Qin and Han · Han Envoy and Official

Sui He 隨何

Suí Hé

Attested BC 204 - BC 202

Passages: 18
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Sui He as a courtier, diplomat, envoy, and official. This record brings together 18 passages from 2 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Sui He	隨何	Suí Hé
Personal
Personal name	He	何	Hé
Personal name	Sui He	隨何	Suí Hé

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Uncertain

Roles

Courtier
Diplomat
Envoy
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 漢三年 · Western Year: BC 204
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:091:s0036, shiji:091:s0035
Source Date: Text: 漢五年前後 · Western Year: BC 202
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:091:s0089, shiji:091:s0088

Career and standing

Label: palace attendant / yezer / 謁者
Explicit · shiji:091:s0036
Label: Protector-Commandant of the Army / 護軍中尉 · Action: appointed
Explicit · shiji:091:s0095

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true · Addressee Person Id: Ying Bu (英布)
Explicit · shiji:091:s0041, shiji:091:s0042, shiji:091:s0043, shiji:091:s0045, shiji:091:s0047, shiji:091:s0048, shiji:091:s0049, shiji:091:s0050, shiji:091:s0051, shiji:091:s0052, shiji:091:s0053, shiji:091:s0054, shiji:091:s0055, shiji:091:s0056, shiji:091:s0057, shiji:091:s0058, shiji:091:s0059, shiji:091:s0060, shiji:091:s0061, shiji:091:s0062, shiji:091:s0063, shiji:091:s0064, shiji:091:s0065, shiji:091:s0066
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true · Addressee Person Id: King of Han (漢王)
Explicit · shiji:091:s0090, shiji:091:s0092, shiji:091:s0093
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true
Explicit · shiji:091:s0036, shiji:091:s0038, shiji:091:s0070, shiji:091:s0073

Events and relationships

Kind: diplomatic · Role: envoy · Action: persuaded-ying-bu-to-defect · Other Person Id: Ying Bu (英布)
Explicit · shiji:091:s0039, shiji:091:s0067, shiji:091:s0075
Relation: envoy-of · Person Id: King of Han (漢王)
Explicit · shiji:091:s0037, shiji:091:s0039

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: pedantic/rotten scholar · Provenance: Mode: named-person-judgment · Source Person Id: King of Han (漢王)
Explicit · shiji:091:s0089

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 4 passages

漢王西過梁地，至虞，謂謁者隨何曰：「公能說九江王布使舉兵畔楚，項王必留擊之。 The King of Han passed west through Liang territory and reached Yu. He said to the usher Sui He: "Can you persuade Ying Bu, King of Jiujiang, to raise troops and rebel against Chu? Xiang Yu will certainly stay behind to attack him.

隨何往說布，果使畔楚。 Sui He went to persuade Ying Bu, and indeed made him rebel against Chu.

隨何既說黥布，布起兵攻楚。 After Sui He persuaded Ying Bu, Bu raised troops to attack Chu.

十二月，布與隨何間行歸漢。 In the twelfth month, Bu and Sui He secretly made their way back to Han.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 91Biography of Qing Bu · 14 passages

謁者隨何進曰：「不審陛下所謂。」 The palace attendant Sui He stepped forward and said, "I do not understand what Your Majesty means by this."

隨何曰：「臣請使之。」 Sui He said, "Allow me to go as your envoy."

隨何因說太宰曰：「王之不見何，必以楚為彊，以漢為弱，此臣之所以為使。 Sui He then addressed the Grand Steward, saying, "The reason the king refuses to see me is surely that he considers Chu strong and Han weak. But this is precisely why I have been sent here.

言之而非邪，使何等二十人伏斧質淮南市，以明王倍漢而與楚也。」 If my arguments prove wrong, then let my twenty companions and me lay our necks upon the executioner's block in the Huainan marketplace, as a public declaration that the king has rejected Han and chosen Chu."

隨何曰：「漢王使臣敬進書大王御者，竊怪大王與楚何親也。」 Sui He said, "The King of Han has sent me to respectfully present a letter to Your Majesty. I confess myself puzzled by Your Majesty's close attachment to Chu."

隨何曰：「大王與項王俱列為諸侯，北鄉而臣事之，必以楚為彊，可以託國也。 Sui He said, "Your Majesty and the King of Xiang were both enfeoffed as feudal lords, yet you face north and serve him as a vassal. This can only be because you consider Chu powerful enough to entrust your kingdom to.

隨何直入，坐楚使者上坐，曰：「九江王已歸漢，楚何以得發兵？」 Sui He strode in unannounced and seated himself in the place of honor above the Chu envoy, declaring, "The King of Jiujiang has already gone over to Han. On what grounds does Chu demand his troops?"

何因說布曰：「事已搆，可遂殺楚使者，無使歸，而疾走漢并力。」 Sui He then urged Bu, saying, "The deed is already done. You must kill the Chu envoy immediately and prevent him from returning. Then make haste to join forces with Han."

布欲引兵走漢，恐楚王殺之，故閒行與何俱歸漢。 Bu wished to lead his forces to join Han, but feared the King of Chu would have him killed. He therefore slipped away in secret and traveled with Sui He back to the Han court.

上折隨何之功，謂何為腐儒，為天下安用腐儒。 The Emperor dismissed Sui He's achievements, called him a pedantic scholar, and asked what use the empire had for pedantic scholars.

隨何跪曰：「夫陛下引兵攻彭城，楚王未去齊也，陛下發步卒五萬人，騎五千，能以取淮南乎？」 Sui He knelt and said, "When Your Majesty led the army against Pengcheng while the King of Chu was still in Qi, could you have taken Huainan with fifty thousand foot soldiers and five thousand cavalry?"

隨何曰：「陛下使何與二十人使淮南，至，如陛下之意，是何之功賢於步卒五萬人騎五千也。 Sui He said, "Your Majesty sent me with a mere twenty men on a mission to Huainan, and everything went exactly as you desired. Is my achievement not worth more than fifty thousand infantry and five thousand cavalry?

然而陛下謂何腐儒，為天下安用腐儒，何也？」 Yet Your Majesty calls me a pedantic scholar and asks what use the empire has for such men. Why?"

乃以隨何為護軍中尉。 He thereupon appointed Sui He Protector-Commandant of the Army.