Ancient China · Royal Family Member and Rebel

Duke Bai Sheng 白公勝

Bai Gong Sheng

Attested BC 522 - BC 479

Passages: 20
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Duke Bai Sheng was a Royal Family Member and Rebel.

Life and dates

Death

Suicide
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 210

Attested activity

BC 479 白公之亂
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 205
BC 522 與伍胥奔吳
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 53

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Crown Prince Jian (太子建)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 52

Career and standing

Duke of Bai 白公
Granted
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 194

Places and affiliations

At Yan 鄢 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 194

Events and relationships

With Shi Qi killed Zixi and Ziqi at court
Rebellion · Leader
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 205

Assessments and attributes

Assessment like an egg; incapable · Mode named-source-report Source Person Id Zixi (子西)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 203

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 66Biography of Wu Zixu · 20 passages

建有子名勝。 Jian had a son named Sheng.

伍胥懼，乃與勝俱奔吳。 Wu Zixu feared, so together with Sheng he fled to Wu.

伍胥遂與勝獨身步走，幾不得脫。 Wu Zixu then fled on foot with Sheng alone and nearly failed to escape.

伍胥知公子光有內志，欲殺王而自立，未可說以外事，乃進專諸於公子光，退而與太子建之子勝耕於野。 Wu Zixu knew Prince Guang harbored ambitions within Wu and intended to kill the king and establish himself. Since Guang could not yet be persuaded about campaigns abroad, Zixu introduced Zhuan Zhu to him, then withdrew to farm in the fields with Sheng, the son of Crown Prince Jian.

伍子胥初所與俱亡故楚太子建之子勝者，在於吳。 Sheng, the son of the former Chu Crown Prince Jian, had originally fled with Wu Zixu and was living in Wu.

吳王夫差之時，楚惠王欲召勝歸楚。 During the time of King Fuchai of Wu, King Hui of Chu wished to summon Sheng back to Chu.

葉公諫曰：「勝好勇而陰求死士，殆有私乎！」 Ye Gong warned him: "Sheng loves bravery and is secretly recruiting men willing to die for him; he may well have private ambitions!"

遂召勝，使居楚之邊邑鄢，號為白公。 He then summoned Sheng and settled him in Yan, a Chu border town, with the title Duke of Bai.

白公歸楚三年而吳誅子胥。 Three years after Bai Gong returned to Chu, Wu executed Zixu.

白公勝既歸楚，怨鄭之殺其父，乃陰養死士求報鄭。 After Duke Bai Sheng returned to Chu, he nursed resentment over Zheng's killing of his father. He secretly maintained men willing to die for him, seeking revenge against Zheng.

白公勝怒曰：「非鄭之仇，乃子西也。」 Duke Bai Sheng was enraged and said: 'The enemy is not Zheng, but Zixi.'

勝自礪劍，人問曰：「何以為？」 Sheng personally sharpened his sword. People asked: 'What is it for?'

勝曰：「欲以殺子西。」 Sheng said: 'I mean to kill Zixi with it.'

子西聞之，笑曰：「勝如卵耳，何能為也。」 Zixi heard this and laughed, saying: 'Sheng is like an egg. What can he do?'

其後四歲，白公勝與石乞襲殺楚令尹子西、司馬子綦於朝。 Four years later, Duke Bai Sheng and Shi Qi made a surprise attack at court and killed Chu's prime minister Zixi and commander Ziqi.

葉公聞白公為亂，率其國人攻白公。 Lord Ye heard that Duke Bai had raised disorder and led the people of his domain to attack him.

白公之徒敗，亡走山中，自殺。 Bai Gong's followers were defeated. They fled into the mountains and committed suicide.

而虜石乞，而問白公尸處，不言將亨。 They captured Shi Qi and questioned him about where Duke Bai's corpse was hidden, threatening to boil him if he would not speak.

終不肯告其尸處。 To the end, he refused to reveal where Duke Bai's corpse was.

白公如不自立為君者，其功謀亦不可勝道者哉！ Had Duke Bai not tried to set himself up as ruler, both his achievements and his plans would have been beyond full telling!