Wei Shang (魏尚) | 24 Histories

Overview

The translated histories identify Wei Shang as an administrator, military officer, and official. This record brings together 5 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	Wei Shang	魏尚	Wèi Shàng
Title	Governor of Yunzhong	雲中守
Given	Shang	尚	Shang
Personal name	Wei Shang	魏尚	Wèi Shàng
Personal	Wei Shang	魏尚	Wei Shang

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · houhanshu:032:s0003
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:102:s0119

Roles

Administrator
Military Officer
Official

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 文帝時 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · houhanshu:032:s0003
Source Date: Text: 魏尚為雲中守 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:102:s0119, shiji:102:s0129

Career and standing

Label: Governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守 · Action: held · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0119
Label: Governor of Yunzhong / 雲中守 · Action: restored · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0129
Label: pardoned and restored as Yunzhong governor / 赦魏尚，復以為雲中守 · Action: pardoned · Authority Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0129
Label: stripped of rank and sentenced to penal labor / 削其爵，罰作之 · Action: sentenced · Authority Person Id: Emperor Wen of Han (漢文) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0125

Places and affiliations

Polity: Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · shiji:102:s0119

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: defeated-xiongnu-raid · Place: Yunzhong / 雲中 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 文帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 180 · End: BC 157
Explicit · shiji:102:s0120

References in the histories

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

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

Open chapter

以文帝以明而魏尚之忠，繩之以法則為罪，施之以德則為功。 Consider Emperor Wen's clarity of judgment and Wei Shang's loyalty: judged strictly by the statutes they could be called crimes; weighed with humane virtue they count as service.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 102Biographies of Zhang Shizhi and Feng Tang · 4 passages

Open chapter

今臣竊聞魏尚為雲中守，其軍市租盡以饗士卒，［出］私養錢，五日一椎牛，饗賓客軍吏舍人，是以匈奴遠避，不近雲中之塞。 Now I have heard privately that Wei Shang, as Governor of Yunzhong, devotes all the revenues from the army market to feasting his troops. He even spends his own private funds, and slaughters an ox every five days to feast his guests, officers, and retainers. Because of this, the Xiongnu keep their distance and dare not approach the Yunzhong frontier.

虜曾一入，尚率車騎擊之，所殺其眾。 When the barbarians once made an incursion, Shang led his chariots and cavalry against them and killed a great many.

且雲中守魏尚坐上功首虜差六級，陛下下之吏，削其爵，罰作之。 Moreover, the Governor of Yunzhong, Wei Shang, was convicted because his report of enemy heads taken was off by six. Your Majesty handed him over to the officials, stripped him of his rank, and sentenced him to penal labor.

是日令馮唐持節赦魏尚，復以為雲中守，而拜唐為車騎都尉，主中尉及郡國車士。 That very day, the emperor ordered Feng Tang to carry the imperial tally and pardon Wei Shang, restoring him as Governor of Yunzhong. He also appointed Tang as Chariot and Cavalry Colonel, with authority over the Colonel of the Guard and the chariot soldiers of the commanderies and kingdoms.