Zhu Maichen (朱買臣)

Overview

The translated histories identify Zhu Maichen as an administrator, courtier, general, and named individual. This record brings together 41 passages from 7 chapters across 3 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Zhu Maichen	朱買臣	Zhu Maichen
Alternate name	Maichen	買臣
Courtesy	Wengzi	翁子	Wengzi
Surname	Zhu	朱	Zhu
Personal name	Zhu Maichen	朱買臣	Zhu Maichen
Personal	Zhu Maichen	硃買臣	Zhu Maichen
Personal name	Zhu Maichen	硃買臣	Zhu Maichen
Personal	Zhu Maichen	硃買臣	Zhū Mǎichén
Personal name	Zhu Maichen	買臣
Surname		硃	Zhu
Given		買臣	Maichen

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Kind: sex · Value: male
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0133
Sex: male
Explicit · chenshu:025:s0062, hanshu:068:s0258
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:074:s0307, liaoshi:076:s0105
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:068:s0097

Roles

Administrator
Courtier
General
Named Individual
Official
Scholar

Life and dates

Death

executed / 誅
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0181
Manner: executed as one of the three chief clerks
Strongly inferred · hanshu:069:s0111

Age

四十餘
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0137

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 元朔中 · Western Interval: Start: BC 128 · End: BC 123
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:068:s0097, hanshu:068:s0110
Source Date: Text: 昔 · Western Interval: Start: BC 140 · End: BC 115
Strongly inferred · chenshu:025:s0062
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
Source Date: Text: 買臣 · Western Year: BC 140
Explicit · liaoshi:076:s0105
Source Date: Text: 長史硃買臣 · Western Year: BC 116
Explicit · hanshu:069:s0083

Career and standing

chancellor chief clerk / 丞相長史
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0174
chief of nobles / 主爵都尉
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0173
governor of Kuaiji / 會稽太守
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0152
palace attendant / 侍中
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0145
palace grandee / 中大夫
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0145
Office: chief clerk / 長史
Explicit · hanshu:069:s0083

Places and affiliations

Label: Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0097
Label: Western Han / 漢 · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0258
Polity: Han / 漢
Strongly inferred · hanshu:069:s0087
Wu / 吳
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0133

Events and relationships

Kind: debate · Role: challenger · Action: debated Gongsun Hong on Shuofang · Other Person Id: Gongsun Hong (公孫弘)
Explicit · hanshu:068:s0097, hanshu:068:s0098
Kind: relationship · Type: son · Target: Shanfu (山拊)
Explicit · hanshu:074:s0182

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 Chen, Chapter 25Volume 25: Pei Ji; Sun Yang · 1 passage

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〔五〕未拜，而世祖從容謂瑒曰：「昔朱買臣願為本郡，卿豈有意乎？」 [5] Before he took office, Emperor Wen said to him gently: "Zhu Maichen once longed to govern his home commandery. Do you feel the same?"

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

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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 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 2 passages

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於是上乃使硃買臣等難弘置朔方之便。 The emperor set Zhu Maichen and others to debate him on the worth of Shuofang.

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

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始，長史硃買臣素怨湯，語在其傳。 Chief Clerk Zhu Maichen had nursed a grudge against Tang for years—the story is told in his own chapter.

Book of Han, Chapter 74Volume 64a: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 1 · 34 passages

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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).

後得朱買臣、吾丘壽王、司馬相如、主父偃、徐樂嚴安、東方朔、枚皋、膠倉、終軍、嚴蔥奇等，並在左右。 He soon gathered Zhu Maichen, Wuqiu Shouwang, Sima Xiangru, Zhufu Yan, Xu Le, Yan An, Dongfang Shuo, Mei Gao, Jiao Cang, Zhong Jun, Yan Congqi, and the rest in his inner circle.

朱買臣 Zhu Maichen.

朱買臣字翁子，吳人也。 Zhu Maichen, courtesy name Wengzi, came from Wu.

其妻亦負戴相隨，數止買臣毋歌嘔道中。 His wife trudged beside him, begging him to stop bawling his lessons like a madman in the dust.

買臣愈益疾歌，妻羞之，求去。 He only sang louder; shamed beyond bearing, she demanded a divorce.

買臣笑曰：「我年五十當貴，今已四十餘矣。 He laughed: "At fifty I shall win rank and honor—I am barely past forty.

