Ancient China · Official and Diplomat

Lin Xiangru 藺相如

Attested BC 300 - BC 260

Passages: 7
Chapters: 7
Histories: 5

Overview

Lin Xiangru was an official and Diplomat.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Alternate name	Master Lin	藺子	Lìn Zǐ
Epithet	young Lan	藺生

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 280 夫藺先生收功於章台…
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 99, passage 107
BC 283 慕藺
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 144
BC 283 慕藺相如之為人也
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 66, passage 5
BC 283 to BC 279 戰國趙
Strongly inferred · Book of Song 58, passage 52
BC 283 to BC 279 藺子申威秦王
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 22, passage 21
BC 300 to BC 260 藺生
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 47, passage 258

Key source chapters

Events and relationships

Overawed
Diplomatic · Envoy · With King of Qin (秦王) · Outcome Demonstrated authority before the King of Qin
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 21
Yielded place
Political · Statesman · With Lian Po (廉頗) · Outcome Yielded to Lian Po
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 21
Relation Rival reconciled with · Person Lian Po (廉頗)
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 21

Assessments and attributes

Assessment model for serving a lord · Mode named-speaker Speaker Ruan Xiaoxu (阮孝緒)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 47, passage 258
Assessment overawed the King of Qin and yielded to Lian Po, yet ranked fifth class · Mode commentator-judgment Speaker Zhang Yan (張晏)
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 21

References in the histories

History of the Northern Dynasties, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 76: Recluses · 1 passage

祖浚燕南贅客，河朔惰游，本無意于希顏，豈有心于慕藺。 Zujun is a superfluous guest south of Yan, an idle wanderer of the northern Yellow River region; I never intended to emulate Yan Hui, nor had any mind to admire Lin Xiangru.

Book of Han, Chapter 22Volume 20: Prominent People from the Past Until the Present · 1 passage

田單以即墨孤城復強齊之大，魯連之博通，忽於榮利，藺子申威秦王，退讓廉頗，乃在第五。 Tian Dan revived powerful Qi from the isolated city of Jimo; Lu Zhonglian was widely learned and dismissed fame and gain; Lin Xiangru overawed the king of Qin and later yielded place to Lian Po, yet all are ranked only in the fifth class.

Book of Han, Chapter 66Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru · 1 passage

相如既學，慕藺相如之為人也，更名相如。 Once his schooling was done, he so admired the conduct of Lin Xiangru that he adopted the name Xiangru for himself.

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 1 passage

夫藺先生收功於章台，四皓采榮於南山，公孫創業於金馬，票騎發跡於祁連，司馬長卿竊訾於卓氏，東方朔割炙於細君。 Lord Lin won his fame on the Zhangtai terrace; the Four Whiteheads took honor on Mount Shang; Gongsun Hong built a career from the Golden Horse gate; Huo Qubing made his name beyond Qilian; Sima Xiangru wangled a fortune from the Zhuos; Dongfang Shuo carved a roast for his bride.

Book of Liang, Chapter 47Volume 47: Filial Acts · 1 passage

舅阮孝緒聞之，歎曰：「此兒在家則曾子之流，事君則藺生之匹。」 His uncle Ruan Xiaoxu sighed, "At home this boy is like Zengzi; in serving a lord he would match young Lan."

Book of Song, Chapter 58Volume 58 Biographies 18: Wang Hui, Xie Hongwei, Wang Qiu · 1 passage

微子基微尚，無勌由慕藺，勿輕一簣少，進往將千仞。 Master Wei rests on quiet excellence; tireless, he emulates Lin Xiangru; do not despise a single basket's lack—the climb ahead will reach a thousand ren.

Book of Sui, Chapter 77Volume 77 Biographies 42: Recluses · 1 passage

祖浚燕南贅客，河朔惰游，本無意于希顏，豈有心于慕藺！ Zujun is but an extra guest in the south and a lazy wanderer in the north; I never aspired to emulate Yan Hui—how could I dream of admiring Lin Xiangru!