Dates uncertain · Literary Character

Sir Vacuity 子虛

Zǐxū

Attested BC 179 - BC 117

Passages: 9
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

The translated histories identify Sir Vacuity as a diplomat, envoy, and named individual. This record brings together 9 passages from 2 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Sir Vacuity	子虛	Zǐxū
Personal name	Sir Fantasy	子虛
Personal name	Sir Vacuity	子虛	Zǐxū

Identity

Historicity: Literary
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:066:s0048

Roles

Diplomat
Envoy
Named Individual

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: composition context: Sima Xiangru's lifetime · Western Interval: Start: BC 179 · End: BC 117 · Qualitative: literary figure; interval describes composition context, not lifespan
Strongly inferred · hanshu:066:s0041, hanshu:066:s0048
Source Date: Text: 武帝朝相如作賦 · Western Interval: Start: BC 141 · End: BC 117
Strongly inferred · hanshu:067:s0119

Works and attributed material

Work: Sir Fantasy rhapsody / 子虛之事 · Relation: depicted-in
Explicit · hanshu:067:s0119
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true · Within Work: 子虛賦
Explicit · hanshu:066:s0051, hanshu:066:s0053, hanshu:066:s0055, hanshu:066:s0057, hanshu:066:s0065, hanshu:066:s0102

Events and relationships

Kind: dialogue · Role: participant · Action: blanched and accepted instruction · Other Person Id: Lord No-such-person (亡是公)
Explicit · hanshu:066:s0189
Kind: diplomatic-mission · Role: envoy · Action: sent by Chu to Qi; hunted with King of Qi · Other Person Id: King of Qi (齊王)
Explicit · hanshu:066:s0048

Source notes

Historicity: literary
Explicit · hanshu:066:s0041, hanshu:066:s0044, hanshu:067:s0119

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 66Volume 57a: Sima Xiangru · 8 passages

上令尚書給筆札，相如以「子虛」，虛言也，為楚稱； The emperor ordered brushes and bamboo slips from the Secretariat. Sima Xiangru explained that “Sir Vacuity” stood for empty boasting on Chu’s behalf;

楚使子虛使於齊，齊王悉發車騎與使者出田。 Chu dispatched Sir Vacuity on a mission to Qi. The king of Qi mustered every chariot and horseman and took his guest out for the chase.

田罷，子虛過奼烏有先生，亡是公存焉。 When the hunt broke up, Sir Vacuity called on Mr. Nonexistence—Lord No-such-person was there too. (The received text is damaged at one character.)

子虛曰：「樂。」 Sir Vacuity said, “It was enjoyable.”

曰：「少。」 Sir Vacuity said, “Very little.”

對曰：「僕樂王之欲誇僕以車騎之眾，而僕對以雲夢之事也。」 Sir Vacuity answered, “I enjoyed the king’s urge to dazzle me with his host of chariots and horsemen—because it let me answer with the tale of Cloud Dream Marsh.”

子虛曰：「可。」 “Gladly,” said Sir Vacuity.

亡是公言上林廣大，山谷水泉萬物，及子虛言雲夢所有甚眾，侈靡多過其實，且非義理所止，故刪取其要，歸正道而論之。 Lord No-such-person’s description of Shanglin and Sir Vacuity’s catalogue of Cloud Dream swell beyond fact and stray from moral purpose; the historian has therefore trimmed them to essentials and set the discourse back on the proper path.

Book of Han, Chapter 67Volume 57b: Sima Xiangru · 1 passage

上既美子虛之事，相如見上好仙，因曰：「上林之事未足美也，尚有靡者。 The sovereign had already praised his "Sir Fantasy" rhapsody. Seeing how fond the emperor was of immortals, Xiangru said: "What I wrote of the Upper Grove is not the limit of splendor; something grander remains.