Ancient China · Official and Aristocrat

Marquis of Rang 穰侯

Ránghóu

Attested BC 300 - BC 250

Passages: 11
Chapters: 6
Histories: 4

Overview

The translated histories identify Marquis of Rang as an aristocrat, official, and statesman. This record brings together 11 passages from 6 chapters across 4 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Marquis of Rang	穰侯	Ránghóu
Title	Marquis of Rang	穰侯	Ránghóu
Title	Marquis of Rang	穰侯
Title	Marquis of Rang	穰侯	Ráng Hóu
Title	Marquis of Rang	穰侯	Rang Hou
Title	Marquis Rang	穰侯	Rang Hou
Title	the Marquis of Rang	穰侯

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Title only
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:045:s0004
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:070:s0163
Value: male
Explicit · shiji:073:s0004

Roles

Aristocrat
Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 戰國典故 · Western Year: BC 266
Explicit · nanqishu:047:s0029
Source Date: Text: 昔三仁去而殷虛… · Western Year: BC 270
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:099:s0069
Source Date: Text: 是歲（昭王十三年） · Western Year: BC 294
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:073:s0003, shiji:073:s0004
Source Date: Text: 穰侯 · Western Interval: Start: BC 300 · End: BC 250
Explicit · beiqishu:038:s0065
Source Date: Text: 釐王二十三年 · Western Year: BC 273
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:045:s0171

Career and standing

Label: prime minister of Qin / 相秦 · Action: appointed · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 昭王十三年 · Western Year: BC 294
Explicit · shiji:073:s0004
Title: Marquis of Rang / 穰侯 · Action: held
Explicit · shiji:073:s0004

Places and affiliations

Label: Qin / 秦 · Relation: served
Explicit · shiji:073:s0004
Polity: Qin
Explicit · hanshu:070:s0163

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Chen Shi (陳筮)
Explicit · shiji:045:s0172, shiji:045:s0173, shiji:045:s0175, shiji:045:s0176, shiji:045:s0178

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: authority · Action: sent-relief · Place: Huayang / 華陽 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 釐王二十三年 · Western Year: BC 273
Explicit · shiji:045:s0178, shiji:045:s0179
Type: maternal-uncle · Person Local Id: King Zhao of Qin (昭王)
Explicit · hanshu:070:s0163

References in the histories

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

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 38Volume 38 Biographies 30: Xin Shu; Yuan Wenyao; Zhao Yanshen · 1 passage

楊遵彥每云：「堪解穰侯印者，必在斯人。」 Yang Zunyian often said, "The man who can take the Marquis of Rang's seal must be this one."

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 2 passages

穰侯，昭王之舅也，權重於秦，威震鄰敵，有旦莫偃伏之愛，心不介然有間，然范雎起徒步，由異國，無雅信，開一朝之說，而穰侯就封。 Marquis Rang, uncle to King Zhao of Qin, dominated that state and awed its neighbors; he shared the king's pillow and board without a shadow between them—yet Fan Ju, a stranger on foot, won a single hearing and sent Rang packing to his domain.

願將軍由周公之謙懼，損穰侯之威，放武安之欲，毋使范雎之徒得間其說。」 I urge you to keep the Duke of Zhou's humility, shed Marquis Rang's arrogance, and curb the appetites that ruined the Marquis of Wu'an—lest another Fan Ju find a crack through which to speak."

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

昔三仁去而殷虛，二老歸而周熾，子胥死而吳亡，種、蠡存而粵伯，五□入而秦喜，樂毅出而燕懼，范睢以折□而危穰侯，蔡澤雖噤吟而笑唐舉。 The Three Worthies left and Shang collapsed; the Two Elders came home and Zhou flourished; Wu died with Wu Zixu; Yue rose while Zhong and Fan Li lived; five captives entered Xianyang to Qin’s delight; Yue Yi’s exile struck terror into Yan; Fan Ju’s stratagem toppled the Marquis of Rang; Cai Ze, stammering all the while, still got the laugh on the physiognomist Tang Ju.

揚子曰：「范雎，魏之亡命也，折脅拉髂，免於微索，翕肩蹈背，扶服入橐，激卬萬乘之主，界涇陽抵穰侯而代之，當也。 Yang Xiong replied: "Fan Ju fled Wei with a broken body, dodged the searchers, crept into a sack to reach Qin, roused the king of ten thousand chariots, blocked Lord Jingyang, and unseated the Marquis of Rang—that was exactly the right moment for such a man.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 28: Wang Rong, Xie Tiao · 1 passage

從叔儉，初有儀同之授，融贈詩及書，儉甚奇憚之，笑謂人曰：「穰侯印詎便可解？」 His cousin Wang Jian had just been granted the rank Peer Equal to the Three Dukes; Rong sent him poems and letters, and Jian was both impressed and alarmed, remarking with a smile, "Does the seal of the Marquis of Rang come off that easily?"

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 45House of Han · 4 passages

陳筮見穰侯。 Chen Shi went and had an audience with the Marquis of Rang.

穰侯曰：「事急乎？ The Marquis of Rang asked, "Is the matter truly urgent?

穰侯怒曰：「是可以為公之主使乎？ The Marquis of Rang said angrily, "Is this any way to serve as envoy for your lord?

穰侯曰：「公無見王，請今發兵救韓。」 The Marquis of Rang said, "You need not see the king. I will send troops to rescue Han at once."

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 73Biographies of Bai Qi and Wang Jian · 1 passage

是歲，穰侯相秦，舉任鄙以為漢中守。 That year, the Marquis of Rang became prime minister of Qin and recommended Ren Bi to serve as governor of Hanzhong.