Du Fuwei

Du Fuwei (598?^[1] – 20 April 624^[2]), known during service to Tang dynasty as Li Fuwei (李伏威), was an agrarian leader who rose against the rule of Emperor Yang of Sui at the end of the Chinese dynasty Sui dynasty. At one point, he had ambitions to take over the region south of the Yangtze River for himself, but he later chose to submit to Tang, receiving the title of Prince of Wu. In 622, fearing that Emperor Gaozu of Tang might doubt his loyalty, he went to the Tang capital Chang'an to pay homage to Emperor Gaozu and stayed at Chang'an. In 624, his general Fu Gongshi rose against Tang rule, claiming to have his blessing, and he subsequently died at Chang'an unexpectedly; after Fu's defeat, Emperor Gaozu, believing him to be complicit with Fu's rebellion, posthumously stripped his honors and made his wife and children servants. After Emperor Gaozu's son Li Shimin became emperor in 626 (as Emperor Taizong), he knew that Du had not been complicit in Fu's plot, and therefore posthumously restored his honors and reburied him accordingly.

^ The 598 date assumes that Du was 15 in 613, which was implied, but not stated, in Du's biography found in Old Book of Tang, vol. 56, and the assumption was accepted by the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang. See the Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 43, p. 116. However, Du's epitaph indicate that he was 41 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died. If the epitaph is correct, then his birth year should be 584. The epitaph is reproduced here (in Chinese): (《大唐故上柱国杜公墓志铭》公讳尧，字伏威，齐郡漳丘县人也。櫌龙事夏，世德广而灵长；豕韦匡殷，门风济其光大，故得唐虞以降，声芳无绝，没而不朽，义在兹乎。祖兴、父义，并道极时宗，名摽称首。锱铢轩冕，高尚丘园。公性禀生知，才膺命世。沉機内发，英彩外杨。气震拔山，既表万人之敌；时方逐鹿，还逢千载之期。於时随运鼎移，道穷龙战。气飈振壑，大浸稽天。斯则皇阶初授之辰，神衿肇顾之日。虽逷矣西土，已被来苏之欢。而蠢彼南荆，仍勤后予之望。公属云雷之际，伤涂炭之极。奋沖天之翼，威横海之势。腾迹江淮，电掩杨越。高旗东指，则江左肃清；析简南驰，则岭外夷谧。於是揔兵车之会，为江黄之长。长波据天限之津，方城凭地险之要。枕威静难，保境息民。数年之间，实清南服。公寤机变於冥兆，识灵心於人事。虽身在江湖之外，而心驰魏阙之下。属河洛榛梗，风牛阻绝。彭越之功虽立，窦融之志未申。暨武德之初，皇风南偃，公忠款之到，义感神明。输竭既从，效彰夷险。太上皇嘉兹诚款，光被宠灵。三年，使大理少卿崔君操持节授公使持节、揔管江淮以南诸州诸军事、杨州刺史、东南道行台尚书令、江淮以南安抚大使、上柱国，封吴王，食邑五千户，赐姓李氏。功参十乱，爰膺四履之封；美济八元，仍居百揆之任。地均磐石，望极宗臣。方江汉而高纪，擬荆衡而作镇。五年七月，入朝拜太子少傅。六年，故吏辅公祏留在丹杨，图为舋逆。公内怀忧惧，降年不永，以三月廿七日薨於常乐里弟，春秋年卌一。贞观五年二月廿一日，优诏葬以国公礼，使别将戴士文监护丧事。其年岁次辛卯四月庚寅廿日己酉，葬於雍州万年县义善乡少陵原。盖大仪亭毒，寒暑运其功；上圣经纶，英杰参其务。故时之至也，契若风云；道之同也，迹犹鱼水。公韫兹韬略，逢造昧之期；奋此奇锋，济干戈之业。并駈吴邓，亚迹韩彭。蹈天爵之高，处人臣之极，自非运膺冥感，道苻神纵，其孰能与於此乎？既而孽起贯高，舋彰卢绾。英姿与茂绩先委，悖迹与刑书独存。赖天地玄造，日月贞明。降殊恩於幽壤，奉希会之哀荣。背城阙於昭世，赴窀穸於神庭。毕二仪於巨室，悬两耀於泉坰。其辞曰：赫矣灵命，昭我圣人。运膺龟鼎，庆集郊禋。爰乘旦暮，肇济经纶。逮行天讨，方资帝臣。矫矫英武，才生为世。爰以天资，来参神契。奋臂怀愤，横戈拯弊。秘略口回，殊功響济。荣勋彝器，俦庸赏典。祚土龙川，升阶玉铉。瑶华既缉，道风逾阐。谋之不臧，令终俄鲜。淄渑未辩，人灵先隔。像阙丹青，芳渝简册。皇鉴斯揆，念功惟昔。威驰严霜，悲流凯泽。增荣昭被，缛礼葳蕤。灵龟改卜，佳城启期。繁笳既怆，野挽晨悲。寂寮终古，遗芳在兹。)
^ Du's epitaph indicate that he died aged 41 (by East Asian reckoning) on the 27th day of the 3rd month of the 6th year of the Wu'de era ([武德]六年，...，以三月廿七日薨於常乐里弟，春秋年卌一。).

