During Sui Dynasty

It is not known when Qin Shubao was born, but it was known that he was from Qi Province (齊州, roughly modern Jinan, Shandong). He became a soldier under the service of the major general Lai Hu'er (來護兒) during the reign of Emperor Yang of Sui. When Qin's mother died, Lai, extraordinarily, sent a messenger to mourn her death, and when Lai's secretary found this odd, Lai responded, "This man is brave and fierce, and he is also full of ambition and integrity. One day he will gain his own honors, and I cannot treat him as if he were base."

Late in Emperor Yang's reign, Qin served under the general Zhang Xutuo. In 614, when Zhang was facing the agrarian rebel general Lu Mingyue (盧明月) with no more than 20,000 men, while Lu had more than 100,000 men, Zhang planned to set a trap where he would retreat, wait for Lu to chase after him, and then send part of his army to launch a surprise attack on Lu's base. The mission was considered dangerous, but Qin and another officer, Luo Shixin, volunteered, and so Zhang gave them 1,000 men each and had them hide. Zhang then withdrew, and when Lu gave chase, Qin and Luo fought their way into Lu's camp, causing Lu's forces to panic and allowing Zhang to defeat and capture most of Lu's men. Qin also later defeated another rebel general, Sun Xuanya, and was promoted in rank.

In 616, with the major rebel leaders Zhai Rang and Li Mi threatening the eastern capital Luoyang, Emperor Yang sent Zhang to attack them, and Qin followed Zhang. Zhang, however, was killed in battle, and Qin thereafter served under the command of the general Pei Renji (裴仁基). In 617, Pei, angry that he was not awarded for his victories and fearful that other Sui officials were defaming him, surrendered to Li Mi, and Qin came under Li Mi's command. Li Mi put him and Cheng Zhijie (程知節) in charge of his guard corps of 8,000 men, and stated, "These 8,000 men are capable of standing up against a million men."

Service under Li Mi and Wang Shichong

In 618, Emperor Yang was killed in a coup at Jiangdu (江都, in modern Yangzhou, Jiangsu), led by the general Yuwen Huaji. Yuwen subsequently abandoned Jiangdu and advanced back north with the elite Xiaoguo Army (驍果), approaching Luoyang. Both Li Mi and the Sui officials at Luoyang (who declared Emperor Yang's grandson Yang Tong emperor) were apprehensive of Yuwen, and they forged an alliance. When Li Mi subsequently engaged Yuwen, during a battle, Li Mi was hit by an arrow and fell off his horse. The other guards were not around, and only Qin Shubao defended and saved him, and Qin then further fought Yuwen's troops, forcing them to withdraw back to camp. After a number of battles, Yuwen could not defeat Li Mi, and therefore left the area and crossed the Yellow River north.

Subsequently, however, the Sui general Wang Shichong overthrew the officials in favor of the peace with Li Mi, taking over as Yang Tong's regent, and later that year, he defeated Li Mi in a surprise attack. Li Mi fled to Tang Dynasty territory and surrendered to Tang. Most of Li Mi's subordinates, including Qin and Cheng Zhijie, surrendered to Wang. Wang was impressed by both and treated both well, but they believed Wang to be treacherous and did not want to serve him. In 619, when the Tang general Li Shimin the Prince of Qin (Emperor Gaozu's son) was attacking Wang, Qin and Cheng, along with Wu Heita and Niu Jinda (牛進達), acted as if they were going to resist Tang forces but instead headed some distance away from Wang, and then got off their horses and bowed, stating to Wang:

:We had received great honors from you, Duke, and we have long sought to repay your kindness. However, you are suspicious and often believe in defamations, and we cannot serve you. Please allow us to leave.

They then surrendered to Li Shimin.33

During Emperor Gaozus reign

Emperor Gaozu put Qin Shubao under Li Shimin's command. Around the new year 620, with Liu Wuzhou the Dingyang Khan having seized most of Tang territory in modern Shanxi and aiming to attack further south, Emperor Gaozu sent Li Shimin to resist Liu, and Qin and Yin Kaishan were able to defeat Liu's general Yuchi Gong at Meiliang River (美良川, flowing through modern Yuncheng, Shanxi), repelling Yuchi's offensive. Impressed, Emperor Gaozu sent a messenger to award Qin a golden bottle, stating to him:

:You disregarded your wife and children to follow me, and you have accomplished great things. If my flesh can be beneficial to you, I would be willing to cut it off for you, and I will spare no servants, jade, or silk. Be encouraged.

