Qin and Han · Official

Yan Zhu 嚴助

Attested BC 141 - BC 87

Passages: 34
Chapters: 8
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Yan Zhu as a courtier, envoy, official, and writer. This record brings together 34 passages from 8 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Yan Zhu	嚴助	Yan Zhu
Surname	Yan	嚴	Yan
Personal	Yan Zhu	嚴助
Personal name	Yan Zhu	嚴助	Yan Zhu
Personal	Yan Zhu	嚴助	Yán Zhù
Given	Zhu	助	Zhù
Given	Zhu	助	Zhu
Given		助	Zhu
Surname		嚴	Yan

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Kind: sex · Value: male
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0002
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:059:s0163
Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258, qingshigao:445:s0170

Roles

Courtier
Envoy
Official
Writer

Life and dates

Death

executed in the marketplace / 棄市
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0131

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 嚴助 · Western Year: BC 122
Explicit · hanshu:069:s0033
Source Date: Text: 武帝 · Western Interval: Start: BC 141 · End: BC 87
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:059:s0163
Source Date: Text: 漢書嚴助 · Western Year: BC 140
Explicit event contextual date · qingshigao:445:s0170
Source Date: Text: 漢興六十餘載 · Western Interval: Start: BC 141 · End: BC 87
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:068:s0254, hanshu:068:s0258

Career and standing

governor of Kuaiji / 會稽太守
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0118
palace attendant / 侍中
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0126
palace grandee / 中大夫
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0003
Office: intimately favored minister / 腹心之臣
Explicit · hanshu:069:s0033

Places and affiliations

Label: Western Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258
Wu in Kuaiji / 會稽吳
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0002

Works and attributed material

rhapsodies and hymns / 賦頌
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0127
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Emperor Wu (武帝)
Explicit · hanshu:059:s0165

Events and relationships

Kind: relationship · Type: uncertain-kin · Target: Master Yan (嚴夫子) · Note: or clansman son of Yan
Uncertain · hanshu:074:s0002
Kind: relationship · Type: father · Target: Master Yan (嚴夫子)
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0002

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: repartee (應對) · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 27Volume 24b: Treatise on Trade 2 · 1 passage

武帝因文、景之畜，忿胡、粵之害，即位數年，嚴助、朱買臣等招徠東甌，事兩粵，江淮之間蕭然煩費矣。 Drawing on Wen and Jing-era reserves, Emperor Wu turned against Xiongnu and southern threats; early campaigns involving Yan Zhu and Zhu Maichen against Eastern Ou and the two Yues drained the Jiang-Huai region.

Book of Han, Chapter 59Volume 50: Zhang, Feng, Ji and Zheng · 2 passages

最後，嚴助為請告。 At last Yan Zhu begged the throne on his behalf.

曰：「使黯任職居官，亡以愈人，然至其輔少主守成，雖自謂賁、育弗能奪也。」 Yan Zhu replied: "Set him to routine administration and he seems ordinary; but charge him with guarding a young heir and the legacy of the house—even Ben and Yu could not shake his resolve."

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage

漢之得人，於茲為盛，儒雅則公孫弘、董仲舒、兒寬，篤行則石建、石慶，質直則汲黯、卜式，推賢則韓安國、鄭當時，定令則趙禹、張湯，文章則司馬遷、相如，滑稽則東方朔、枚皋，應對則嚴助、硃買臣，歷數則唐都、洛下閎，協律則李延年，運籌則桑弘羊，奉使則張騫、蘇武，將率則衛青、霍去病，受遺則霍光、金日磾，其餘不可勝紀。 Never did the dynasty gather talent so thickly: Hong, Dong, and Kuan for classical breadth; the Shi brothers for steadfast service; Ji An and Bu Shi for blunt loyalty; Han Anguo and Zheng Dangshi for lifting others; Zhao Yu and Zhang Tang for codifying law; Sima Qian and Xiangru for voice; jesters Dongfang Shuo and Mei Gao; debaters Yan Zhu and Zhu Maichen; calendar-makers Tang Du and Luoxia Hong; the harmonist Li Yan'nian; the reckoner Sang Hongyang; envoys Zhang Qian and Su Wu; blades Wei Qing and Huo Qubing; regents Huo Guang and Jin Midi—and a cloud of names besides.

