Dae Magniji

Yeon Namsaeng was said to have become Dae Magniji sometime before the death of Yeon Gaesomun, who is said to have stepped down from the position and took the honorary position of Dae Magniji.

After the death of his father, Yeon Namsaeng prepared for war with the Tang, and set out on an inspection of the border fortresses in Yodong, and other fortresses throughout the kingdom. He left his brothers, Yeon Namgeon and Yeon Namsan, in charge of Pyeongyang before he left. Namgeon and Namsan took advantage of their brother's absence and took control of Pyeongyang and the Royal Courts. They falsely accused Namsaeng of being a traitor, and forced the King Bojang to order Namsaeng's arrest. With nowhere else to go, Namsaeng fled to Tang China at the urge of his son, who had escaped death at the hands of his uncles. Namsaeng fled to the Tang, and received a high position in the Tang military.

Fall of Goguryeo and death

From there he helped lead a Tang-sponsored military campaign into Goguryeo with hopes of regaining power. This campaign ultimately destroyed Goguryeo in 668. He died in the domains of the Tang-established Protectorate General to Pacify the East, or Andong Duhufu (安東都護府), the Chinese administration established in Pyongyang following the fall of Goguryeo in 668 and meant to administer the former Goguryeo domains. Namsaeng was buried on Mt. Mang in Luoyang, Tang』s eastern capital.

Namsaeng's tomb stele, along with that of his brother Namgeon, has been discovered. Namsaeng's biography (Quan Nan Sheng 泉男生傳) appears in the Xin Tangshu (New History of Tang), book 110. The Chinese rendering of Namsaeng』s family name is Cheon (泉, Chinese Quan) rather than Yeon (淵), because Yeon (Chinese, Yuan) was the given name of Emperor Gaozu of Tang (Li Yuan 李淵), founder and first emperor of Tang, and taboo to apply to another by Chinese tradition.

In popular culture

• Portrayed by Im Ho in the 2006-2007 KBS TV series Dae Jo Yeong.

• Portrayed by Ahn Jae-mo in 2006-2007 SBS TV series Yeon Gaesomun.

• Portrayed by No Min-woo in the 2013 KBS2 TV series The Blade and Petal.

生平

淵男生九歲時就以父蔭為郎，15歲時授中里小兄，18歲授中里大兄，23歲改任中里位頭大兄，24歲兼任將軍。

28歲，任莫離支兼授三軍大將軍。32歲(唐高宗乾封元年)，嗣淵蓋蘇文之位，加大莫離支總錄軍國阿衡元首。淵男生與二弟淵男建、淵男產不睦，兩方相互攻擊，淵男生不敵，率所部和契丹、靺鞨僕從軍退守國內城。淵男建自任莫離支，發兵攻打國內城。淵男生先派大兄（高句麗官名）弗德前往唐朝求救，由于其部屬發生叛離，于是又派大兄冉有入唐，「重申誠效」，最後才派其子泉獻誠正式入唐，請求內附。

唐高宗乾封元年六月，唐高宗派左驍衛大將軍契苾何力為遼東道安撫大使，以右金吾衛將軍龐同善、營州都督高侃為行軍總管，以獻誠為右武衛將軍，為諸軍嚮導，前往接應泉男生。龐同善等趕至新城時，夜裡遭到高句麗軍偷襲，薛仁貴領軍救援，斬首數百級。唐軍進至金山時，為高句麗軍阻擊，不敵潰退，薛仁貴在高句麗軍追擊唐軍時，領兵攻其側翼，大敗高句麗軍。在金山之役中，薛仁貴斬首五萬餘級，並趁勝攻占南蘇、木底、蒼岩等三城，9月趕到國內城與淵男生會合。男生遂率哥勿、南蘇、旨岩等城歸降，唐授男生為特進、平壤道行軍大總管、持節平壤道安撫大使。又命西台舍人李虔繹就軍慰勞，賜給他袍帶、金扣七事。

乾封元年(666年)11月，司空、英國公李世勣被任命為遼東道行軍大總管，率裨將郭待封等征討高句麗。乾封二年2月，李世勣渡過遼河進軍至新城下，隨後攻下新城，太大兄淵男產率首領九十八人出降。淵男生在被高宗詔令入朝後，封為遼東大都督、玄菟郡公，賜第京師。隨後又被派往高句麗李世勣軍中，招降舊部。

總章元年(668年)9月，李世勣移師于平壤城南，在高句麗下捉兵總管僧信誠的內應下，11月破城而入，淵男建自殺，但未死，與寶藏王一起被俘。12月，高句麗君臣被押回京師獻俘于含元宮，寶藏王被授予司平太常伯；淵男產因先降，授司宰少卿；淵男建頑抗唐軍，處死。但在淵男生求情下，免死配流黔州（在今重慶彭水縣）；淵男生以嚮導有功，授右衛大將軍，進封卞國公，食邑三千戶，特進勛官如故，兼檢校右羽林軍。並賞賜寶器、宮中侍女二人、馬八十匹。

儀鳳二年(677年)，唐政府任命原高句麗王高藏為遼東州都督，封朝鮮王，「遣歸遼東，安輯高麗餘眾」。但高藏到遼東後卻與靺鞨勾結謀叛，被唐朝發現並召回。隨後淵男生奉詔安撫遼東，改置州縣，頗能安民。

儀鳳四年正月二十九日(679年3月16日)，卒于安東府官舍，年四十六。高宗下詔追贈并州刺史。謚曰襄。調露元年十二月廿六日(680年2月1日)葬于洛陽北邙山。

家族

• 曾祖父：淵子游，莫離支

• 祖父：淵太祚，莫離支

• 父親：淵蓋蘇文（淵蓋金），莫離支、太大對盧

• 叔父：淵淨土

• 弟弟：淵男建

• 弟弟：淵男產

　• 兒子：泉獻誠，襲卞國公，謚曰莊。

　　• 孫子：泉玄隱，柳城縣開國男，襲卞國公。

　　　• 曾孫：泉毖，淄川縣開國子

　　• 孫子：泉玄逸

　　• 孫子：泉玄靜

　• 兒子：泉獻忠，被淵男建所殺。