Qin and Han · Scholar and Official

Wang Xiansheng 王先生

Attested BC 141 - BC 87

Passages: 10
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Xiansheng was a scholar and Official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 256-257

Career and standing

scholarly clerk 文學卒史
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 257
Assistant Superintendent of Waterways 水衡丞
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時 · Appointed
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 280
scholarly clerk 文學卒史
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 257

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 256-257

Works and attributed material

Coached reply · Author · Direct quotation · Addressed to Emperor Wu (武帝) · With Governor of Beihai (北海太守)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 270
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · Addressed to Governor of Beihai (北海太守)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 257, 267, 269-270
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 264

Events and relationships

Appointed
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時 · Appointment · Appointee · With Emperor Wu (武帝)
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 280
Asked to accompany
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時 · Travel · Companion · With Governor of Beihai (北海太守)
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 257, 260
Drank daily with guards
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝時 · Personal · Participant · At palace office gate 宮府門
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 262
Relation Advisor of · Person Governor of Beihai (北海太守)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 267, 269-270, 277
Relation Subordinate of · Person Governor of Beihai (北海太守)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 257

Assessments and attributes

Assessment fine words can be traded; noble conduct can raise a man · Mode quoted-saying Source Work 傳
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passages 281-282
Assessment fond of wine, talks much but accomplishes little · Mode named-source-report
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 258

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 126, passage 257

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 126Biographies of Jesters · 10 passages

有文學卒史王先生者，自請與太守俱，「吾有益於君」，君許之。 A scholarly clerk by the name of Wang Xiansheng asked to accompany him, declaring: "I will be of service to you, my lord." The governor agreed.

諸府掾功曹白云：「王先生嗜酒，多言少實，恐不可與俱。」 The governor's staff and merit officer warned him: "Wang Xiansheng is a drunkard — all talk and no substance. We fear it would be a mistake to bring him along."

太守曰：「先生意欲行，不可逆。」 The governor replied: "The master wishes to come. It would be wrong to refuse him."

王先生徒懷錢沽酒，與衛卒仆射飲，日醉，不視其太守。 Wang Xiansheng, for his part, simply pulled coins from his robe to buy wine and spent his days drinking with the guards and their captain, getting drunk every day and paying the governor no attention whatsoever.

王先生謂戶郎曰：「幸為我呼吾君至門內遙語。」 Wang Xiansheng said to the gate guard: "Would you be so kind as to call my lord just inside the gate? I wish to have a word with him from here."

太守來，望見王先生。 The governor came out and saw Wang Xiansheng waiting.

王先生曰：「天子即問君何以治北海令無盜賊，君對曰何哉？」 Wang Xiansheng asked: "When the Son of Heaven asks you how you governed Beihai so that there were no bandits, what do you plan to say?"

王先生曰：「對如是，是自譽自伐功，不可也。 Wang Xiansheng said: "If you answer like that, you will be praising yourself and boasting of your own merits — that will never do.

對曰：「受之文學卒史。」 The governor answered: "It was my scholarly clerk who coached me."

有詔召拜王先生為水衡丞，以北海太守為水衡都尉。 The emperor issued an edict appointing Wang Xiansheng as Assistant Superintendent of Waterways, and the Governor of Beihai was made Superintendent of Waterways.