Qin and Han · Official

Ji Bu 季布

Attested BC 208 - BC 157

Passages: 62
Chapters: 7
Histories: 4

Overview

The translated histories identify Ji Bu as a general, military officer, named individual, and official. This record brings together 62 passages from 7 chapters across 4 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Ji Bu	季布	Ji Bu
Given	Bu	布
Given	Bu	布	Bù
Given	Bu	布	Bu
Title	General Ji	季將軍
Title	General Ji Bu	季布將軍	Jì Bù jiāngjūn
Surname	Ji	季
Surname	Ji	季	Jì
Personal name	Ji Bu	季布	Ji Bu
Personal	Ji Bu	季布	Jì Bù
Personal name	Ji Bu	季布	Jì Bù

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0001, houhanshu:085:s0196, shiji:100:s0001
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · houhanshu:031:s0211, shiji:124:s0038, songshi:359:s0210

Roles

General
Military Officer
Named Individual
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: BC 206-195 · Western Interval: Start: BC 206 · End: BC 195
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:085:s0196
Source Date: Text: 及項羽滅 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:100:s0004, shiji:100:s0026
Source Date: Text: 呂后 · Western Interval: Start: BC 195 · End: BC 180
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:100:s0030, shiji:100:s0033
Source Date: Text: 孝惠時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 195 · End: BC 188
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0021, shiji:100:s0029
Source Date: Text: 孝文時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0032, shiji:100:s0038
Source Date: Text: 昔漢文帝聞季布賢 · Western Year: AD 179
Explicit · songshi:359:s0210
Source Date: Text: 漢初 · Western Interval: Start: BC 206 · End: BC 195
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:031:s0211
Source Date: Text: 陰脫季布將軍之阸 · Western Interval: Start: BC 206 · End: BC 180
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:124:s0038
Source Date: Text: 項籍使將兵…高祖購求 · Western Interval: Start: BC 206 · End: BC 202
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:046:s0002, hanshu:046:s0003
Source Date: Text: 項籍使將兵 · Western Interval: Start: BC 208 · End: BC 202
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:100:s0003

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Kin of Ding Gong (丁公)
Kinship Term: mother's younger brother / 母弟 · Subject Role: maternal-uncle · Object Role: nephew · Line: maternal · Generation Distance: 1 · Intermediary Person Ids: Mother of Ji Bu (季布母)
Kinship Term: maternal uncle / 母弟 · Subject Role: maternal-uncle · Object Role: nephew · Line: maternal · Intermediary Person Ids: Mother of Ji Bu (季布母)
Child of Mother of Ji Bu (季布母)
Kinship Term: mother / 母 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son · Line: maternal
Sibling of Ji Xin (季心)
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-brother · Object Role: elder-brother
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟 · Subject Relative Age: younger · Shared Parentage: uncertain

Career and standing

Label: knight-errant / 任俠
Explicit · shiji:100:s0002
Label: Commander of the Palace Guard / 中郎將 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝惠時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 195 · End: BC 188
Explicit · shiji:100:s0029
Label: general of the palace gentlemen / 中郎將 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝惠時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 195 · End: BC 188
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0021
Label: Gentleman of the Palace / 郎中 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 拜為郎中 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit · shiji:100:s0028
Label: gentleman of the palace / 郎中 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0020
Label: governor of Hedong / 河東守 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0031
Label: Governor of Hedong / 河東守 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 孝文時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:100:s0038
Label: General / 將軍 · Action: held
Explicit · shiji:124:s0038
Status: fugitive · Action: entered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 及項羽滅 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit · shiji:100:s0004, shiji:100:s0005
Status: wanted · Action: entered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 高祖購求布 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0003
Status: enslavement · Action: entered · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 髡鉗季布 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit · shiji:100:s0009
Status: enslavement · Action: entered
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0007, hanshu:046:s0008
Status: honored · Action: rose-to-honor
Explicit · shiji:124:s0038
Action: pardoned for flight · Authority Person Id: Emperor Gaozu (高祖) · Provenance: Mode: quoted-historical-exemplum · Speaker Person Id: Yang Qiu (阳球)
Explicit · houhanshu:085:s0196
Label: pardon / 赦 · Action: pardoned
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0018
Label: pardon / 赦 · Action: received · Authority Person Id: Emperor Gaozu (高祖) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 上乃赦季布 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit · shiji:100:s0026

Places and affiliations

Polity: Chu / 楚 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0001, hanshu:046:s0002, shiji:100:s0001, shiji:100:s0003
Polity: Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0020, shiji:100:s0028
Place: Chu / 楚
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0001, shiji:100:s0001
Place: Hedong / 河東 · Relation: posted-to
Explicit · shiji:100:s0038

