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Overview Names Identity Roles Life and dates Career and standing Places and affiliations Events and relationships Assessments and attributes References in the histories
Overview The translated histories identify Meng Shu as an administrator and official. This record brings together 22 passages from 3 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Meng Shu
孟舒
Meng Shu
Personal name
Meng Shu
孟舒
Meng Shu
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Life and dates Attested activity Source Date: Text: 孝文帝初立…復召以為雲中守Western Interval: Start: BC 180End: BC 157
Source Date: Text: 孟舒…隨王至長安Western Interval: Start: BC 200End: BC 198
Source Date: Text: 漢七年Western Year: BC 200
Source Date: Text: 立孝文帝Western Year: BC 180
Career and standing Label: Governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守Action: dismissed
Label: governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守Action: held
Label: Governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守Action: held
Label: governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守Action: reappointed
Label: Governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守Action: restored
Status: dismissalAction: entered
Events and relationships Kind: political ·
Role: follower ·
Action: followed Zhang Ao to Chang'an in convict dress ·
Other Person Id: Zhang Ao (張敖) Kind: loyalty ·
Role: follower ·
Action: followed-in-bonds ·
Other Person Id: Zhang Ao (張敖) Assessments and attributes Assessment: worthy elder ·
Provenance: Mode: named-person-judgmentSpeaker Person Id: Tian Shu (田叔) Assessment: worthy man (長者) ·
Provenance: Mode: named-personSpeaker Person Id: Tian Shu (田叔) References in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Book of Han, Chapter 2 Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 2 · 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 46 Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 8 passages
唯田叔、孟舒等十餘人赭衣自髡鉗，隨王至長安。
Only Tian Shu, Meng Shu, and a dozen others shaved their heads, donned the convict's collar and crimson robes, and followed their king to Chang'an.
叔頓首曰：「故雲中守孟舒，長者也。」
Tian Shu kowtowed and said, "The former governor of Yunzhong, Meng Shu, is such a man."
是時孟舒坐虜大入雲中免。
Meng Shu had just been dismissed because the Xiongnu had overrun Yunzhong in force.
上曰：「先帝置孟舒雲中十餘年矣，虜常一入，孟舒不能堅守，無故士卒戰死者數百人。
The emperor said, "The late emperor kept Meng Shu at Yunzhong for more than ten years, yet when the raiders broke in he failed to hold the line, and hundreds of soldiers died for no good reason.
叔叩頭曰：「夫貫高等謀反，天子下明詔，趙有敢隨張王者罪三族，然孟舒自髡鉗，隨張王，以身死之，豈自知為雲中守哉！
Tian Shu kowtowed and said, "When Guan Gao and his fellow plotters rose against the throne, the Son of Heaven decreed death for three generations of any Zhao official who followed King Zhang—yet Meng Shu shaved his head, took the collar, and followed his lord to the grave. How could he have dreamed he would one day govern Yunzhong?
漢與楚相距，士卒罷敝，而匈奴冒頓新服北夷，來為邊寇，孟舒知士卒罷敝，不忍出言，士爭臨城死敵，如子為父，以故死者數百人，孟舒豈敺之哉！
Han and Chu were deadlocked and the army was on its last legs, while Modun had just bent the northern tribes to his will and unleashed them on the frontier. Meng Shu knew his men were too spent to bear another order to battle—yet they stormed the walls like sons defending a father, and hundreds died. That was not Meng Shu driving them to their deaths.
是乃孟舒所以為長者。」
That is precisely the mark of a true elder statesman."
於是上曰：「賢哉孟舒！」
The emperor exclaimed, "Meng Shu is a remarkable man!"
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 104 Biography of Tian Shu · 12 passages
唯孟舒、田叔等十餘人赭衣自髡鉗，稱王家奴，隨趙王敖至長安。
Only Meng Shu, Tian Shu, and some ten others donned the red garments of convicts, shaved their heads and clamped iron collars around their own necks. Calling themselves slaves of the royal household, they followed King Ao of Zhao all the way to Chang'an.
叔頓首曰：「故雲中守孟舒，長者也。」
Tian Shu pressed his forehead to the ground and said: "The former Governor of Yunzhong, Meng Shu—he is truly a man of worth."
是時孟舒坐虜大入塞盜劫，雲中尤甚，免。
At that time, Meng Shu had been dismissed from office because barbarian raiders had broken through the frontier defenses on a massive scale, with the Yunzhong commandery suffering the worst of it.
上曰：「先帝置孟舒雲中十餘年矣，虜曾一人，孟舒不能堅守，毋故士卒戰死者數百人。
The emperor said: "The late emperor posted Meng Shu at Yunzhong for more than ten years. When the barbarians once raided in force, Meng Shu failed to hold his ground, and several hundred soldiers died in battle without cause.
公何以言孟舒為長者也？」
On what basis do you call Meng Shu a man of worth?"
叔叩頭對曰：「是乃孟舒所以為長者也。
Tian Shu kowtowed and replied: "This is precisely the reason Meng Shu is a man of worth.
然孟舒自髡鉗，隨張王敖之所在，欲以身死之，豈自知為雲中守哉！
Yet Meng Shu shaved his head and clamped an iron collar around his own neck, following King Zhang Ao wherever he went, willing to lay down his life for his lord—how could he have foreseen that he would one day become Governor of Yunzhong!
匈奴冒頓新服北夷，來為邊害，孟舒知士卒罷敝，不忍出言，士爭臨城死敵，如子為父，弟為兄，以故死者數百人。
The Xiongnu under Modu Chanyu, having recently subjugated the northern tribes, came to raid the frontier. Meng Shu knew his soldiers were utterly spent and could not bring himself to order them out to battle. Yet the men fought of their own accord, mounting the walls and throwing themselves at the enemy as sons would for their fathers and younger brothers for their elders. For this reason several hundred perished.
孟舒豈故驅戰之哉！
How could Meng Shu have willfully driven them to fight!
是乃孟舒所以為長者也。」
This is precisely what makes Meng Shu a man of worth."
於是上曰：「賢哉孟舒！」
At this, the emperor exclaimed: "What a worthy man Meng Shu is!"
復召孟舒以為雲中守。
He summoned Meng Shu back and reappointed him as Governor of Yunzhong.