Ancient China · Middle son of Fan Li

Middle son of Fan Li

Attested BC 450 - BC 350

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Middle son of Fan Li was a Middle son of Fan Li.

Life and dates

Death

Execution by order of the king of Chu · Responsible Person Id King of Chu (楚王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 225

Attested activity

BC 450 to BC 350 范蠡居陶後
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 185

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Youngest son of Fan Li
middle and youngest sons 中男／少子 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 185
Child of Fan Li (蠡)
middle son 中男
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 185
Child of Wife of Fan Li
mother 其母
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passages 185, 193
Sibling of Eldest son of Fan Li
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 191

Career and standing

Imprisoned for killing a person
At Chu 楚
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 185

Places and affiliations

Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 41, passage 185

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 41House of King Goujian of Yue · 13 passages

少子及壯，而朱公中男殺人，囚於楚。 After the youngest son reached adulthood, Zhu Gong's middle son killed someone and was imprisoned in Chu.

長男曰：「家有長子曰家督，今弟有罪，大人不遣，乃遺少弟，是吾不肖。」 The eldest son said: “The family's firstborn son is called the family supervisor. Now my younger brother has committed a crime. The great person does not send me, but instead sends the youngest brother. This shows I am unworthy.”

其母為言曰：「今遣少子，未必能生中子也，而先空亡長男，柰何？」 His mother spoke on his behalf, saying: “If we now send the youngest son, we may not be able to save the middle son, and we will first lose the eldest son for nothing. What should we do?”

即弟出，勿問所以然。」 When your younger brother is released, do not ask the reason.”

朱公長男以為赦，弟固當出也，重千金虛棄莊生，無所為也，乃復見莊生。 Zhu Gong’s eldest son thought this meant a pardon would be issued and that his younger brother would certainly be released. Resenting that the thousand gold pieces left with Zhuang Sheng would have been wasted, he went to see Zhuang Sheng again.

初為事弟，弟今議自赦，故辭生去。」 At first, I came because of my younger brother’s case. Now my younger brother is apparently to be pardoned, so I have come to bid you farewell before leaving.”

今臣出，道路皆言陶之富人朱公之子殺人囚楚，其家多持金錢賂王左右，故王非能恤楚國而赦，乃以朱公子故也。」 Now when I went out, everyone on the road was saying that the son of Zhu Gong, a rich man of Tao, had killed someone and been imprisoned in Chu; that his family had brought a great deal of gold and bribed the king’s attendants; and that Your Majesty’s pardon was not meant to show compassion for Chu, but only for Zhu Gong’s son.”

楚王大怒曰：「寡人雖不德耳，柰何以朱公之子故而施惠乎！」 The King of Chu was furious and said, “Though I lack virtue, how could I bestow favor merely for Zhu Gong’s son?”

令論殺朱公子，明日遂下赦令。 He ordered Zhu Gong’s son tried and executed, and issued the pardon order the next day.

朱公長男竟持其弟喪歸。 Zhu Gong's eldest son finally brought his younger brother's body home for burial.

至，其母及邑人盡哀之，唯朱公獨笑，曰：「吾固知必殺其弟也！ When he arrived, his mother and the city people all grieved for him. Only Zhu Gong laughed and said: “I knew he would kill his younger brother!

彼非不愛其弟，顧有所不能忍者也。 It is not that he did not love his younger brother; rather, there was something in the matter that he could not bear.

而長者不能，故卒以殺其弟，事之理也，無足悲者。 But the elder son could not. In the end, therefore, he caused his younger brother's death. Such is the logic of the matter; there is nothing to grieve over.