Works and attributed material

Kind: letter · Role: author · Other Person Id: Dou Changjun (竇長君)
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0041, shiji:100:s0049
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文)
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0035, hanshu:046:s0036, hanshu:046:s0037, shiji:100:s0041, shiji:100:s0042, shiji:100:s0043, shiji:100:s0044
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Empress Lü (呂后)
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0025, hanshu:046:s0026, hanshu:046:s0027, hanshu:046:s0028, hanshu:046:s0029, shiji:100:s0033, shiji:100:s0034, shiji:100:s0035, shiji:100:s0036
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文帝)
Explicit · songshi:359:s0210

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: cornered · Other Person Id: Emperor Gaozu (高祖)
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0002
Kind: court-debate · Role: speaker · Action: opposed-campaign · Other Person Id: Fan Kuai (樊噲)
Explicit · shiji:100:s0033, shiji:100:s0034, shiji:100:s0035, shiji:100:s0036
Kind: deliberation · Role: speaker · Action: opposed-war · Other Person Id: Fan Kuai (樊噲)
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0025, hanshu:046:s0026, hanshu:046:s0027, hanshu:046:s0028, hanshu:046:s0029
Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: pressed · Other Person Id: Emperor Gaozu (高祖) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 項籍使將兵 · Western Interval: Start: BC 208 · End: BC 202
Explicit · shiji:100:s0003

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: able to bend the unyielding and make it yielding · Provenance: Mode: named-source-report
Explicit · shiji:100:s0027
Assessment: Chu proverb fame for keeping his word · Provenance: Mode: quoted-speech · Speaker Person Id: Cao Qiusheng (曹丘生)
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0046
Assessment: famous for keeping his word · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · shiji:100:s0065
Assessment: famous Han general who endured humiliation to use his talent · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:046:s0141, hanshu:046:s0142, hanshu:046:s0143
Assessment: stalwart warrior who became a famous Han general after enduring humiliation · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment · Speaker Person Id: Sima Qian (太史公)
Explicit · shiji:100:s0105, shiji:100:s0107

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · houhanshu:085:s0196

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Han, Chapter 46Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 27 passages

季布，楚人也，為任俠有名。 Ji Bu was a native of Chu who had won renown as a knight-errant.

項籍滅，高祖購求布千金，敢有舍匿，罪三族。 After Xiang Yu fell, Gaozu posted a reward of a thousand pounds of gold for Ji Bu, with death for three generations of kin for anyone who dared hide him.

布匿濮陽周氏，周氏曰：「漢求將軍急，跡且至臣家，能聽臣，臣敢進計； Ji Bu took refuge with the Zhou clan of Puyang. They told him, "The Han are hunting you relentlessly; their agents will soon be at my door. If you will trust me, I have a plan to propose;

布許之。 Ji Bu agreed.

乃髡鉗布，衣褐，置廣柳車中，并與其家僮數十人，之魯朱家所賣之。 They shaved his head, clamped him in the convict's collar, dressed him in a laborer's hemp, stowed him in a funeral cart with several dozen household servants, and drove him to Zhu Jia of Lu to be sold off as a slave.

朱家心知其季布也，買置田舍。 Zhu Jia recognized him at once as Ji Bu, bought him, and lodged him on a country estate.

乃之雒陽見汝陰侯滕公，說曰：「季布何罪？ Then he traveled to Luoyang to see Xiahou Ying, the Marquis of Ru-yin, and argued, "What wrong has Ji Bu done?

且以季布之賢，漢求之急如此，此不北走胡，南走越耳。 A man of Ji Bu's caliber, pressed this hard, will flee north to the Xiongnu or south to Nanyue.

滕公心知朱家大俠，意布匿其所，乃許諾。 Xiahou Ying knew Zhu Jia for a famous man of chivalry and guessed Ji Bu lay hidden with him; he agreed to speak.

上乃赦布。 The emperor then granted Ji Bu a full pardon.

當是時，諸公皆多布能摧剛為柔，朱家亦以此名聞當世。 Men of rank admired Ji Bu for bending unyielding pride into survival, and Zhu Jia's name rang through the age for it.

布召見，謝，拜郎中。 Ji Bu was summoned to court, thanked the emperor, and was appointed a gentleman of the palace.

布曰：「樊噲可斬也。 Ji Bu said, "Fan Kuai deserves execution.

布為河東守。 Ji Bu was appointed governor of Hedong.

布進曰：「臣待罪河東，陛下無故召臣，此人必有以臣欺陛下者。 Ji Bu stepped forward and said, "I stand under sentence of fault at Hedong; Your Majesty summoned me without cause—someone must have oversold me to you.

布之官。 Ji Bu returned to his post.

