend

    Romance of Sui and Tang

    72 profile notes
    35 relations63 verified quotations
    • Li Shimin→ subordinate →Qin Shubao
    • Qin Shubao→ aid →Li Shimin
    • Qin Shubao→ save →Li Yuan
    • Qin Shubao→ meet →Li Jing
    Verified original text · 63
    1. 命辍小殿之材以构之

      granted hall · Romance of Sui and Tang, 069

    2. 秦叔宝忽见五爪金龙现出来，抓住巨斧

      aid · Romance of Sui and Tang, 051

    61 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  4. 3 profile notes
    1 relations1 verified quotations
    • Li Shimin→ subordinate →Qin Shubao
    Verified original text · 1
    1. 辄命秦叔宝取之

      命取 · Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 骁勇一

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  5. Official history

    New Book of Tang

    4 profile notes
    5 relations5 verified quotations
    • Qin Shubao→ surrender →Li Shimin
    • Qin Shubao→ submit →Li Mi
    • Qin Shubao→ submit →Wang Shichong
    • Li Yuanji→ lead and act →Qin Shubao
    Verified original text · 5
    1. 高祖俾事秦王府，王尤奖礼

      ruler-subject · New Book of Tang, 屈突尉迟张秦唐段传

    2. 密得叔宝大喜，以为帐内骠骑

      subordinate general · New Book of Tang, 屈突尉迟张秦唐段传

    3 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  6. Literature / legend

    Journey to the West

    2 profile notes
    1 relations0 verified quotations
    • Li Shimin→ subordinate →Qin Shubao

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History vs. fiction

A famous Tang Dynasty general with outstanding achievements in official history has added a lot of wandering and sworn brotherhood plots in the romance.

  • novel inventionTogether with Yuchi Gong, they are revered as door gods and divine generals

    The legend of honoring Qin Qiong and Yuchi Gong as guardian door gods leaves no trace in the Old Book of Tang. The Old Book of Tang only records their military exploits: "又从征於美良川，破尉迟敬德，功最居多。" (Old Book of Tang, Biographies of Yuchi Jingde, Qin Shubao, and Cheng Zhijie). This image was mainly solidified in the Ming dynasty novel Journey to the West, which describes the two guarding the palace gates in full armor because Emperor Taizong was haunted by ghosts, eventually evolving into the widely known folk belief in door gods.

Relationship network

28 figures · 247 links
Qin ShubaoQin ShubaoLi ShiminLi ShiminLi YuanLi YuanLi JingLi JingLi MiLi MiXu ShijiXu ShijiWang ShichongWang ShichongWei ZhengWei ZhengLi YuanjiLi YuanjiShan XiongxinShan XiongxinYuchi JingdeYuchi JingdeCheng ZhijieEmperor TangYuwen HuajiLuo ShixinYang SuWang BodangLiu WenjingZhang GongjinLuo YiChai ShaoLuo ChengYuwen ShuJia RunfuZhang ShiLi XuansuiWei ZhengZhang Xutuo
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Records of the Three Kingdoms, 魏书·王卫二刘傅传; Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 异僧一; New Book of Tang, 二刘殷许程柴任丘传; Old Book of Tang, 唐俭长孙顺德刘弘基殷峤刘政会柴绍武士彟传; Journey to the West, ch. 10; Romance of Sui and Tang, 004; Extensive Records of the Taiping Era, 畜兽二; New Book of Tang, 刘斐传

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.