[1] The 598 date assumes that Du was 15 in 613, which was implied, but not stated, in Du's biography found in Old Book of Tang, vol. 56, and the assumption was accepted by the modern Chinese historian Bo Yang. See the Bo Yang Edition of the Zizhi Tongjian, vol. 43, p. 116. However, Du's epitaph indicate that he was 41 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died. If the epitaph is correct, then his birth year should be 584. The epitaph is reproduced here (in Chinese): (《大唐故上柱国杜公墓志铭》公讳尧，字伏威，齐郡漳丘县人也。櫌龙事夏，世德广而灵长；豕韦匡殷，门风济其光大，故得唐虞以降，声芳无绝，没而不朽，义在兹乎。祖兴、父义，并道极时宗，名摽称首。锱铢轩冕，高尚丘园。公性禀生知，才膺命世。沉機内发，英彩外杨。气震拔山，既表万人之敌；时方逐鹿，还逢千载之期。於时随运鼎移，道穷龙战。气飈振壑，大浸稽天。斯则皇阶初授之辰，神衿肇顾之日。虽逷矣西土，已被来苏之欢。而蠢彼南荆，仍勤后予之望。公属云雷之际，伤涂炭之极。奋沖天之翼，威横海之势。腾迹江淮，电掩杨越。高旗东指，则江左肃清；析简南驰，则岭外夷谧。於是揔兵车之会，为江黄之长。长波据天限之津，方城凭地险之要。枕威静难，保境息民。数年之间，实清南服。公寤机变於冥兆，识灵心於人事。虽身在江湖之外，而心驰魏阙之下。属河洛榛梗，风牛阻绝。彭越之功虽立，窦融之志未申。暨武德之初，皇风南偃，公忠款之到，义感神明。输竭既从，效彰夷险。太上皇嘉兹诚款，光被宠灵。三年，使大理少卿崔君操持节授公使持节、揔管江淮以南诸州诸军事、杨州刺史、东南道行台尚书令、江淮以南安抚大使、上柱国，封吴王，食邑五千户，赐姓李氏。功参十乱，爰膺四履之封；美济八元，仍居百揆之任。地均磐石，望极宗臣。方江汉而高纪，擬荆衡而作镇。五年七月，入朝拜太子少傅。六年，故吏辅公祏留在丹杨，图为舋逆。公内怀忧惧，降年不永，以三月廿七日薨於常乐里弟，春秋年卌一。贞观五年二月廿一日，优诏葬以国公礼，使别将戴士文监护丧事。其年岁次辛卯四月庚寅廿日己酉，葬於雍州万年县义善乡少陵原。盖大仪亭毒，寒暑运其功；上圣经纶，英杰参其务。故时之至也，契若风云；道之同也，迹犹鱼水。公韫兹韬略，逢造昧之期；奋此奇锋，济干戈之业。并駈吴邓，亚迹韩彭。蹈天爵之高，处人臣之极，自非运膺冥感，道苻神纵，其孰能与於此乎？既而孽起贯高，舋彰卢绾。英姿与茂绩先委，悖迹与刑书独存。赖天地玄造，日月贞明。降殊恩於幽壤，奉希会之哀荣。背城阙於昭世，赴窀穸於神庭。毕二仪於巨室，悬两耀於泉坰。其辞曰：赫矣灵命，昭我圣人。运膺龟鼎，庆集郊禋。爰乘旦暮，肇济经纶。逮行天讨，方资帝臣。矫矫英武，才生为世。爰以天资，来参神契。奋臂怀愤，横戈拯弊。秘略口回，殊功響济。荣勋彝器，俦庸赏典。祚土龙川，升阶玉铉。瑶华既缉，道风逾阐。谋之不臧，令终俄鲜。淄渑未辩，人灵先隔。像阙丹青，芳渝简册。皇鉴斯揆，念功惟昔。威驰严霜，悲流凯泽。增荣昭被，缛礼葳蕤。灵龟改卜，佳城启期。繁笳既怆，野挽晨悲。寂寮终古，遗芳在兹。)

[2] Du's epitaph indicate that he died aged 41 (by East Asian reckoning) on the 27th day of the 3rd month of the 6th year of the Wu'de era ([武德]六年，...，以三月廿七日薨於常乐里弟，春秋年卌一。).

[1]

[2]