Qin then followed Li Shimin in defeating Liu's major general Song Jin'gang, contributing to Li Shimin's final victory over Liu later in 620. Emperor Gaozu awarded Qin with a large supply of gold and silk. Later that year, Li Shimin launched a major attack against Wang, who by this point had deposed Yang Tong and declared himself emperor of a new state of Zheng. During the campaign, Li Shimin selected some 1,000 elite soldiers, clad in black uniform and black armor, commanded by Li Shimin himself, to serve as the forward advance corps, with Qin, Cheng Zhijie, Yuchi (who by this point had surrendered to Tang), and Zhai Zhangsun as his assistants. This corps subsequently accomplished much during the campaign against Wang and Dou Jiande the Prince of Xia, who came to Wang's aid. During initial engagement against Xia troops, Qin, Yuchi, and Li Shiji were able to defeat Xia forward troops, and Li Shimin subsequently wrote Dou, citing the battle as a reason why he should stop his campaign to aid Wang. Dou did not relent, and in summer 621, his and Li Shimin's troops engaged at the Battle of Hulao. Qin contributed much during the battle, which ended with Dou's being captured by Tang forces. Wang subsequently surrendered, and both Zheng and Xia territory were seized by Tang (although later that year Dou's general Liu Heita rose against Tang rule and briefly recaptured nearly all of Xia territory). For his achievements against Zheng and Xia forces, Qin was created the Duke of Yi. In 622, he also followed Li Shimin in fighting against Liu Heita.

It was said that whenever Qin was following Li Shimin in battle, where there would be enemy soldiers who dared to display their bravery and taunt Li Shimin, Li Shimin would send Qin to attack them, and often Qin was able to target them and destroy them. Li Shimin therefore was particularly impressed with him, and Qin was proud of his own abilities.

in 626, Li Shimin, then locked in an intense rivalry with his older brother Li Jiancheng the Crown Prince and fearful that Li Jiancheng would kill him, set an ambush for Li Jiancheng and another brother, Li Yuanji the Prince of Qi, who supported Li Jiancheng, at Xuanwu Gate. Qin was one of the key commander of Li Shimin's forces, which subsequently killed Li Jiancheng and Li Yuanji. Li Shimin then effectively forced Emperor Gaozu to create him crown prince and then pass the throne to him (as Emperor Taizong).

During Emperor Taizongs reign

Emperor Taizong increased Qin Shubao's fief by 700 households and gave him great honors. However, during Emperor Taizong's reign Qin was often ill. He once stated, "I had been a soldier since youth, and I have fought over 200 battles. I was often wounded, and I must have bled several hu a large measurement unit). How could it be that I do not get sick?" He died in 638 and was buried near Emperor Taizong's future tomb. To commemorate Qin's battlefield accomplishments, Emperor Taizong ordered that statues of soldiers and horses be sculpted inside Qin's tomb. His title was posthumously changed to Duke of Hu in 639. In 643, when Emperor Taizong commissioned the Portraits at Lingyan Pavilion to commemorate the 24 great contributors to Tang rule, Qin's was one of the portraits commissioned.

生平

早年

秦瓊以勇猛驃悍著稱。最初是隋將來護兒部將。秦叔寶的母親逝世，來護兒派人去弔唁，來護兒手下軍吏不解，問來護兒：「士卒死亡及遭喪者多矣，將軍未嘗降問，獨弔叔寶何也？」來護兒回答：「此人勇悍，加有志節，必當自取富貴，豈得以卑賤處之。」

