Ancient China · Official and Statesman

Bao Shu 鮑叔

Attested BC 685 - BC 645

Passages: 14
Chapters: 3
Histories: 3

Overview

Bao Shu was an official and Statesman.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Bao Shuya	鮑叔牙	Bào Shūyá
Alternate name	Master Bao	鮑子	Bao Zi

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 685 to BC 645 管、鮑
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 24, passage 43
BC 685 鮑叔事齊公子小白
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passage 4

Family

over ten generations with fiefs, famous grand officers
Kinship Role descendants · Quantity 十餘世
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passage 16

Key source chapters

Career and standing

grand officer 大夫
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passage 16
Held
Hereditary stipend line · At Qi 齊
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passage 16

Places and affiliations

Polity Qi 齊 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passages 4, 16

Events and relationships

Recommended
Political · Recommender · With Guan Zhong (管仲)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passages 6, 15
Relation Served · Person Duke Huan of Qi (齊桓公)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passage 4
Relation Friend of · Person Guan Zhong (管仲)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passages 2, 13
Relation Recommender of · Person Guan Zhong (管仲)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passages 6, 15

Assessments and attributes

Assessment ability to recognize people · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 62, passage 17

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 24, passage 43

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

臣朔年二十二，長九尺三寸，目若懸珠，齒若編貝，勇若孟賁，捷若慶忌，廉若鮑叔，信若尾生。 I am twenty-two, stand nine feet three inches, my eyes shine like pearls and my teeth line up like shells; in courage I match Meng Ben, in agility Qingji, in integrity Bao Shu, in good faith Weisheng.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 24Volume 24 Biographies 5: Liu Shilong, Zhang Gui · 1 passage

當時親昵，情過管、鮑，仰遭革運，凶黨懼戮，攸之反善圖全，用得自免。 Their bond then outdid Guan Zhong and Bao Shuya; when the throne changed, the guilty feared the axe, and Youzhi turned every trick to save himself and walked away.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 62Biographies of Guan and Yan · 12 passages

少時常與鮑叔牙游，鮑叔知其賢。 In his youth, he often spent time with Bao Shuya, who recognized his worth.

管仲貧困，常欺鮑叔，鮑叔終善遇之，不以為言。 Guan Zhong was impoverished and often deceived Bao Shu, but Bao Shu in the end treated him well and did not take it amiss.

已而鮑叔事齊公子小白，管仲事公子糾。 Later, Bao Shu served Prince Xiaobai of Qi, while Guan Zhong served Prince Jiu.

鮑叔遂進管仲。 Bao Shu then recommended Guan Zhong to him.

管仲曰：「吾始困時，嘗與鮑叔賈，分財利多自與，鮑叔不以我為貪，知我貧也。 Guan Zhong said, "When I first was in straits, I once traded with Bao Shu; in dividing the profits I took much for myself. Bao Shu did not consider me greedy—he knew I was poor.

吾嘗為鮑叔謀事而更窮困，鮑叔不以我為愚，知時有利不利也。 I once planned affairs for Bao Shu and became even more impoverished, but Bao Shu did not consider me foolish—he knew there are times of advantage and disadvantage.

吾嘗三仕三見逐於君，鮑叔不以我為不肖，知我不遭時也。 I once served three times and was dismissed three times by lords, but Bao Shu did not consider me unworthy—he knew I did not meet the times.

吾嘗三戰三走，鮑叔不以我怯，知我有老母也。 I once fought three times and fled three times, but Bao Shu did not consider me cowardly—he knew I had an aged mother.

公子糾敗，召忽死之，吾幽囚受辱，鮑叔不以我為無恥，知我不羞小睗而恥功名不顯于天下也。 When Prince Jiu was defeated, Zhao Hu died for him. I was imprisoned and humiliated, but Bao Shu did not consider me shameless—he knew I was not ashamed of petty disgrace but ashamed that my merit and fame would not shine forth under Heaven.

生我者父母，知我者鮑子也。」 Those who gave me life are my parents; the one who truly knows me is Bao Shu."

鮑叔既進管仲，以身下之。 Bao Shu, having recommended Guan Zhong, humbled himself below him.

天下不多管仲之賢而多鮑叔能知人也。 The world does not praise Guan Zhong's worthiness so much as it praises Bao Shu's ability to recognize people.