1
季布者，楚人也。 為氣任俠，有名於楚。 項籍使將兵，數窘漢王。 及項羽滅，高祖購求布千金，敢有舍匿，罪及三族。 季布匿濮陽周氏。 周氏曰：「漢購將軍急，跡且至臣家，將軍能聽臣，臣敢獻計； 即不能，願先自剄。」 季布許之。 乃髡鉗季布，衣褐衣，置廣柳車中，并與其家僮數十人，之魯朱家所賣之。 朱家心知是季布，乃買而置之田。 誡其子曰：「田事聽此奴，必與同食。」 朱家乃乘軺車之洛陽，見汝陰侯滕公。 滕公留朱家飲數日。 因謂滕公曰：「季布何大罪，而上求之急也？」 滕公曰：「布數為項羽窘上，上怨之，故必欲得之。」 朱家曰：「君視季布何如人也？」 曰：「賢者也。」 朱家曰：「臣各為其主用，季布為項籍用，職耳。 項氏臣可盡誅邪？ 今上始得天下，獨以己之私怨求一人，何示天下之不廣也！ 且以季布之賢而漢求之急如此，此不北走胡即南走越耳。 夫忌壯士以資敵國，此伍子胥所以鞭荊平王之墓也。 君何不從容為上言邪？」 汝陰侯滕公心知朱家大俠，意季布匿其所，乃許曰：「諾。」 待閒，果言如朱家指。 上乃赦季布。 當是時，諸公皆多季布能摧剛為柔，朱家亦以此名聞當世。 季布召見，謝，上拜為郎中。
Ji Bu was a native of Chu. A man of fierce temperament who championed the cause of the downtrodden, he had won great renown throughout Chu. Xiang Ji appointed him to command troops, and on multiple occasions he drove the King of Han into desperate straits. After the fall of Xiang Yu, Emperor Gaozu posted a bounty of a thousand gold pieces for Ji Bu's capture, decreeing that anyone who dared shelter or conceal him would have the punishment extended to three generations of their clan. Ji Bu went into hiding with the Zhou family in Puyang. The Zhou family said, 'The Han bounty for the general is urgent, and traces are about to reach our home. If the general can listen to me, I dare to offer a plan;' If not, we wish to slit our own throats first.' Ji Bu consented. They shaved Ji Bu's head, clamped an iron collar around his neck, dressed him in coarse cloth, and placed him in a broad-sided cart. Together with several dozen household slaves, they transported him to the estate of Zhu Jia in Lu and sold him there. Zhu Jia secretly recognized that this was Ji Bu. He purchased him and set him to work in the fields. He admonished his son, saying, 'In field affairs, listen to this slave, and you must eat together with him.' Zhu Jia then rode a light carriage to Luoyang, where he called upon Xiahou Ying, the Marquis of Ruyin. The Marquis kept Zhu Jia as his guest and drank with him for several days. Then he said to Teng Gong, 'What great crime has Ji Bu committed, that the Sovereign seeks him so urgently?' Teng Gong said, 'Ji Bu repeatedly distressed the Sovereign for Xiang Yu, so the Sovereign resents him and therefore must have him.' Zhu Jia said, 'What kind of man do you consider Ji Bu to be?' He said, 'A worthy man.' Zhu Jia said, 'Each minister serves his own lord. Ji Bu served Xiang Ji—that was merely his duty.' Should all Xiang Yu's ministers be executed? Now that the Sovereign has just obtained the empire, to seek out one man solely because of personal resentment—what does this show of the empire's narrowness! Moreover, with Ji Bu's worthiness and the urgency with which Han seeks him like this, he will either flee north to the Hu or south to Yue. To begrudge brave warriors and thereby strengthen enemy states—this is why Wu Zixu later whipped the tomb of King Ping of Chu. Why don't you speak to the Sovereign about this at your leisure?' The Marquis of Ruyin, Teng Gong, knew in his heart that Zhu Jia was a great knight-errant, and suspected that Ji Bu was hiding in his home. He then agreed, saying, 'Very well.' He waited for a quiet moment and then spoke to the Emperor exactly as Zhu Jia had instructed. The Emperor thereupon pardoned Ji Bu. At that time, everyone praised Ji Bu for his ability to endure humiliation and adapt to circumstances, and Zhu Jia likewise became famous throughout the realm for his role in the affair. Ji Bu was summoned for an audience and expressed his gratitude. The Emperor appointed him as a Gentleman of the Palace.
