Wang Yanshi (王延世)

Overview

The translated histories identify Wang Yanshi as a named individual and official. This record brings together 14 passages from 3 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Wang Yanshi	王延世	Wáng Yánshì
Surname	Wang	王	Wáng
Personal	Wang Yanshi	王延世	Wang Yanshi
Given	Yanshi	延世	Yánshì
Given	Yanshi	延世	Yanshi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:070:s0161

Roles

Named Individual
Official

Career and standing

Commandant / 校尉
Explicit · hanshu:011:s0067
Name: Grand Master of Palace Revenue / 光祿大夫
Explicit · hanshu:038:s0149
Name: River-dike Envoy / 河隄使者
Explicit · hanshu:038:s0143
Name: Marquis Within the Passes / 關內侯
Explicit · hanshu:038:s0149

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 11Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng · 1 passage

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河平元年春三月，詔曰：「河決東郡，流漂二州，校尉王延世隄塞輒平，其改元為河平。 In the third month of spring, in the first year of Heping, an edict declared, 'The Yellow River burst its banks in Dong Commandery, flooding and sweeping through two provinces. Commandant Wang Yanshi built dikes and closed the breach, bringing it quickly under control. Let the era name be changed to Heping.

Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 12 passages

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河隄使者王延世使塞，以竹落長四丈，大九圍，盛以小石，兩船夾載而下之。 Dike commissioner Wang Yanshi sealed the breach using bamboo gabions four zhang long and nine chi around, packed with stone and lowered between paired boats.

上曰：「東郡河決，流漂二州，校尉延世隄防三旬立塞。 The emperor said, "The Dong Commandery breach ravaged two provinces, yet Commandant Yanshi sealed it in only three ten-day periods.

惟延世長於計策，功費約省，用力日寡，朕甚嘉之。 Yanshi alone showed outstanding strategic skill: he kept costs tight and labor demands low. I commend him highly.

其以延世為光祿大夫，秩中二千石，賜爵關內侯，黃金百斤。」 Promote Yanshi to Grand Master of Palace Revenue at the middle-2000-shi rank, ennoble him as a Marquis Within the Passes, and award one hundred jin of gold."

後二歲，河復決平原，流入濟南、千乘，所壞敗者半建始時，復遣王延世治之。 Two years later the river again breached at Pingyuan and flooded Jinan and Qiancheng. Damage reached about half the Jianshi disaster, and Wang Yanshi was again sent to direct repairs.

杜欽說大將軍王鳳，以為「前河決，丞相史楊焉言延世受焉術以塞之，蔽不肯見。 Du Qin advised Grand General Wang Feng: "During the previous breach, Chancellor's Clerk Yang Yan said that Yanshi had used a technique learned from him to close it, but Yanshi suppressed his claim and refused to see him.

今獨任延世，延世見前塞之易，恐其慮害不深。 If we rely solely on Yanshi now, he may treat this as easy based on last time and underestimate the risks.

又審如焉言，延世之巧，反不如焉。 And if Yang Yan's account is true, Yanshi's technique may actually be inferior to Yan's.

如此，數郡種不得下，民人流散，盜賊將生，雖重誅延世，無益於事。 Then several commanderies will miss planting, populations will disperse, and banditry will emerge. Even severe punishment of Yanshi afterward would be useless.

延世與焉必相破壞，深論便宜，以相難極。 Yanshi and Yang Yan will check one another, forcing a thorough practical debate on what should be done.

復賜延世黃金百斤。 Yanshi was again awarded one hundred jin of gold.

眾庶見王延世蒙重賞，競言便巧，不可用。 Because Wang Yanshi had been lavishly rewarded, many people rushed to submit flashy "ingenious" plans; these should not be adopted blindly.

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 1 passage

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數稱達名士王駿、韋安世、王延世等，救解馮野王、王尊、胡常之罪過，及繼功臣絕世，填撫四夷，當世善政，多出於欽者。 He repeatedly praised worthy men such as Wang Jun, Wei Anshi, and Wang Yanshi to high office, cleared Feng Yewang, Wang Zun, and Hu Chang of unjust charges, restored titles to meritorious families whose lines had failed, and soothed the frontier tribes—most of the era's sound policies owed something to Du Qin.