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 (兴元, 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 (检校太尉). 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" (八王爷) or "Eighth Virtuous Prince" (八贤王), 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

开宝九年出阁，授贵州防御使。《宋史》说太祖驾崩时，宋皇后（952年－995年）急令内侍王继恩召赵德芳入宫，王继恩却拿著遗诏去找晋王赵光义。后来赵光义继位，即宋太宗。因为宋太宗以弟之身分即位，世人普遍流传著「烛影斧声」疑案，认为宋太宗是谋杀太祖而篡位。

太平兴国元年，授兴元尹、山南西道节度使、同平章事。三年冬，加检校太尉，封潭王。太平兴国四年（979年），德芳之兄赵德昭被宋太宗逼迫自杀。太平兴国六年（981年）赵德芳病死，英年早逝，年二十三。因为赵德芳兄弟在短时间内连续死亡，今日历史学家多半认为德芳死因不单纯，定与宋太宗有关。

德芳死后，諡康惠，赠中书令、岐王。后加封太师，改封楚王。宋徽宗时改为秦王。其六世孙为宋孝宗，七世孙为宋光宗，八世孙为宋宁宗。

家庭

妻

焦氏：河南知府、彰德(相州)节度使、右武卫上将军焦继勋之女，惟叙、惟宪生母

卫国夫人符氏，符彦卿孙女，惟能生母

秦国夫人王氏

颖川夫人李氏

子

• 赵惟叙：怀州防御使、河内侯、保静军节度观察留后、高平郡公，赵竑即其后代。

• 赵惟宪：安德、昭信二军节度使兼侍中、英国公，生于979年，宋孝宗即其后代。

• 赵惟能：蔡州防御使、张掖侯、集庆军节度观察留后、南康郡公，赵世居、赵璩即其后代。

女

• 永寿县主：嫁西京左藏库副使崔从湜。

后代

• 赵孟俯，元朝知名书画家，第十世孙。

文学与民间传说中的赵德芳

包公案、杨家将等文学作品与民间传说中「八贤王」的故事与赵德芳（熊大木《杨家将传》中「八王」署名为赵德昭，石玉昆《三侠五义》、李雨堂《万花楼》没有署名，后世评书、戏剧大多署名赵德芳）生平不符，「八贤王」原型可是宋太宗第八子赵元俨，卒于宋仁宗庆历四年（1044），时人称之为「八大王」。

影视作品

• 《杨家将》由孙承政饰演

• 《杨家将》由王丽敏、郝仲臣饰演

• 《忠烈杨家将》由丁亮饰演

• 《少年包青天1》由陈道明饰演