2
孝惠時，為中郎將。 單于嘗為書嫚呂后，不遜，呂后大怒，召諸將議之。 上將軍樊噲曰：「臣願得十萬眾，橫行匈奴中。」 諸將皆阿呂后意，曰「然」。 季布曰：「樊噲可斬也！ 夫高帝將兵四十餘萬眾，困於平城，今噲柰何以十萬眾橫行匈奴中，面欺！ 且秦以事於胡，陳勝等起。 于今創痍未瘳，噲又面諛，欲搖動天下。」 是時殿上皆恐，太后罷朝，遂不復議擊匈奴事。
During the reign of Emperor Hui, he served as Commander of the Palace Guard. The Chanyu once wrote a letter insulting Empress Lü in disrespectful terms. Empress Lü was greatly angered and summoned all the generals to discuss it. The Supreme General, Fan Kuai, said, 'I wish to obtain a force of 100,000 men and rampage through the Xiongnu lands.' All the generals flattered Empress Lü's wishes and said, 'Yes.' Ji Bu said, 'Fan Kuai should be executed!' Indeed, when the Gao Emperor led over 400,000 troops, he was trapped at Pingcheng. Now how can Kuai with 100,000 men rampage through the Xiongnu lands? This is barefaced deception!' Moreover, it was precisely because Qin was occupied with campaigns against the Hu that Chen Sheng and his followers were able to rise in revolt. Even now our wounds have not healed, and Kuai is once again flattering to the face, wishing to shake and destabilize the empire.' At this, everyone in the hall fell silent with fear. The Empress Dowager dismissed the court, and the matter of attacking the Xiongnu was never raised again.
3
季布為河東守，孝文時，人有言其賢者，孝文召，欲以為御史大夫。 復有言其勇，使酒難近。 至，留邸一月，見罷。 季布因進曰：「臣無功竊寵，待罪河東。 陛下無故召臣，此人必有以臣欺陛下者； 今臣至，無所受事，罷去，此人必有以毀臣者。 夫陛下以一人之譽而召臣，一人之毀而去臣，臣恐天下有識聞之有以闚陛下也。」 上默然慚，良久曰：「河東吾股肱郡，故特召君耳。」 布辭之官。
Ji Bu was serving as the Governor of Hedong when, during the reign of Emperor Wen, certain people praised his worthiness. Emperor Wen summoned him, intending to appoint him as the Imperial Censor-in-Chief. But then others reported that although he was brave, he became belligerent when drunk and was difficult to deal with. Ji Bu arrived and was kept waiting at the state guesthouse for a month before being granted an audience and then dismissed. Ji Bu then stepped forward and said, 'I have no merit but have stealthily received favor, awaiting punishment in Hedong.' Your Majesty summoned me without cause—this person must have deceived Your Majesty about me;' Now I have arrived, received no duties, and been sent away—someone must have slandered me to Your Majesty. Indeed, for Your Majesty to summon me because of one person's praise and dismiss me because of one person's slander—I fear that those with knowledge throughout the empire who hear of this will have means to peek at Your Majesty's character.' The Sovereign was silently ashamed. After a long while he said, 'Hedong is my most important commandery, so I specially summoned you.' Ji Bu took his leave and returned to his post.
4
楚人曹丘生，辯士，數招權顧金錢。 事貴人趙同等，與竇長君善。 季布聞之，寄書諫竇長君曰：「吾聞曹丘生非長者，勿與通。」 及曹丘生歸，欲得書請季布。 竇長君曰：「季將軍不說足下，足下無往。」 固請書，遂行。 使人先發書，季布果大怒，待曹丘。 曹丘至，即揖季布曰：「楚人諺曰『得黃金百（斤），不如得季布一諾』，足下何以得此聲於梁楚閒哉？ 且仆楚人，足下亦楚人也。 仆游揚足下之名於天下，顧不重邪？ 何足下距仆之深也！」 季布乃大說，引入，留數月，為上客，厚送之。 季布名所以益聞者，曹丘揚之也。
There was a man of Chu named Cao Qiu, a skilled rhetorician who traded on his connections with the powerful to acquire wealth. He had attached himself to prominent figures such as Zhao Tong and was on friendly terms with Dou Changjun. Ji Bu heard this and sent a letter admonishing Dou Changjun, saying, 'I have heard that Cao Qiu Sheng is not an upright person—do not associate with him.' When Cao Qiu returned home, he wished to obtain a letter of introduction to Ji Bu. Dou Changjun said, 'General Ji is not pleased with you—you should not go.' But he insisted on having the letter and set off regardless. He sent a messenger ahead with the letter. Ji Bu, as expected, flew into a rage and waited for Cao Qiu's arrival, ready to confront him. Cao Qiu arrived and immediately bowed to Ji Bu, saying, 'The Chu people have a proverb: "Getting a hundred jin of yellow gold is not as good as getting one promise from Ji Bu." How did you, sir, obtain this reputation between Liang and Chu?' Besides, I am a man of Chu, and you too are a man of Chu. I have traveled and spread your reputation throughout the empire—is this not a weighty matter?' Why do you, sir, reject me so deeply!' Ji Bu was greatly pleased. He invited Cao Qiu in, kept him as a guest for several months, treated him with the highest honor, and sent him off with lavish gifts. The reason Ji Bu's reputation grew ever greater was that Cao Qiu had spread it far and wide.
