Qin and Han · Ruler

Emperor Wen 文帝

Wendi

First attested BC 180; died BC 157

Passages: 10
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Emperor Wen was a ruler.

Life and dates

Death

BC 157 文帝崩
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 34

Attested activity

BC 180 to BC 157 孝文時
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 6
BC 157 文帝崩
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 34

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Emperor Jing (景帝)
heir apparent 太子 · paternal line
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 105, passages 30, 34

Places and affiliations

BC 180 to BC 157 孝文時
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 6
BC 180 to BC 157 文帝時間如通家遊戲
At Deng Tongs house 通家 · Relation Visited for amusement
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 23
BC 180 to BC 157 覺而之漸台
At Jian Terrace 漸台 · Relation Visited
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 18

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Deng Tong (鄧通)
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 25
Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 29

Events and relationships

Dreamed of ascent to heaven
BC 180 to BC 157 文帝嘗夢欲上天 · Oneiric · Dreamer
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 17
Equated Deng with ascend
Etymological · Interpreter · With Deng Tong (鄧通)
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 20
Suffered abscess
BC 180 to BC 157 文帝嘗病癰 · Medical · Patient
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 28
Relation Patron of · Person Deng Tong (鄧通)
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passages 20, 22

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 6

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 105Volume 93: Flatterers · 10 passages

其後寵臣，孝文時士人則鄧通，宦者則趙談、北宮伯子； Later reigns had their own favorites: under Emperor Wen, the lay courtier was Deng Tong; the eunuchs were Zhao Tan and Beigong Bozi;

文帝嘗夢欲上天，不能，有一黃頭郎推上天，顧見其衣尻帶後穿。 Wen once dreamed he could not rise to heaven until a Yellow-Head attendant pushed him upward; glancing back, he noticed the seat of the man's trousers was split.

鄧猶登也，文帝甚說，尊幸之，日日異。 The emperor took "Deng" for "ascend" and was delighted; Deng Tong's favor climbed higher every day.

於是文帝賞賜通巨萬以十數，官至上大夫。 Wen showered him with fortunes counted in the hundreds of thousands and promoted him to senior grandee.

文帝時間如通家遊戲，然通無他技能，不能有所薦達，獨自謹身以媚上而已。 Wen sometimes dropped in on Deng Tong's home for sport, but Deng had no talent for recommending men—only a knack for keeping himself in the emperor's good graces.

上使善相人者相通，曰：「當貧餓死。」 Wen had a face-reader study Deng Tong, who said, "This man will starve in poverty."

文帝嘗病癰，鄧通常為上嗽吮之。 When Wen developed an abscess, Deng Tong habitually drew the pus with his mouth.

上不樂，從容問曰：「天下誰最愛我者乎？」 Unhappy, Wen asked casually, "Who in all the world loves me most?"

太子入問疾，上使太子齰癰。 When the crown prince visited the sickbed, Wen told him to suck the sore.

及文帝崩，景帝立，鄧通免，家居。 When Wen died and Jing succeeded, Deng Tong was stripped of office and sent home.