大業十年（614年）叔寶跟隨張須陀，攻打駐守下邳的盧明月。盧明月軍隊十餘萬人，聲勢浩大，而張須陀的隋軍才一萬餘人，勢單力薄。于是離盧明月軍六七里安營紮寨，相持十多日，糧草殆盡，準備撤軍。張須陀對諸將道：「賊見兵卻，必輕來追我。其眾既出，營內即虛，若以千人襲營，可有大利。此誠危險，誰能去者？」諸將莫敢應答，唯有叔寶和羅士信願意嘗試。張須陀拔營撤走，叔寶和羅士信各領兵千餘人埋伏在蘆葦間。盧明月見隋軍撤走，于是全軍追擊，叔寶和羅士信領兵攻擊盧明月營寨，柵門緊閉，叔寶和羅士信親自翻過柵門，手殺數人，盧明月軍營內大亂。叔寶等又放隋軍入營，縱火焚燒三十柵，「煙焰漲天」，盧明月得知大營被偷襲，匆忙撤軍，張須陀領軍回身追擊，大破之。盧明月慘敗，帶領數百騎兵逃遁，其餘人皆被俘虜。此戰後，叔寶聲名大噪，以勇氣聞名于世。隨後在海曲征討孫宣雅，先登破之。以前後功，授建節尉。

瓦崗寨時期

616年跟隨張須陀在滎陽討伐李密瓦崗軍，兵敗，張須陀戰死，秦瓊領部下歸附隋將裴仁基。裴仁基以武牢關投降李密，秦瓊也隨之歸降，受到重用，被任用為帳內驃騎。李密與王世充決戰失敗後，秦瓊和程知節、裴仁基等人投降王世充。

李唐時期

武德二年（619年），因不滿王世充，秦瓊同程知節、吳黑闥、牛進達等人，乘唐鄭兩軍于九曲對陣之時，一起投奔了李唐，被唐高祖李淵分配到秦王李世民帳下，從鎮長春宮，拜馬軍總管，不久授秦王府右三統軍。參加了李世民的歷次征戰，每戰必先，常于萬軍之中取敵將首級。

武德四年（621年），在與王世充、竇建德的大決戰中，率領騎兵突擊隊衝入竇軍陣營，立下了關鍵的戰功，進封翼國公，賜黃金百斤、帛七千段。武德九年（626年），《舊唐書》說秦瓊參與玄武門之變，事後被封為左武衛大將軍，食益州實封七百戶。秦瓊晚年因歷次作戰負傷太多而疾病纏身，常對人說：「吾少長戎馬，所經二百餘陣，屢中重瘡。計吾前後出血亦數斛矣，安得不病乎？」貞觀十二年（638年）去世，謚號：壯，追贈徐州都督，陪葬昭陵，唐太宗在他墓地內立石人石馬，以旌戰陣之功。

後事

貞觀十三年（639年），秦瓊被改封為胡國公。貞觀十七年（643年），秦瓊與長孫無忌等人被圖形凌煙閣，封為凌煙閣二十四功臣之一。

家族

《舊唐書》、《新唐書》中秦瓊傳記均沒有記載秦瓊家族情況。1990年代後，陸續有秦氏家族成員的墓誌出土，秦瓊家族方才漸漸明朗。

1995年，山東省濟南市發現秦愛墓葬，墓誌記載有秦瓊父、祖、曾祖。墓主秦愛，字季養，為秦瓊之父，北齊咸陽王斛律武都府錄事參軍，北齊亡于北周后告歸鄉里，隋大業十年卒于齊州歷城縣懷智里，終年六十九歲，唐貞觀初年追封歷城縣開國公。秦瓊祖父秦方太，北齊廣寧王府記室。秦瓊曾祖秦孝達，元魏廣年縣令。

秦懷道及其子秦佾墓誌記載有秦氏先祖及秦瓊子孫。秦懷道墓誌記載，秦懷道，字理，為秦瓊孫，常州義興縣令，襲封歷城縣開國公，唐嗣聖元年卒于括州括蒼縣，終年六十歲，唐開元六年改葬于洛陽縣清風鄉。秦氏祖籍右扶風，為東漢山陽太守秦彭之後。秦懷道六世祖為慕容燕樂陵郡守，自此起秦氏遷居至齊州歷城縣。秦懷道子秦景倩，越州山陰縣令。秦佾墓誌記載，秦佾為秦瓊孫、秦懷道子，潞州司法參軍，武周聖歷二年卒于洛陽，聖歷三年遷葬于北邙山。秦佾九世祖秦秀，晉金紫光祿大夫、太常卿。