布聞，寄書諫長君曰：「吾聞曹丘生非長者，勿與通。」 When Ji Bu heard of it, he wrote to Dou Changjun warning him, "Cao Qiusheng is no man of substance; have nothing to do with him."

及曹丘生歸，欲得書請布。 When Cao Qiusheng came home, he wanted a letter of introduction to Ji Bu.

竇長君曰：「季將軍不說足下，足下無往。」 Dou Changjun said, "General Ji dislikes you; you had better not go."

使人先發書，布果大怒，待曹丘。 He had his letter sent ahead; Ji Bu flew into a rage and waited for Cao Qiusheng.

曹丘至，則揖布曰：「楚人諺曰『得黃金百，不如得季布諾』，足下何以得此聲梁楚之間哉？ When Cao arrived, he bowed to Ji Bu and said, "Chu has a saying: 'A hundred pounds of gold cannot buy Ji Bu's word'—how did you earn such fame across Liang and Chu?

布乃大說。 Ji Bu was delighted.

布名所以益聞者，曹丘揚之也。 It was Cao Qiusheng's praise that made Ji Bu's name ring louder still.

布弟季心氣蓋關中，遇人恭謹，為任俠，方數千里，士爭為死。 Ji Bu's younger brother Ji Xin overshadowed all Guanzhong in sheer force of character; in person he was courteous and restrained, yet as a knight-errant his reputation ran for a thousand miles, and fighting men vied to die for him.

當是時，季心以勇，布以諾，聞關中。 In those days Guanzhong knew Ji Xin for his courage and Ji Bu for keeping his word.

布母弟丁公，為項羽將，逐窘高祖彭城西。 Ji Bu's maternal uncle Ding Gong, a general under Xiang Yu, had pressed Gaozu hard west of Pengcheng.

贊曰：以項羽之氣，而季布以勇顯名楚，身履軍搴旗者數矣，可謂壯士。 The historian's verdict: In an age dominated by Xiang Yu's fury, Ji Bu won fame in Chu for raw courage; he repeatedly charged into battle and tore enemy banners from their poles—a true fighting man.

Book of Han, Chapter 104Volume 92: Youxias · 1 passage

既陰脫季布之厄，及布尊貴，終身不見。 After smuggling Ji Bu out of danger, he never showed his face again—not even when Ji Bu rose to high office.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 31Volume 28a: Biographies of Huan Tan; Feng Yan · 1 passage

永謂衍曰：“昔高祖賞季布之罪，誅丁固之功。 Bao Yong said, "Gaozu pardoned Ji Bu and executed Ding Gu for ingratitude.

Book of Later Han, Chapter 85Volume 77: Biographies of Cruel Officials · 1 passage

昔桓公释管仲射钩之仇，高祖赦季布逃亡之罪。 Duke Huan of Qi forgave Guan Zhong’s arrow at his belt hook; Gaozu spared Ji Bu the fugitive’s guilt.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 100Biographies of Ji Bu and Luan Bu · 30 passages

季布者，楚人也。 Ji Bu was a native of Chu.

及項羽滅，高祖購求布千金，敢有舍匿，罪及三族。 After the fall of Xiang Yu, Emperor Gaozu posted a bounty of a thousand gold pieces for Ji Bu's capture, decreeing that anyone who dared shelter or conceal him would have the punishment extended to three generations of their clan.

季布匿濮陽周氏。 Ji Bu went into hiding with the Zhou family in Puyang.

周氏曰：「漢購將軍急，跡且至臣家，將軍能聽臣，臣敢獻計； The Zhou family said, "The Han search for you, General, is urgent, and your trail will soon reach my house. If you, General, will heed me, I dare offer a plan;

季布許之。 Ji Bu consented.

乃髡鉗季布，衣褐衣，置廣柳車中，并與其家僮數十人，之魯朱家所賣之。 They shaved Ji Bu's head, clamped an iron collar around his neck, dressed him in coarse cloth, and placed him in a broad-sided cart. Together with dozens of household slaves, they transported him to the estate of Zhu Jia in Lu and sold him there.

朱家心知是季布，乃買而置之田。 Zhu Jia secretly recognized that this was Ji Bu. He purchased him and set him to work in the fields.

因謂滕公曰：「季布何大罪，而上求之急也？」 He then asked Teng Gong, "What grave offense has Ji Bu committed, for the Sovereign to pursue him with such urgency?"

滕公曰：「布數為項羽窘上，上怨之，故必欲得之。」 Teng Gong said, "Ji Bu repeatedly put the Sovereign in dire straits while serving Xiang Yu; the Sovereign resents him, and therefore is determined to capture him."

朱家曰：「君視季布何如人也？」 Zhu Jia said, 'What kind of man do you consider Ji Bu to be?'

