Overview
Zeng Shen was a scholar.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Attested activity
Family
Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.
Places and affiliations
- At Fei 費 · Relation Dwelt at
Assessments and attributes
- Assessment worthy and trusted by his mother until three reports frightened her · Mode quotation Speaker Gan Mao (甘茂)
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 71Biographies of Shu Lizi and Gan Mao · 5 passages
昔曾參之處費，魯人有與曾參同姓名者殺人，人告其母曰『曾參殺人』，其母織自若也。
In former times, when Zeng Shen dwelt in Fei, a man from Lu with the same name as Zeng Shen committed murder. Someone told his mother, "Zeng Shen has killed a man," but his mother continued weaving undisturbed.
頃之，一人又告之曰『曾參殺人』，其母尚織自若也。
Shortly after, another person told her, "Zeng Shen has killed a man," and his mother still continued weaving undisturbed.
頃又一人告之曰『曾參殺人』，其母投杼下機，踰墻而走。
Shortly after, yet another person told her, "Zeng Shen has killed a man," whereupon his mother threw down her shuttle, left her loom, climbed over the wall, and fled.
夫以曾參之賢與其母信之也，三人疑之，其母懼焉。
Though Zeng Shen was worthy and fully trusted by his mother, once three men cast doubt on him, she grew fearful.
今臣之賢不若曾參，王之信臣又不如曾參之母信曾參也，疑臣者非特三人，臣恐大王之投杼也。
Now your minister's worthiness does not equal Zeng Shen's, and Your Majesty's trust in your minister does not equal Zeng Shen's mother's trust in Zeng Shen. Those who doubt your minister are not merely three men—I fear Your Majesty will throw down the shuttle.