Biography

In 976, Zhao Defang had his first official appointment as the Defense Commissioner of Guizhou, which was quickly followed by appointments of Prefect of Xingyuan (興元, today's Hanzhong), Military Commissioner of Shannanxi Circuit (山南西道, around today's Sichuan) and chancellor. In the winter of 978 he was named Grand Commandant of Inspection (檢校太尉). He died in 981 from an unnamed illness at the young age of 23. Emperor Taizong, his uncle, visited his coffin in tears and cancelled imperial court meetings for 5 days to commemorate him.

In fiction

In popular stories, including the Generals of the Yang Family legends and Seven Heroes and Five Gallants, Zhao Defang is known as the "Eighth Prince" (八王爺) or "Eighth Virtuous Prince" (八賢王), but this character seems to be a "merger" between Zhao Defang and Zhao Defang's cousin Zhao Yuanyan.

The breakdown:

The "Eighth Virtuous Prince" in Seven Heroes and Five Gallants was clearly based on the historical Zhao Yuanyan, who

• was the only paternal uncle during Emperor Renzong's reign

• had conflicts with Empress Dowager Liu

• eventually revealed the secret about the Emperor Renzong's real birth mother (see Consort Li)

Notes and references

Sources

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生平

開寶九年出閣，授貴州防禦使。《宋史》說太祖駕崩時，宋皇后（952年－995年）急令內侍王繼恩召趙德芳入宮，王繼恩卻拿著遺詔去找晉王趙光義。後來趙光義繼位，即宋太宗。因為宋太宗以弟之身分即位，世人普遍流傳著「燭影斧聲」疑案，認為宋太宗是謀殺太祖而篡位。

太平興國元年，授興元尹、山南西道節度使、同平章事。三年冬，加檢校太尉，封潭王。太平興國四年（979年），德芳之兄趙德昭被宋太宗逼迫自殺。太平興國六年（981年）趙德芳病死，英年早逝，年二十三。因為趙德芳兄弟在短時間內連續死亡，今日歷史學家多半認為德芳死因不單純，定與宋太宗有關。

德芳死後，諡康惠，贈中書令、岐王。後加封太師，改封楚王。宋徽宗時改為秦王。其六世孫為宋孝宗，七世孫為宋光宗，八世孫為宋寧宗。

家庭

妻

焦氏：河南知府、彰德(相州)節度使、右武衛上將軍焦繼勛之女，惟敘、惟憲生母

衛國夫人符氏，符彥卿孫女，惟能生母

秦國夫人王氏

穎川夫人李氏

子

• 趙惟敘：懷州防禦使、河內侯、保靜軍節度觀察留後、高平郡公，趙竑即其後代。

• 趙惟憲：安德、昭信二軍節度使兼侍中、英國公，生於979年，宋孝宗即其後代。

• 趙惟能：蔡州防禦使、張掖侯、集慶軍節度觀察留後、南康郡公，趙世居、趙璩即其後代。

女

• 永壽縣主：嫁西京左藏庫副使崔從湜。

後代

• 趙孟頫，元朝知名書畫家，第十世孫。

文學與民間傳說中的趙德芳

包公案、楊家將等文學作品與民間傳說中「八賢王」的故事與趙德芳（熊大木《楊家將傳》中「八王」署名為趙德昭，石玉昆《三俠五義》、李雨堂《萬花樓》沒有署名，後世評書、戲劇大多署名趙德芳）生平不符，「八賢王」原型可是宋太宗第八子趙元儼，卒於宋仁宗慶曆四年（1044），時人稱之為「八大王」。

影視作品

• 《楊家將》由孫承政飾演

• 《楊家將》由王麗敏、郝仲臣飾演

• 《忠烈楊家將》由丁亮飾演

• 《少年包青天1》由陳道明飾演