Ancient China · Loyal Minister of Xia

Long Feng 龍逢

Attested BC 1600

Passages: 9
Chapters: 6
Histories: 3

Overview

Long Feng was a Loyal Minister of Xia.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Guan Longpeng	關龍逢	Guan Longpeng

Life and dates

Death

killed 殺 · Authority King Jie of Xia (夏桀)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89
Cause Execution · Executed for trying to do good with Jie and Zhou
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 15
Execution · Cause Trying to do good with tyrants
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 14

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 14; Book of Han 22, passage 15; Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 160; Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89
BC 1600 龍逢
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 225

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Suffered
Execution
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 15

Places and affiliations

Polity Xia 夏 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 160; Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89

Events and relationships

Killed
Legal · Victim · With Jie (桀)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 61, passage 160
Sought good and was executed
Political · Counselor · With Jie (桀), King Zhou of Shang (紂)
Directly stated · Book of Han 20, passage 14
Sought to join in good
Political · Counselor · With King Jie of Xia (夏桀), King Zhou of Shang (紂) · Outcome Executed
Directly stated · Book of Han 22, passage 15
Type minister-of · Person King Jie of Xia (夏桀)
Directly stated · Book of Han 76, passage 300

Source notes

Historicity legendary
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 89

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 20Table of Ancient and Modern Persons · 1 passage

桀紂，龍逢、比干欲與之為善則誅，于莘、崇侯與之為惡則行。 By contrast, with Jie and Zhou, Long Feng and Bi Gan were executed for trying to do what was right with them, while Yu Xin and the Marquis of Chong were followed when they proposed evil.

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

桀紂，龍逢、比干欲與之為善則誅，于莘、崇侯與之為惡則行。 By contrast, with Jie and Zhou, Long Feng and Bi Gan were executed for trying to do what was right with them, while Yuxin and the Marquis of Chong were followed when they proposed evil.

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 3 passages

譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."

先生對曰：「昔者關龍逢深諫於桀，而王子比干直言於紂，此二臣者，皆極慮盡忠，閔王澤不下流，而萬民騷動，故直言其失，切諫其邪者，將以為君之榮，除主之禍也。 The gentleman replied, saying: "Formerly Guan Longpeng remonstrated deeply with Jie, and Prince Bigan spoke straight with Zhou—these two ministers both exhausted thought and fulfilled loyalty, pitied that the king's grace did not flow downward while the myriad people were restless; therefore they spoke straight of his faults and cut remonstrance of his wickedness, intending thereby to be the lord's glory and remove the ruler's disaster.

太公、伊尹以如此，龍逢、比干獨如彼，豈不哀哉！ The Grand Duke and Yi Yin met with such success, while Guan Longpeng and Bigan met with the opposite fate. Is that not tragic?

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 61Volume 61: Book of Wu 16: Biographies of Pan Jun and Lu Kai · 2 passages

臣聞有國以賢為本，夏殺龍逢，殷獲伊摯。 They say a state stands on worthy men: Xia slew Long Pang, yet Yin won Yi Yin.

中常侍王蕃黃中通理，處朝忠謇，斯社稷之重鎮，大吳之龍逢也，而陛下忿其苦辭，惡其直對，梟之殿堂，屍骸暴棄。 Wang Fan, the palace attendant, was a man of inner integrity and clear judgment, loyal and blunt in council—the very pillar of Wu, your Long Pang—yet you resented his plain speech, loathed his candor, had him executed in open court, and left his body unburied.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 83Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang · 1 passage

今夫天下布衣窮居之士，身在貧賤，雖蒙堯、舜之術，挾伊、管之辯，懷龍逢、比干之意，欲盡忠當世之君，而素無根柢之容，雖竭精思，欲開忠信，輔人主之治，則人主必有按劍相眄之跡，是使布衣不得為枯木朽株之資也。 Now consider the scholars of the realm who dwell in poverty and low estate. Though they may possess the arts of Yao and Shun, wield the eloquence of Yi Yin and Guan Zhong, and harbor the devotion of Long Pang and Bi Gan, wishing to devote their utmost loyalty to the ruler of their age—yet lacking anyone to introduce them or vouch for their worth—no matter how they exhaust their minds and seek to offer their faithfulness, the ruler will inevitably greet them with a hand on his sword and a suspicious glare. This is what prevents men of humble birth from gaining even the advantage of the gnarled log and the rotten stump.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 88Biography of Meng Tian · 1 passage

桀殺關龍逢，紂殺王子比干而不悔，身死則國亡。 The tyrant Jie killed the loyal Guan Longfeng, and the tyrant Zhou killed Prince Bigan without remorse. Both perished, and their kingdoms fell with them.