Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and Courtier

Song Bian 宋弁

Attested AD 490 - AD 520

Passages: 11
Chapters: 5
Histories: 3

Overview

Song Bian was an official and Courtier.

Life and dates

Attested activity

AD 493 十一年
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 47, passages 98, 104
AD 493 to AD 496 太和中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 27, passage 53
AD 495 太和十九年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Wei 24, passage 48
AD 490 to AD 499 魏吏部尚書
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 32
AD 490 to AD 520 魏時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 193

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Lady Song (宋氏)
granddaughter 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 32
Parent of Father of Song Qindao (宋欽道父)
father 父
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 193

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Minister of Personnel 吏部尚書
Held
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 32; Book of Northern Qi 34, passage 193
Yellow Gate Attendant 黃門侍郎
Held
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passage 48

Places and affiliations

Polity Wei 魏 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 32

Works and attributed material

Memorial · Author · With Emperor Xiaowen (孝文皇帝)
Directly stated · Book of Wei 24, passages 48-52
Speech · Speaker · With Wang Rong (王融)
Directly stated · Book of Southern Qi 47, passages 99, 101, 104-105, 112, 114, 117

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 11, passage 32

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 11Volume 11 Biographies 3: Six Princes of Wenxiang · 1 passage

孝瑜母，魏吏部尚書宋弁孫也，本魏潁川王斌之妃，為文襄所納，生孝瑜，孝瑜還第，為太妃。 Xiaoyu's mother was a granddaughter of Song Bian, Wei's Minister of Personnel. She had originally been consort to Prince Bin of Yingchuan in Wei, but Wenxiang took her into his household and she bore Xiaoyu. When Xiaoyu took up residence in his own mansion, she became Grand Consort.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 34Volume 34 Biographies 26: Yang Yin; Yan Zixian; Song Qindao; Zheng Yi · 1 passage

宋欽道，廣平人，魏吏部尚書弁孫也。 Song Qindao was from Guangping, grandson of Wei minister of personnel Song Bian.

Book of Southern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 28: Wang Rong, Xie Tiao · 7 passages

上以融才辯，十一年，使兼主客，接虜使房景高、宋弁。 Because the emperor valued Rong's eloquence, in the eleventh year he made him also Director of Guests to receive the Northern Wei envoys Fang Jinggao and Song Bian.

弁見融年少，問主客年幾？ Bian saw that Rong was young and asked how old the Director of Guests was.

後日，宋弁於瑤池堂謂融曰：「昔觀相如《封禪》，以知漢武之德； A few days later Song Bian said to Rong at Yaochi Hall, "When I once read Sima Xiangru's 'Feng and Shan,' I learned Emperor Wu of Han's virtue;

宋弁曰：「不容虛偽之名，當是不習土地。」 Song Bian said, "A false reputation will not stand—probably they are unaccustomed to the terrain here."

弁曰：「王主客何爲懃懃於千里？」 Bian said, "Why is Director Wang so eager about a thousand-li horse?"

弁曰：「向意旣須，必不能駕鼓車也。」 Bian said, "Since you already wanted one, he surely will not drive the drum carriage."

弁不能答。 Bian had no answer.

Book of Wei, Chapter 24Volume 20: Emperor Wencheng's Five Princes · 1 passage

黃門侍郎崔光、宋弁，通直常侍劉芳，典命下大夫李元凱，中書侍郎高聰等議曰：[4]「三臨之事，乃自古禮，爰及漢魏，行之者稀。 Cui Guang and Song Bian of the Yellow Gate, Liu Fang, regular attendant of direct transmission, Li Yuankai, master of ceremonies lower grandee, Gao Cong, secretariat attendant, and others replied:[4] "Three visits are an ancient rite, yet from Han through Wei few have practiced it.

Book of Wei, Chapter 27Volume 22: Emperor Xiaowen's Five Princes · 1 passage

高祖泛舟天淵池，謂郭祚、崔光、宋弁曰：「人生須自放，不可終朝讀書。 Gaozu drifted a boat on the Tianyuan Pool and said to Guo Zuo, Cui Guang, and Song Bian, "A man must sometimes loosen the rein. He cannot read from dawn to dusk.