Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

Xu Mian 徐勉

Attested AD 502 - AD 540

Passages: 11
Chapters: 6
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Xu Mian as an official and statesman. This record brings together 11 passages from 6 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Xu Mian	徐勉	Xu Mian
Title	Director of the Ministry of Personnel	吏部尚書
Given name	Mian	勉	Mian
Title	Vice Director of the Secretariat	尚書僕射
Surname	Xu	徐	Xu
Personal name	Xu Mian	徐勉	Xu Mian
Personal name	Xu Mian	徐勉
Personal name	Xu Mian	徐勉	Xú Miǎn
Personal	Xu Mian	徐勉	Xú Miǎn

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · beiqishu:033:s0178, liangshu:030:s0042, liangshu:036:s0018
Sex: male
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0017, liangshu:037:s0046, liangshu:038:s0085

Roles

Official
Statesman

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 中大通三年 · Western Year: AD 531
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:037:s0046
Source Date: Text: 普通七年 · Western Year: AD 526
Explicit · liangshu:030:s0054
Source Date: Text: 普通三年十一月 · Western Year: AD 522
Explicit · liangshu:008:s0031
Source Date: Text: 普通中 · Western Interval: Start: AD 520 · End: AD 527
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:037:s0017
Source Date: Text: 梁世 · Western Interval: Start: AD 502 · End: AD 535
Explicit event contextual date · beiqishu:033:s0178
Source Date: Text: 梁臺建 · Western Year: AD 502
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:036:s0018
Source Date: Text: 賀琛普通中入都後 · Western Interval: Start: AD 520 · End: AD 540
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:038:s0085

Career and standing

Label: Minister of Personnel / 吏部尚書 · Action: held
Explicit · liangshu:036:s0018
Label: Vice Director / 僕射 · Action: held
Explicit · liangshu:008:s0031, liangshu:037:s0017, liangshu:037:s0046

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Quoted: true · About Person Id: Kong Xiuyuan (孔休源)
Explicit · liangshu:036:s0020

Events and relationships

Kind: recommendation · Role: recommender · Action: nominated-successor · Other Person Id: He Jingrong (何敬容)
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0046
Relation: predecessor-of · Person Id: He Jingrong (何敬容)
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0046

Source notes

Historicity: historical
Explicit · liangshu:037:s0017, liangshu:037:s0046

References in the histories

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

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies 25: Xiao Yuanming; Xiao Zhi (Liang); Xiao Tui; Xiao Fang (Liang); Xu Zhicai · 1 passage

為僕射時，語人曰：「我在江東，見徐勉作僕射，朝士莫不佞之。 When he was vice director he told people, "In the southeast I saw Xu Mian serve as vice director, and no court gentleman failed to flatter him.

Book of Liang, Chapter 8Volume 8: Crown Prince Zhaoming; Crown Prince Ai; Crown Prince Minhuai · 1 passage

僕射徐勉、左率周舍、家令陸襄並同孝綽議。 Vice Director Xu Mian, Left Leader Zhou She, and Household Intendant Lu Xiang all sided with Xiaochuo.

Book of Liang, Chapter 30Volume 30: Pei Ziye; Gu Xie; Xu Chi; Bao Quan · 2 passages

至是，吏部尚書徐勉言之於高祖，以爲著作郎，掌國史及起居注。 At this time Director of the Ministry of Personnel Xu Mian spoke of him to Emperor Wu, who appointed him Lang of Composition, in charge of the national history and the records of the ruler's movements.

普通七年，王師北伐，敕子野爲喻魏文，受詔立成，高祖以其事體大，召尚書僕射徐勉、太子詹事周捨、鴻臚卿劉之遴、中書侍郎朱异，集壽光殿以觀之，時並嘆服。 In the seventh year of Putong, the imperial army marched north, and Ziye was ordered to compose a letter admonishing Wei. He received the edict and finished it at once. Because the matter was weighty, Emperor Wu summoned Vice Director of the Secretariat Xu Mian, Supervisor of the Heir Apparent Zhou She, Minister of Ceremonies Liu Zhilin, and Vice Director of the Secretariat Zhu Yi to gather in the Shouguang Hall to read it; all marveled at it.

Book of Liang, Chapter 36Volume 36: Kong Xiuyuan; Jiang Ge · 4 passages

高祖嘗問吏部尚書徐勉曰：「今帝業初基，須一人有學藝解朝儀者，爲尚書儀曹郎。 Gaozu once asked Xu Mian, Minister of Personnel: "The dynasty is just taking shape. I need a learned man who knows court ceremony for Director of Ritual in the Masters of Writing.

勉對曰：「孔休源識具清通，諳練故實，自晉、宋《起居注》誦略上口。」 Mian answered: "Kong Xiuyuan is lucid, well grounded in precedent, and can recite the Jin and Song Daily Records almost by heart."

中興元年，高祖入石頭，時吳興太守袁昂據郡距義師，乃使革制書與昂，于坐立成，辭義典雅，高祖深賞歎之，因令與徐勉同掌書記。 In the first year of Zhongxing Gaozu entered Stone Fort while Yuan Ang, administrator of Wuxing, held the commandery against the cause. Ge was told to draft the letter to Ang and finished it on the spot; its language was elegant, Gaozu praised it highly, and put him in charge of written records together with Xu Mian.

典簽沈熾文以王所制詩呈高祖，高祖謂僕射徐勉曰：「江革果能稱職。」 Chief of staff Shen Chiwen showed the prince's poems to Gaozu. Gaozu told Vice Director Xu Mian, "Jiang Ge has truly done his duty."

Book of Liang, Chapter 37Volume 37: Xie Ju; He Jingrong · 2 passages

先是，北渡人盧廣有儒術，爲國子博士，于學發講，僕射徐勉以下畢至。 Earlier the northern scholar Lu Guang, skilled in Confucian learning, was Erudite of the National University; when he lectured there, Vice Director Xu Mian and the rest all attended.

時僕射徐勉參掌機密，以疾陳解，因舉敬容自代，故有此授焉。 Vice Director Xu Mian then held the secret reins of power; when he resigned on grounds of illness he recommended Jingrong to succeed him, and so the post fell to him.

Book of Liang, Chapter 38Volume 38: Zhu Yi; He Chen · 1 passage

琛始出都，高祖聞其學術，召見文德殿，與語悅之，謂僕射徐勉曰：「琛殊有世業。」 On first reaching the capital Chen was summoned to Wende Hall; the emperor, pleased by their talk, told Vice Director Xu Mian, "Chen indeed inherits a scholarly house."