朱家曰：「臣各為其主用，季布為項籍用，職耳。 Zhu Jia said, 'Each minister serves his own lord. Ji Bu served Xiang Ji—that was merely his duty.

且以季布之賢而漢求之急如此，此不北走胡即南走越耳。 Moreover, with a man as worthy as Ji Bu sought by Han with such urgency, he will either flee north to the Xiongnu or south to the Yue.

汝陰侯滕公心知朱家大俠，意季布匿其所，乃許曰：「諾。」 The Marquis of Ruyin, Teng Gong, knew in his heart that Zhu Jia was a great knight-errant, and suspected that Ji Bu was hiding in his home. He then agreed, saying, 'Very well.'

上乃赦季布。 The Emperor thereupon pardoned Ji Bu.

當是時，諸公皆多季布能摧剛為柔，朱家亦以此名聞當世。 At that time, everyone praised Ji Bu for his ability to bend the unyielding and make it yielding, and Zhu Jia likewise won renown throughout the age for this.

季布召見，謝，上拜為郎中。 Ji Bu was summoned for an audience and expressed his gratitude. The Emperor appointed him as a Gentleman of the Palace.

季布曰：「樊噲可斬也！ Ji Bu said, 'Fan Kuai should be executed!

季布為河東守，孝文時，人有言其賢者，孝文召，欲以為御史大夫。 Ji Bu was serving as the Governor of Hedong when, during the reign of Emperor Wen, certain people praised his worthiness. Emperor Wen summoned him, intending to appoint him as the Imperial Censor-in-Chief.

至，留邸一月，見罷。 Ji Bu arrived and was kept waiting at the state guesthouse for a month before being granted an audience and then dismissed.

季布因進曰：「臣無功竊寵，待罪河東。 Ji Bu then stepped forward and said, "Your servant has no merit yet has stealthily received favor, and stands awaiting punishment in Hedong.

布辭之官。 Ji Bu took his leave and returned to his post.

季布聞之，寄書諫竇長君曰：「吾聞曹丘生非長者，勿與通。」 Ji Bu heard this and sent a letter admonishing Dou Changjun, saying, 'I have heard that Cao Qiu Sheng is not an upright person—do not associate with him.'

及曹丘生歸，欲得書請季布。 When Cao Qiu returned home, he wished to obtain a letter of introduction to Ji Bu.

竇長君曰：「季將軍不說足下，足下無往。」 Dou Changjun said, 'General Ji is not pleased with you—you should not go.'

使人先發書，季布果大怒，待曹丘。 He sent a messenger ahead with the letter. Ji Bu, as expected, flew into a rage and waited for Cao Qiu's arrival, ready to confront him.

曹丘至，即揖季布曰：「楚人諺曰『得黃金百（斤），不如得季布一諾』，足下何以得此聲於梁楚閒哉？ Cao Qiu arrived and immediately bowed to Ji Bu, saying, 'The Chu people have a proverb: "Getting a hundred jin of yellow gold is not as good as getting one promise from Ji Bu." How did you, sir, obtain this reputation between Liang and Chu?

季布乃大說，引入，留數月，為上客，厚送之。 Ji Bu was greatly pleased. He invited Cao Qiu in, kept him as a guest for several months, treated him with the highest honor, and sent him off with lavish gifts.

季布名所以益聞者，曹丘揚之也。 The reason Ji Bu's reputation grew ever greater was that Cao Qiu had spread it far and wide.

當是時，季心以勇，布以諾，著聞關中。 In those days, Ji Xin was celebrated for his courage and Ji Bu for the reliability of his word—both were famous throughout Guanzhong.

太史公曰：以項羽之氣，而季布以勇顯於楚，身屨（典）軍搴旗者數矣，可謂壯士。 The Grand Historian said: In the age of Xiang Yu's fierce power, Ji Bu became renowned in Chu for his bravery; he personally commanded troops and seized enemy banners several times. He can indeed be called a stalwart warrior.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 124Biographies of Knight-errants · 1 passage

既陰脫季布將軍之阸，及布尊貴，終身不見也。 After he had secretly rescued General Ji Bu from peril, once Ji Bu rose to a position of honor, Zhu Jia never sought him out again for the rest of his life.

History of Song, Chapter 359Volume 359 Biographies 118: Li Gang 2 · 1 passage

昔漢文帝聞季布賢，召之，既而罷歸，布曰：'陛下以一人之譽召臣，一人之毀去臣，臣恐天下有以窺陛下之淺深。 Formerly Emperor Wen of Han heard that Ji Bu was worthy and summoned him; soon afterward he was dismissed and sent home. Ji Bu said: "Your Majesty summoned me on one man's praise and dismissed me on one man's slander — I fear the realm will read the depth or shallowness of Your Majesty's judgment."