Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and Writer

Kong Ningzi 孔甯子

First attested AD 416; died AD 425

Passages: 7
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Kong Ningzi was an official and Writer.

Life and dates

Death

AD 425 元嘉二年
Illness
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 63, passage 49

Attested activity

AD 425 元嘉二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 63, passage 49
AD 424 to AD 426 元嘉初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 63, passage 251
AD 416 to AD 418 高祖太尉
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 63, passage 29

Career and standing

Commandant of Foot Soldiers 步兵校尉
Concurrent
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 28
Chief Clerk to Gaozu as Grand Marshal 太尉主簿
AD 416 to AD 418 高祖太尉 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 63, passage 29
Advising Colonel of the General Who Guards the West 鎮西諮議參軍
Held
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 28
Gentleman at the Yellow Gate 黃門侍郎
Held
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 28

Places and affiliations

Polity Id liu-song · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passages 28, 251
At Kuaiji 會稽
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 28

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · Addressed to Emperor Gaozu (高祖) · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passages 29-44
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 46

Events and relationships

Destroyed chief ministers
AD 424 to AD 426 元嘉初 · Political · Agent · With Wang Hua (王華) · Mode historian-judgment
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 63, passage 251
Refused to moor
Travel · Traveler · At Jinchang Pavilion 金昌亭
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 46
Relation Opposed · Person Xu Xianzhi (徐羨之)
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 45

Assessments and attributes

Assessment admired for literary learning · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 28
Assessment had those two men lived out their years, later disaster might not have ended · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 255
Assessment hungered for wealth and rank · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Song 63, passage 45

References in the histories

Book of Song, Chapter 63Volume 63 Biographies 23: Wang Hua, Wang Tanshou, Yin Jingren, Shen Yanzhi · 7 passages

先是，會稽孔甯子為太祖鎮西諮議參軍，以文義見賞，至是為黃門侍郎，領步兵校尉。 Earlier, Kong Ningzi of Kuaiji had served the prince as advising colonel when he was General Who Guards the West and had won praise for his literary learning. By now he was a gentleman at the Yellow Gate and commandant of foot soldiers.

甯子先為高祖太尉主簿，陳損益曰：「隆化之道，莫先於官得其才； Ningzi had once been chief clerk to Gaozu when he was grand marshal, and he submitted a memorial on what to cut and what to add, saying, "In the path of great transformation, nothing comes before putting the right men in office;

甯子庸微，不識治體，冒昧陳愚，退懼違謬。」 I, Ningzi, am mean and slight and do not understand the principles of government; rashly I offer this foolish counsel and withdraw in fear of error."

甯子與華並有富貴之願，自羨之等秉權，日夜構之於太祖。 Ningzi and Hua both hungered for wealth and rank. Once Xu Xianzhi and his faction held power, they worked day and night to turn the prince against them.

甯子嘗東歸，至金昌亭，左右欲泊船，甯子命去之，曰：「此弑君亭，不可泊也。」 Once, returning east, Ningzi reached Jinchang Pavilion. His attendants wanted to tie up the boat, but he ordered them on, saying, "This is Regicide Pavilion—we cannot moor here."

元嘉二年，甯子病卒。 In the second year of Yuanjia, Ningzi died of illness.

史臣曰：元嘉初，誅滅宰相，蓋王華、孔甯子之力也。 The historian writes: At the beginning of Yuanjia the destruction of the chief ministers was largely the work of Wang Hua and Kong Ningzi.