Book of Han, Chapter 69Volume 59: Zhang Tang · 1 passage

嚴助、伍被，上欲釋之，湯爭曰：「伍被本造反謀，而助親幸出入禁闥，腹心之臣，乃交私諸侯如此，弗誅，後不可治。」 The emperor wanted to pardon Yan Zhu and Wu Bei. Tang objected: "Wu Bei helped lay the plot from the beginning, and Yan Zhu enjoyed intimate access to the inner apartments—he was a minister of the ruler's inmost counsels—yet he secretly conspired with the kings. If they are not put to death, the law will never again command respect."

Book of Han, Chapter 74Volume 64a: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 1 · 26 passages

卷六十四上嚴朱吾丘主父徐嚴終王賈傳第三十三上 Chapter 64a: Biographies of Yan Zhu, Zhu Maichen, Wuqiu Shouwang, Zhufu Yan, Xu Le, Yan An, Zhong Jun, Wang Bao, and Jia Yi (part one).

嚴助，會稽吳人，嚴夫子子也，或言族家子也。 Yan Zhu came from Wu in Kuaiji commandery, the son of the scholar Master Yan—or, some say, of another branch of the Yan clan.

郡舉賢良，對策百餘人，武帝善助對，由是獨擢助為中大夫。 When the commandery nominated him as worthy and good, he joined more than a hundred men in the palace examination; the emperor singled out his policy essay and raised him alone to the rank of palace grandee.

上令助等與大臣辯論，中外相應以義理之文，大臣數詘。 The emperor set Zhu and his fellows to argue policy with the elder statesmen; memorials flew between palace and ministry until the old guard more than once lost the debate.

其尤親幸者，東方朔、枚皋、嚴助、吾丘壽王、司馬相如。 Those he favored most were Dongfang Shuo, Mei Gao, Yan Zhu, Wuqiu Shouwang, and Sima Xiangru.

唯助與壽王見任用，而助最先進。 Only Yan Zhu and Wuqiu Shouwang were given real responsibility, Zhu having won his trust earliest.

於是助詰蚡曰：「特患力不能救，德不能覆； Yan Zhu turned on him: "You speak as if power and grace were lacking;

迺遣助以節發兵會稽。 He therefore dispatched Yan Zhu with imperial credentials to raise troops in Kuaiji.

助迺斬一司馬，諭意指，遂發兵浮海救東甌。 Zhu executed a major, proclaimed the emperor's will, and put an army to sea for Dong'ou.

上嘉淮南之意，美將卒之功，乃令嚴助諭意風指於南越。 The emperor praised Huainan's counsel and his soldiers' merit, then sent Yan Zhu south to explain the court's mind to the king of Nanyue.

即遣太子隨助入侍。 He sent his heir to Chang'an at once to attend the throne with Yan Zhu.

助還，又諭淮南曰：「皇帝問淮南王：使中大夫玉上書言事，聞之。 On his way home Yan Zhu called on Huainan with the emperor's words: "The throne has read the memorial your palace grandee lately presented.

嘉王之意，靡有所終，使中大夫助諭朕意，告王越事。」 I honor your counsel without reserve and charge Yan Zhu to lay before you the whole business of Yue."

助諭意曰：「今者大王以發屯臨越事上書，陛下故遣臣助告王其事。 Yan Zhu continued: "You wrote because troops were massing on your border against Yue; the emperor therefore sent me to explain what followed.

事效見前，故使臣助來諭王意。」 You have seen the outcome with your own eyes; the emperor therefore sent me to lay his answer before you."

助由是與淮南王相結而還。 Yan Zhu left on terms of friendship with the king of Huainan.