秦懷道、秦佾與秦瓊的關係，二人墓誌記載有衝突。秦懷道墓誌言其「祖叔寶」，秦佾墓誌言其「祖叔寶、父懷道」。二人墓誌綜合來看，一方面，秦懷道墓誌為其子秦景倩為其父遷葬時所刻，志文有可能是以秦景倩的口吻描述，故言「曾祖季、祖叔寶」。另一方面，秦懷道墓誌未記載其父，墓誌鐫刻于其去世34年之後，故可能誤記為秦瓊孫。故秦懷道應為秦瓊之子，秦懷道有子秦景倩、秦佾。秦懷道墓誌中的「六世祖」，應為秦瓊四世祖，即秦瓊曾祖秦孝達之父。秦佾墓誌中的「九世祖」，應為秦瓊七世祖。

秦利見墓誌記載有秦瓊另一子孫，並與尉遲敬德家聯姻。秦利見墓誌記載，秦利見，字利見，為秦瓊孫，許州鄢陵縣丞，唐神龍三年卒于合宮縣道光坊宅。秦利見父秦□道（墓誌闕字），左衛左郎將。秦利見母為尉遲敬德孫女、尉遲寶琳之女。

秦晙及其子秦洽墓誌記載有秦瓊另一子孫。秦晙墓誌記載，秦晙，字景嗣，為秦瓊孫，吉州司馬，唐開元二十七年卒于官舍，年七十一歲。秦晙父秦善道，左清道率、檢校左金吾衛大將軍。秦晙有子秦湊。秦洽墓誌記載，秦洽，字伯淮，為秦瓊曾孫、秦晙子，豫章郡參軍，唐開元二十三年卒，年三十六歲。秦洽有子秦寰。

• 先祖：秦彭，東漢山陽太守。

• 七世祖：秦秀，晉金紫光祿大夫、太常卿。

• 四世祖：名不詳，慕容燕樂陵郡守。

• 曾祖：秦孝達，元魏廣年縣令。

• 祖父：秦方太，北齊廣寧王府記室。

• 父：秦愛（546年－614年12月27日），字季養，北齊咸陽王府錄事參軍，唐朝追贈瀛州刺史、上柱國、歷城縣開國公。

　• 子：秦□道，左衛左郎將，娶尉遲敬德之子尉遲寶琳之女。

　　• 嫡孫：秦利見，許州鄢陵縣丞。

　• 子：秦懷道（625年－684年2月21日），字理，常州義興縣令，襲封歷城縣開國公。

　　• 孫：秦景倩，越州山陰縣令。

　　• 孫：秦佾（？－698年），潞州司法參軍。

　• 子：秦善道，左清道率、檢校左金吾衛大將軍。

　　• 孫：秦晙（668年—739年），字景嗣，吉州司馬。

　　　• 曾孫：秦湊。

　　　• 曾孫：秦洽，字伯淮，豫章郡參軍。有子秦寰。

文藝作品中的秦瓊

秦瓊在民間故事中以忠義著稱。《隋唐演義》有大量關於秦瓊的故事記載，如：秦瓊當鐧賣馬、叔寶救駕紅泥澗，以義士、良將、忠臣的形象貫穿全書。相傳秦瓊的武器是一對金鐧，長二尺二寸（約70～80公分）、重二十餘斤，秦瓊過世後，由秦懷玉繼承，秦懷玉戰死後，由孫秦夢所繼承。小說中說秦瓊之絕招為｢撒手鐧｣，與羅成的｢回馬槍｣並名於世。

小說《西遊記》裏記載了秦瓊變成門神的故事：唐太宗因無心之過，害死了涇河龍王，龍王陰魂不散，鬧得太宗六神無主。魏徵建議派秦瓊、尉遲恭守住前後宮門保駕，果然奏效，皇帝由於兩人太過疲憊，命畫家吳道子畫了兩人之像，貼在宮門口，照樣管用。後來此舉在民間流傳開來，秦瓊與尉遲恭成了最常見的門神。

黃易小說《大唐雙龍傳》中，秦瓊因打賭輸給沈落雁而投效瓦崗寨，武功、兵法皆頗為出色，善用雙鐧，和寇仲、徐子陵有段交情，曾暗戀呂梁派千金多年。在李密失勢後，一度投效王世充，後在寇仲幫助下以保護突利回國為名，轉投李世民。

相聲作品《關公戰秦瓊》中，利用關公與秦瓊出生于不同年代而不可能相戰的因素，並以幽默的形式諷刺某些人盲目指揮，成為一著名的傳統相聲段子。同詞意者另有「岳飛戰張飛」，意思一樣。