Ancient China · Statesman and Official

Sun Shuao 孫叔敖

Died BC 613

Passages: 8
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Sun Shuao was a statesman and Official.

Life and dates

Death

BC 613 to BC 591 楚莊王之時
Illness
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 64
BC 613 to BC 591 楚莊王之時
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 79

Attested activity

BC 613 to BC 591 楚莊王之時
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 47, 63

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Parent of Son of Sun Shuao (孫叔敖之子)
father 父
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 64-67
Spouse of Wife of Sun Shuao (孫叔敖之妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 87

Kinship Role children · Quantity unspecified
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 87
Kinship Role descendants · Quantity ten generations
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 89

Career and standing

Chancellor of Chu 楚相
BC 613 to BC 591 楚莊王之時 · Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 63, 78, 87

Places and affiliations

Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 63, 78

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Son of Sun Shuao (孫叔敖之子) · Mode quotation Speaker Sun Shuao (孫叔敖)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 64-65

Assessments and attributes

Assessment maintained integrity until death · Mode quotation Speaker You Meng (優孟)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 87
Assessment poured out loyalty and served with integrity so that the king became hegemon · Mode quotation Speaker You Meng (優孟)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 78
Assessment recognized You Meng as a man of true worth · Mode named-person-judgment Source Person Id Sun Shuao (孫叔敖)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 63

References in the histories

Search passages

History

8 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 126Biographies of Jesters · 8 passages

楚相孫叔敖知其賢人也，善待之。 Sun Shuao, the Chancellor of Chu, recognized You Meng as a man of true worth and treated him with great courtesy.

病且死，屬其子曰：「我死，汝必貧困。 When Sun Shuao lay on his deathbed, he charged his son: "After I am gone, you will surely fall into poverty.

即為孫叔敖衣冠，抵掌談語。 He then donned the robes and cap that Sun Shuao had once worn, clapping his hands as he practiced speech and bearing.

歲餘，像孫叔敖，楚王及左右不能別也。 After more than a year of practice, his impersonation of Sun Shuao was so perfect that neither the King of Chu nor his attendants could tell the two apart.

莊王大驚，以為孫叔敖復生也，欲以為相。 King Zhuang was astonished, convinced that Sun Shuao had returned from the dead. He wanted to appoint him chancellor on the spot.

如孫叔敖之為楚相，盡忠為廉以治楚，楚王得以霸。 Consider Sun Shuao as chancellor — he poured out his loyalty and served with perfect integrity, governing Chu so well that the king rose to become hegemon.

必如孫叔敖，不如自殺。」 If being chancellor means ending up like Sun Shuao, one might as well take one's own life."

楚相孫叔敖持廉至死，方今妻子窮困負薪而食，不足為也！」 Sun Shuao, Chancellor of Chu, held fast to his integrity unto death — yet today his wife and children carry firewood on their backs just to eat. It is not worth doing!"