Early Tang historian, one of the Eighteen Scholars of the Prince of Qin, who completed the Book of Liang and Book of Chen.
Mural guide
In an archive hall, tall wooden shelves hold scrolls and bound books with small tags, and one person climbs a ladder with their back turned; a long table in front holds an unrolled river map, a bronze lamp and a copper jug, with a city wall seen through the window.
Yao Silian, courtesy name Jianzhi, whose family came from Wukang in Wuxing, served the Chen and Sui dynasties before joining the Tang, where he became one of the Eighteen Scholars of the Prince of Qin's academy and rose to Cavalier Attendant-in-ordinary. Completing the work begun by his father Yao Cha, he finished the Book of Liang (56 chapters) and Book of Chen (36 chapters) in 636. Expressions such as 'a moth flying into the flame' appear in these histories.
Yao Silian's father Yao Cha had worked on histories of the Liang and Chen dynasties under Chen but did not finish them, and on his deathbed told Yao Silian to carry out the aim. Yao Silian completed the Liangshu in fifty fascicles and the Chenshu in thirty.
Yao Silian was soon brought into the Literary Institute as one of its scholars, and his likeness was painted and placed in the Picture of the Eighteen Scholars. He was later made cavalier attendant-in-ordinary and granted the title of baron of Fengcheng county.
MUZIChinese Matrix
Northern and Southern
Sui
Tang
Literature · Prose99