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Overview The translated histories identify Fan Zhen as an official and scholar. This record brings together 13 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Fan Zhen
范縝
Fan Zhen
Surname
Fan
范
Personal name
Fan Zhen
范縝
Title
Left Assistant Director
尚書左丞
Given
Zhen
縝
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Life and dates Attested activity Works and attributed material References in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Book of Liang, Chapter 16 Volume 16: Wang Liang; Zhang Ji; Wang Ying · 13 passages
尚書左丞范縝起曰：「司徒謝朏本有虛名，陛下擢之如此，前尚書令王亮頗有治實，陛下棄之如彼，是愚臣所不知。」
Left assistant director Fan Zhen rose and said, "Grand Marshal Xie Fei had only empty fame, yet Your Majesty raised him so; former director Wang Liang had real governing merit, yet Your Majesty cast him off so—this dull minister cannot understand."
縝固執不已，高祖不悅。
Zhen pressed on; Gaozu was displeased.
風聞尚書左丞臣范縝，自晉安還，語人云：「我不詣餘人，惟詣王亮；
I have heard that left assistant director Fan Zhen, returning from Jin'an, said, "I visit no one but Wang Liang;
輒收縝白從左右萬休到臺辨問，與風聞符同。
I at once arrested Zhen and had his attendant Wan Xiu questioned at the bureau; it matched the report.
縝不答所問，而橫議沸騰，遂貶裁司徒臣朏，褒舉庶人王亮。
Zhen did not answer what was asked but poured out reckless talk, disparaging grand marshal Tiao and praising the commoner Wang Liang.
酒闌宴罷，當扆正立，記事在前，記言在後，軫早朝之念，深求瘼之情，而縝言不遜，妄陳褒貶，傷濟濟之風，缺側席之望。
When wine ended and the feast broke up, he should stand straight before the screen—records before, words after—mindful of the dawn audience, seeking the people's ills—yet Zhen spoke insolently and rashly praised and blamed, harming orderly custom and the hope of the vacant seat.
不有嚴裁，憲準將頹，縝卽主。
Without severe punishment the law's standard will fall—and Zhen is chief among the guilty.
臣謹案：尚書左丞臣范縝，衣冠緒餘，言行舛駁，誇諧里落，喧詬周行。
Your servant respectfully finds that left assistant director Fan Zhen, of coat-and-cap lineage, is at odds in word and deed, boasts in his village, and clamors in the streets.
乃者，義師近次，縝丁罹艱棘，曾不呼門，墨縗景附，頗同先覺，實奉龍顏。
When lately the Righteous Army drew near, Zhen suffered family calamity; he never called at the gate but in black hemp and mourning white shadowed the scene like foreknowledge—truly serving the dragon countenance.
臣等參議，請以見事免縝所居官，輒勒外收付廷尉法獄治罪。
Your servant and others jointly recommend that Zhen be removed from his present office on the facts before us, and that the outer offices at once take him and deliver him to the Court of Justice law prison for punishment.
縝位應黃紙，臣輒奉白簡。
Zhen's post requires yellow paper—your servant hastens to present white bamboo slips.
璽書詰縝曰：「亮少乏才能，無聞時輩，昔經冒入羣英，相與豈薄，晚節諂事江祏，爲吏部，末協附梅蟲兒、茹法珍，遂執昏政。
An imperial letter reprimanded Zhen: "Liang in youth lacked talent and was unknown among his peers; formerly he rashly entered the ranks of worthies—we were not thin with one another; in his later years he flattered Jiang Shi; as director of personnel he finally joined Mei Chong'er and Ru Fazhen and held benighted government.
所詰十條，縝答支離而已。
The ten points of censure—Zhen's answers were disjointed only.