Song Dian 宋典 was one of the eunuchs favoured by Emperor Ling 靈 and served him as a Regular Palace Attendant. He was placed in charge of repairing the very expensive Jade Hall in the Southern Palace. He was part of Zhang Rang's group.
Biography[]
Song Dian is first mentioned in the sixth month of 185 when he and his fellow eunuchs Zhao Zhong 趙忠, Zhang Rang, Xia Yun 夏暉, Guo Sheng 郭勝 and Duan Gui 段珪 had all been enfeoffed as marquises and treated with great favour.[1]
In the year 186, the Emperor ordered Song Dian, the Prefect of the Palace Gardens (gōushùn lìng 鉤盾令), to repair the Jade Hall (yùtáng 玉堂) in the Southern Palace (nángōng 南宮).
Song Dian is mentioned again, when he and some other eunuchs received a letter from Jian Shi in 189. Jian Shi felt uneasy about He Jin's plot to kill the eunuchs and asked Zhao Zhong, Song Dian and the others to kill the General-in-Chief. The eunuchs turned down Jian Shi's request. Fellow eunuch Guo Sheng, old friend of He Jin, then informed the General-in-Chief about Jian Shi's plans, who was then arrested and executed.
After this, Song Dian is not mentioned anymore in historical sources. It could be that he was executed with Jian Shi in May 189, or died during the eunuch massacre several months later.[2]
Notes[]
References[]
Sources[]
- de Crespigny, Rafe. A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms. Leiden: BRILL, 2007.
- Fan Ye 范曄 (398–445). Hou Han shu 後漢書 "History of the Later Han".