助侍燕從容，上問助居鄉里時，助對曰：「家貧，為友婿富人所辱。」 At a leisurely banquet the emperor asked Yan Zhu about his youth. He answered: "I was poor and lived as a dependent son-in-law; a wealthy host treated me with contempt."

助恐，上書謝稱：「《春秋》天王出居於鄭，不能事母，故絕之。 Yan Zhu answered in terror: "The Annals record how the Zhou king withdrew to Zheng because he failed his mother—and was cast off for it.

臣事君，猶子事父母也，臣助當伏誅。 A minister owes his prince what a son owes his parents; I deserve death for my silence.

後淮南王來朝，厚賂遺助，交私論議。 Later, when the king of Huainan visited the capital, he loaded Yan Zhu with gifts and drew him into secret talk.

及淮南王反，事與助相連，上薄其罪，欲勿誅。 When Huainan rose in revolt, Zhu was implicated; the emperor would have let him off lightly.

廷尉張湯爭，以為助出入禁門，腹心之臣，而外與諸侯交私如此，不誅，後不可治。 Zhang Tang, commandant of justice, protested: Yan Zhu passed freely through the inner palace as your confidant, yet trafficked with feudal princes—spare him and no law will ever hold.

助竟棄市。 Yan Zhu was executed in the public market after all.

會邑子嚴助貴幸，薦買臣，召見，說《春秋》，言《楚詞》，帝甚說之，拜買臣為中大夫，與嚴助俱侍中。 His townsman Yan Zhu, then in favor at court, recommended him. He discoursed on the Spring and Autumn Annals and the Songs of Chu; the emperor was charmed, named him palace grandee, and paired him with Yan Zhu as palace attendant.

始，買臣與嚴助俱侍中，貴用事，湯尚為小吏，趨走買臣等前。 Once Zhu and Yan Zhu had stood high at court while Zhang Tang was a runner who scurried at their heels.

後湯以延尉治淮南獄，排陷嚴助，買臣怨湯。 When Zhang Tang as commandant of justice tried the Huainan case he destroyed Yan Zhu; Zhu Maichen never forgave him.

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

世稱公孫弘排主父，張湯陷嚴助，石顯譖捐之，察其行跡，主父求欲鼎亨而得族，嚴、賈出入禁門招權利，死皆其所也，亦何排陷之恨哉！ Posterity blames Gongsun Hong for sidelining Zhufu Yan, Zhang Tang for ruining Yan Zhu, and Shi Xian for destroying Jia Juanzhi—yet examine how these men lived. Zhufu Yan clawed after the honors of the high minister's tripod and instead won the execution of his entire kin; Yan Zhu and Jia Juanzhi used their passes through the forbidden gates to peddle influence and line their pockets. Each fell by his own doing; there is little cause to nurse a grudge against those who merely 'squeezed' or 'framed' them.

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

是時，朝廷多賢材，上復問朔：「方今公孫丞相，兒大夫、董仲舒、夏侯始昌、司馬相如、吾丘壽王、主父偃、硃買臣、嚴助、汲黯、膠倉、終軍、嚴安、徐樂、司馬遷之倫，皆辯知閎達，溢於文辭，先生自視，何與比哉？」 The court at that time teemed with talent, and the emperor pressed Shuo again: "Consider Chancellor Gongsun Hong, Censor-in-Chief Er Kuan, Dong Zhongshu, Xiahou Shichang, Sima Xiangru, Wuqiu Shouwang, Zhufu Yan, Zhu Maichen, Yan Zhu, Ji An, Jiao Cang, Zhong Jun, Yan An, Xu Le, Sima Qian, and men of that stamp. They are learned, articulate, and prolific writers. How do you measure yourself against such company?"

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 445Volume 445 Biographies 232: Wu Kedu, Zhu Yixin, Tu Keshou, An Weijun, Wen Ti, Jiang Chunlin · 1 passage

乃知康有為之學術，正如漢書嚴助所謂以春秋為蘇秦縱橫者耳。 Thus Kang Youwei's learning is just as Yan Zhu in the Book of Han said of using the Spring and Autumn for Su Qin's vertical and horizontal alliances.