Ancient China · Aristocrat and Chancellor

Lord Mengchang 孟嘗君

Mengchang Jun

Attested BC 300 - BC 284

Passages: 11
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Lord Mengchang was an aristocrat and Chancellor.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 300 to BC 284 孟嘗君時相齊
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 160

Career and standing

Chancellor of Qi 相齊
BC 300 to BC 284 孟嘗君時相齊 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 160
ten thousand households at Xue 封萬戶於薛
Enfeoffed · At Xue 薛
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 160
worried that guest provisions would run out
Worried · Experienced
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 164, 168

Places and affiliations

Polity Qi 齊 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 160
At Xue 薛 · Relation Enfeoffed at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 160, 162
Organization three thousand retainers 食客三千人 · Relation Patron of · Quantity 3000
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 161, 166, 183

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Feng Huan (馮驩) · Mode quotation Speaker Lord Mengchang (孟嘗君)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 166-168, 183-185

Events and relationships

Angered by burned contracts
Personal · Principal · With Feng Huan (馮驩)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 182
Commissioned debt collection
Administrative · Principal · With Feng Huan (馮驩) · At Xue 薛
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 166, 168
Lent money at interest
Economic · Principal · At Xue 薛 · Outcome City revenues insufficient; after more than a year many borrowers unpaid
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 162-163, 166-167
Sought debt collector
Administrative · Principal · At Xue 薛
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 164
Thanked
Personal · Agent · With Feng Huan (馮驩)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 192
Relation Patron of · Person Feng Huan (馮驩)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passages 165-166

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Relation Superior of · Person Guest House Manager (傳舍長)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 165

Assessments and attributes

Assessment accepted Feng Huan explanation and thanked him · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 192

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 75, passage 160

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 75Biography of Lord Mengchang · 11 passages

孟嘗君時相齊，封萬戶於薛。 Lord Mengchang was then chancellor of Qi, and was enfeoffed with ten thousand households at Xue.

孟嘗君憂之，問左右：「何人可使收債於薛者？」 Lord Mengchang worried about this and asked his attendants: 'Who can be sent to collect the debts at Xue?'

孟嘗君乃進馮驩而請之曰：「賓客不知文不肖，幸臨文者三千餘人，邑入不足以奉賓客，故出息錢於薛。 Lord Mengchang then summoned Feng Huan and requested of him: 'The guests do not know that I am unworthy, and fortunately more than three thousand have come to me. The city revenues are insufficient to serve the guests, so I lent money at interest in Xue.

辭行，至薛，召取孟嘗君錢者皆會，得息錢十萬。 He took his leave and went to Xue. He summoned everyone who had borrowed Lord Mengchang's money, and when they had all assembled, he collected one hundred thousand in interest money.

曰：「孟嘗君所以貸錢者，為民之無者以為本業也； He said: 'Lord Mengchang's reason for lending money was to provide capital for those people who had none to establish their livelihood;

有君如此，豈可負哉！」 With a lord like this, how could you betray him!'

孟嘗君聞馮驩燒券書，怒而使使召驩。 Lord Mengchang heard that Feng Huan had burned the contracts, grew angry, and sent a messenger to summon Huan.

驩至，孟嘗君曰：「文食客三千人，故貸錢於薛。 When Huan arrived, Lord Mengchang said: 'I have three thousand retainers, so I lent money at Xue.

文奉邑少，而民尚多不以時與其息，客食恐不足，故請先生收責之。 My enfeoffed city gives little revenue, and many people still do not pay their interest on time. I fear the guests' food will be insufficient, so I asked you, sir, to collect and demand it.

焚無用虛債之券，捐不可得之虛計，令薛民親君而彰君之善聲也，君有何疑焉！」 By burning the contracts for useless, empty debts and discarding calculations that could never be realized, I made the people of Xue draw close to you and made your good reputation shine. What doubt can you have about this?'

孟嘗君乃拊手而謝之。 Lord Mengchang then clapped his hands and thanked him.