Qin and Han · General and Chancellor

Zhou Bo 勃

Bo

Attested BC 180 - BC 180

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Zhou Bo was a general and Chancellor.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 180 呂太后崩
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 205, 207
BC 180 立孝文皇帝
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 208, 213, 216, 234

Career and standing

Right Chancellor 右丞相
BC 180 立孝文皇帝 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 213
Grand Commandant 太尉
BC 180 呂太后崩 · Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 205, 207
Chancellor 相
BC 179 居頃之，絳侯謝病請免相 · Resigned
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 234
Marquis of Jiang 絳侯
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 213, 233-234

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 205

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Emperor Wen (孝文皇帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 217, 219
Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation · With Chen Ping (陳平)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 230

Events and relationships

Led troops to destroy Lu clan
BC 180 呂太后崩 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 205, 207
Unable to answer questions on cases and revenue
Court · Right Chancellor
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passages 216-219

Assessments and attributes

Assessment greatest merit for personally using troops against the Lu clan · Mode named-person-judgment Speaker Emperor Wen (孝文皇帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 207
Assessment recognized his ability far inferior to Chen Ping · With Chen Ping (陳平) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 233

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 56, passage 205

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 56House of Chancellor Chen · 13 passages

及呂太后崩，平與太尉勃合謀，卒誅諸呂，立孝文皇帝，陳平本謀也。 When Empress Dowager Lu died, Ping conspired with Grand Commandant Zhou Bo and in the end exterminated the entire Lu faction, placing Emperor Wen on the throne. The original plot was Chen Ping's.

孝文帝立，以為太尉勃親以兵誅呂氏，功多； When Emperor Wen took the throne, he judged that Grand Commandant Zhou Bo had personally led troops to destroy the Lu clan and therefore deserved the greatest credit;

陳平欲讓勃尊位，乃謝病。 Chen Ping wished to yield the senior position to Zhou Bo, and so he pleaded illness.

平曰：「高祖時，勃功不如臣平。 Ping replied, "In Emperor Gaozu's time, Zhou Bo's merit did not match your servant's.

及誅諸呂，臣功亦不如勃。 But in the destruction of the Lu clan, your servant's merit cannot match Zhou Bo's.

願以右丞相讓勃。」 I beg to yield the position of Right Chancellor to Zhou Bo."

於是孝文帝乃以絳侯勃為右丞相，位次第一； Accordingly, Emperor Wen made the Marquis of Jiang, Zhou Bo, Right Chancellor, ranking first in precedence;

居頃之，孝文皇帝既益明習國家事，朝而問右丞相勃曰：「天下一歲決獄幾何？」 Before long, Emperor Wen, who had by then grown more experienced in the affairs of state, held court and asked the Right Chancellor Zhou Bo, "How many criminal cases are decided across the realm in a year?"

勃謝曰：「不知。」 Zhou Bo apologized and said, "I do not know."

勃又謝不知，汗出沾背，愧不能對。 Again Zhou Bo apologized, saying he did not know. Sweat poured down his back, and he was mortified that he could not answer.

右丞相大慚，出而讓陳平曰：「君獨不素教我對！」 The Right Chancellor was deeply mortified. When they left court, he reproached Chen Ping: "Why didn't you coach me on how to answer beforehand!"

於是絳侯自知其能不如平遠矣。 From that moment, the Marquis of Jiang understood that his ability fell far short of Ping's.

居頃之，絳侯謝病請免相，陳平專為一丞相。 Before long, the Marquis of Jiang pleaded illness, resigned the chancellorship, and Chen Ping became sole Chancellor.