買臣不能留，即聽去。 He could not hold her and let her go.

其後，買臣獨行歌道中，負薪墓間。 Afterward he walked alone among the graves, chanting with firewood on his back.

後數歲，買臣隨上計吏為卒，將重車至長安，詣闕上書，書久不報。 Some years later he rode to Chang'an as a conscript teamster on the annual accounting caravan, presented a memorial at the palace gate, and heard nothing for months.

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.

上使買臣難詘弘，語在《弘傳》。 The emperor set Zhu Maichen to demolish Hong's argument—the exchange is recorded in Hong's biography.

後買臣坐事免，久之，召待詔。 Later he lost office over a charge, then after a long interval was recalled to await edict.

是時，東越數反覆，買臣因言：「故東越王居保泉山，一人守險，千人不得上。 Eastern Yue had rebelled again. Zhu Maichen told the throne: "Their old king held Quan Mountain, where one defender could block a thousand climbers.

上拜買臣會稽太守。 The emperor named him governor of Kuaiji.

買臣頓首辭謝。 Zhu Maichen kowtowed in thanks.

詔買臣到郡，治樓船，備糧食、水戰具，須詔書到，軍與俱進。 He was ordered, on reaching Kuaiji, to fit out war junks and stores and hold his fleet ready until the imperial command to sail.

初，買臣免，待詔，常從會稽守邸者寄居飯食。 While dismissed and awaiting summons in Chang'an he roomed at the Kuaiji hostel and ate on credit.

拜為太守，買臣衣故衣，懷其印綬，步歸郡邸。 On his appointment he walked into the hostel in rags, the governor's seal hidden in his sleeve.

買臣入室中，守邸與共食，食且飽，少見其綬，守邸怪之，前引其綬，視其印，會稽太守章也。 He went inside and shared their meal; as they finished he let slip a corner of silk—the keeper tugged at it, found the jade seal of the governor of Kuaiji, and froze.

其故人素輕買臣者入內視之，還走，疾呼曰：「實然！」 A man who had always sneered at Zhu Maichen went in, ran back, and cried, "It is true!"

買臣徐出戶。 Zhu Maichen strolled out at leisure.

有頃，長安廄吏乘駟馬車來迎，買臣遂乘傳去。 Presently a four-horse carriage from the capital stable arrived; he mounted the post relay and rode away.

買臣駐車，呼令後車載其夫妻，到太守舍，置園中，給食之。 He halted his train, loaded the pair into a baggage cart, housed them in his garden, and fed them.

居一月，妻自經死，買臣乞其夫錢，令葬。 Within a month she hanged herself; Zhu gave her husband coin enough for a decent burial.

居歲餘，買臣受詔將兵，與橫海將軍韓說等俱擊破東越，有功。 A year later he led troops beside Han Yue, general of crossing seas, smashed Eastern Yue, and won distinction.

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.

及買臣為長史，湯數行丞相事，知買臣素貴，故陵折之。 After Zhu became chief clerk, Zhang—often acting for the chancellor—knew how high Zhu had once stood and snubbed him at every turn.

買臣見湯，坐床上弗為禮。 When Zhu called, Zhang lounged on his couch and refused courtesy.

買臣深怨，常欲死之。 Zhu nursed a murderous grudge.

後遂告湯陰事，湯自殺，上亦誅買臣。 He struck back with a secret denunciation; Zhang Tang fell on his sword, and the emperor had Zhu executed as well.

買臣子山拊官至郡守，右扶風。 His son Shanfu rose to governor of Youfufeng commandery.

朱買臣難詘弘，遂置朔方，本偃計也。 Zhu Maichen demolished Hong in debate, and Shuofang was founded on Yan's design after all.

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

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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?"

History of Liao, Chapter 76Volume 76 Biographies 6: Yelu Jieli, Yelu Balide, Yelu Shuogu, Yelu Lubugu, Zhao Yanshou, Gao Mohan, Zhao Siwen, Yelu Oulisi, Zhang Li · 1 passage

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至東京，父老歡迎曰：「公起戎行，致身富貴，為鄉里榮，相如、買臣輩不足過也。」 When he reached the Eastern Capital, the local elders welcomed him, saying, "You rose from the ranks to wealth and honor and have brought glory to our home—men like Sima Xiangru and Zhu Maichen are not your equal."