Han Yue was a Tang military officer active under Emperor Wenzong. He served as governor-general of Annam, later became a senior official in the Court of the Imperial Treasury, and was appointed General of the Left Golden Guards in 835. He joined Chancellor Li Xun’s plan known as the Sweet Dew Incident, which aimed to remove the powerful eunuchs. The plan failed, and Han was captured and executed.
？–835 CETang Dynasty
PROFILE
Han Yue was a Tang military officer active under Emperor Wenzong. He served as governor-general of Annam, later became a senior official in the Court of the Imperial Treasury, and was appointed General of the Left Golden Guards in 835. He joined Chancellor Li Xun’s plan known as the Sweet Dew Incident, which aimed to remove the powerful eunuchs. The plan failed, and Han was captured and executed.
Courtesy name
Zhongge
Dynasty
Tang
Role
Military officer
Birth
Not recorded
Birthplace
Wuling, Lang Prefecture
Death
835
Highest recorded office
General of the Left Golden Guards
LIFE TIMELINE
Served as governor-general ｜ Served as governor-general of Annam.Open
Served as governor-general ｜ Served as governor-general of Annam.
Led a campaign against the ｜ Led a campaign against the rebel prefect Open
Led a campaign against the ｜ Led a campaign against the rebel prefect of Fengzhou and was later expelled from Annam during a military mutiny.
Returned to the capital an ｜ Returned to the capital and served in theOpen
Returned to the capital an ｜ Returned to the capital and served in the Court of the Imperial Treasury.
Appointed General of the L ｜ Appointed General of the Left Golden GuarOpen
Appointed General of the L ｜ Appointed General of the Left Golden Guards.
Took part in the Sweet Dew ｜ Took part in the Sweet Dew Incident and wOpen
Took part in the Sweet Dew ｜ Took part in the Sweet Dew Incident and was captured and executed after its failure.
BIOGRAPHY
Biography
Early career and Annam
Han came from Wuling in Lang Prefecture. He was described as determined, well read, and capable in administration. His early career included service in the salt administration and as prefect of Qianzhou. In 828 he was appointed governor-general of Annam. After the prefect of Fengzhou, Wang Shengchao, rebelled, Han led troops against him and defeated the uprising. Later that year a military mutiny forced Han from Annam. He returned to the Tang court and held further fiscal and administrative posts.
Appointment to the Left Golden Guards
In 835 Han was appointed General of the Left Golden Guards. Chancellor Li Xun and several allies included him in a plan to eliminate the eunuchs who commanded the palace guards and exercised great influence over Emperor Wenzong. The plan depended on a report that sweet dew, an auspicious sign, had appeared on a pomegranate tree in the compound of the Left Golden Guards.
The Sweet Dew Incident
On the day of the ceremony, Han reported the supposed omen to the emperor. Officials were sent to inspect it while armed men waited behind screens in the compound. When the eunuch commander Qiu Shiliang entered, he noticed Han’s fear and discovered the concealed troops. The eunuchs escaped and alerted the emperor, and the planned attack collapsed. Han fled but was captured by imperial guard forces and executed.
Major Activities
Military and provincial service
Han led the campaign against Wang Shengchao in 828 and served as governor-general of Annam. His removal from that post followed a military mutiny.
Role in the Sweet Dew Incident
As General of the Left Golden Guards, Han played the public-facing role in reporting the alleged auspicious sign intended to draw the eunuch commanders into an ambush.
Personal Relations
Han acted with Li Xun, Chancellor Shu Yuanyu, and other officials in the Sweet Dew Incident. He served under Emperor Wenzong and was captured by forces commanded by Qiu Shiliang.
Historical Assessment
Han Yue is remembered chiefly for his role in the failed Sweet Dew Incident, a crisis that exposed the Tang court’s struggle among the emperor, civil officials, and eunuch commanders of the palace armies.