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Overview Names Identity Roles Life and dates Career and standing Places and affiliations References in the histories
Overview The translated histories identify Zhao Yao as an aristocrat, courtier, and official. This record brings together 12 passages from 2 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.
Names Type English Chinese Pinyin
Personal
Zhao Yao
趙堯
Zhao Yao
Title
Marquis of Jiangyi
江邑侯
Title
Palace usher
中謁者
Given
Yao
堯
Yao
Personal name
Zhao Yao
趙堯
Zhao Yao
Personal name
Zhao Yao
趙堯
Zhào Yáo
Identity
Historicity Historical
Identification Named
Sex Male Roles Aristocrat Courtier Official Life and dates Attested activity Career and standing Label: imperial counsellor / 御史大夫Action: appointed
Label: Palace usher / 中謁者Action: held
Title: Marquis of Jiangyi / 江邑侯Action: enfeoffed
References in the histories Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.
Book of Han, Chapter 51 Volume 42: Zhang, Zhou, Zhao, Ren and Shentu · 11 passages
趙堯為符璽御史，趙人方與公謂御史大夫周昌曰：「君之史趙堯年雖少，然奇士，君必異之，是且代君之位。」
Zhao Yao served as clerk of tallies and seals. A Zhao native known as the lord of Fangyu said to Imperial Counsellor Zhou Chang, "That clerk of yours, Zhao Yao, is young, but he is no ordinary man. Mark my words—he will one day take your chair."
昌笑曰：「堯年少，刀筆吏耳，何至是乎！」
Zhou Chang laughed. "Zhao Yao is a youngster—a mere scribal clerk. How could he rise that high?"
居頃之，堯侍高祖，高祖獨心不樂，悲歌，群臣不知上所以然。
Not long afterward Zhao Yao was attending the High Ancestor, who sat alone in gloom, humming a mournful tune while his ministers wondered what troubled him.
堯進請問曰：「陛下所為不樂，非以趙王年少，而戚夫人與呂後有隙，備萬歲之後而趙王不能自全乎？」
Zhao Yao stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty's sorrow—is it not because the king of Zhao is still a child, because Lady Qi and the empress are at odds, and because you fear for his life once you are gone?"
堯曰：「陛下獨為趙王置貴強相，及呂後、太子、群臣素所敬憚者乃可。」
Zhao Yao said, "Then invest Zhao with a chancellor who is both weighty and formidable—someone the empress, the heir, and the whole court already fear and respect."
堯曰：「御史大夫昌，其人堅忍伉直，自呂後、太子及大臣皆素嚴憚之。
Zhao Yao answered, "Imperial Counsellor Zhou Chang is stubborn, plain-spoken, and unbending. The empress, the heir, and every senior minister already tread softly around him.
孰視堯曰：「無以易堯。」
He fixed his gaze on Zhao Yao and said, "No one else will do."
遂拜堯為御史大夫。
Zhao Yao was appointed imperial counsellor on the spot.
堯亦前有軍功食邑，及以御史大夫從擊陳豨有功，封為江邑侯。
Zhao Yao already held a fief for earlier military service; as imperial counsellor he campaigned against Chen Xi with distinction and was enfeoffed as marquis of Jiangyi.
初，趙堯既代周昌為御史大夫，高祖崩，事惠帝終世。
Zhao Yao had succeeded Zhou Chang as imperial counsellor before the High Ancestor died, and he served out Emperor Hui's entire reign.
高後元年，怨堯前定趙王如意之畫，乃抵堯罪，以廣阿侯任敖為御史大夫。
In the first year of Empress Gao's reign she remembered how Zhao Yao had engineered the plan to protect Prince Ruyi as king of Zhao, found a charge against him, and replaced him with Ren Ao, marquis of Guang'a, as imperial counsellor.
Book of Han, Chapter 85 Volume 74: Wei Xiang and Bing Ji · 1 passage