5
季布弟季心，氣蓋關中，遇人恭謹，為任俠，方數千里，士皆爭為之死。 嘗殺人，亡之吳，從袁絲匿。 長事袁絲，弟畜灌夫、籍福之屬。 嘗為中司馬，中尉郅都不敢不加禮。 少年多時時竊籍其名以行。 當是時，季心以勇，布以諾，著聞關中。
Ji Bu's younger brother Ji Xin possessed a spirit that overshadowed all of Guanzhong. He treated everyone with courtesy and respect, and as a champion of the downtrodden, his fame extended for thousands of li. Warriors competed for the honor of dying on his behalf. He once killed a man, fled to Wu, and took refuge with Yuan Si. He served Yuan Si as an elder and took men like Guan Fu and Ji Fu under his wing as younger protégés. He once served as a Palace Marshal, and even Zhi Du, the Commandant of Justice, did not dare treat him with anything less than full courtesy. Young men of the day often invoked his name without permission to further their own ends. In those days, Ji Xin was celebrated for his courage and Ji Bu for the reliability of his word—both were famous throughout Guanzhong.
6
季布母弟丁公，為楚將。 丁公為項羽逐窘高祖彭城西，短兵接，高祖急，顧丁公曰：「兩賢豈相戹哉！」 於是丁公引兵而還，漢王遂解去。 及項王滅，丁公謁見高祖。 高祖以丁公徇軍中，曰：「丁公為項王臣不忠，使項王失天下者，乃丁公也。」 遂斬丁公，曰：「使後世為人臣者無效丁公！」
Ji Bu's mother's younger brother Ding Gong served as a Chu general. Ding Gong, for Xiang Yu, pursued and distressed Gaozu west of Pengcheng. They met in close combat, Gaozu was urgent, and he looked back at Ding Gong, saying, 'How can two worthy men distress each other like this!' At this, Ding Gong withdrew his troops, and the King of Han was able to escape. After the fall of Xiang Yu, Ding Gong sought an audience with Emperor Gaozu. Gaozu had Ding Gong paraded before the army and said, 'Ding Gong served as Xiang Yu's minister disloyally, and the one who caused Xiang Yu to lose the empire is Ding Gong.' Then he beheaded Ding Gong, saying, 'Let this cause future generations who serve as ministers to not emulate Ding Gong!'
7
欒布者，梁人也。 始梁王彭越為家人時，嘗與布游。 窮困，賃傭於齊，為酒人保。 數歲，彭越去之巨野中為盜，而布為人所略賣，為奴於燕。 為其家主報仇，燕將臧荼舉以為都尉。 臧荼後為燕王，以布為將。 及臧荼反，漢擊燕，虜布。 梁王彭越聞之，乃言上，請贖布以為梁大夫。
Luan Bu was a native of Liang. In the early days, when Peng Yue—who would later become King of Liang—was still a commoner, he and Luan Bu had been companions. Destitute, Luan Bu hired himself out as a laborer in Qi and worked as a guard at a tavern. After several years, Peng Yue departed for the Juye marshes to become a bandit, while Luan Bu was kidnapped and sold into slavery in Yan. He avenged his master's death, and the Yan general Zang Tu, impressed, recommended him to the rank of District Commandant. When Zang Tu later became King of Yan, he appointed Luan Bu as one of his generals. When Zang Tu rebelled, the Han forces attacked Yan and took Luan Bu prisoner. When the King of Liang, Peng Yue, heard of this, he petitioned the Emperor to ransom Luan Bu and appoint him as a Minister of Liang.
8
使於齊，未還，漢召彭越，責以謀反，夷三族。 已而梟彭越頭於雒陽下，詔曰：「有敢收視者，輒捕之。」 布從齊還，奏事彭越頭下，祠而哭之。 吏捕布以聞。 上召布，罵曰：「若與彭越反邪？ 吾禁人勿收，若獨祠而哭之，與越反明矣。 趣亨之。」 方提趣湯，布顧曰：「願一言而死。」 上曰：「何言？」 布曰：「方上之困於彭城，敗滎陽、成皋閒，項王所以（遂）不能［遂］西，徒以彭王居梁地，與漢合從苦楚也。 當是之時，彭王一顧，與楚則漢破，與漢而楚破。 且垓下之會，微彭王，項氏不亡。 天下已定，彭王剖符受封，亦欲傳之萬世。 今陛下一徵兵於梁，彭王病不行，而陛下疑以為反，反形未見，以苛小案誅滅之，臣恐功臣人人自危也。 今彭王已死，臣生不如死，請就亨。」 於是上乃釋布罪，拜為都尉。
Luan Bu was sent on a diplomatic mission to Qi and had not yet returned when the Han court summoned Peng Yue, charged him with plotting rebellion, and exterminated his three clans. Soon after, Peng Yue's head was displayed below Luoyang, and a decree said, 'Anyone who dares to collect or view it will be immediately captured.' When Luan Bu returned from Qi, he went to report on his mission beneath Peng Yue's severed head, made offerings, and wept for him. The officials arrested Luan Bu and reported the matter to the throne. The Sovereign summoned Bu and cursed him, saying, 'Did you rebel with Peng Yue?' I forbade anyone to attend to his remains, yet you alone made offerings and wept for him—it is clear you were part of Yue's rebellion. Hurry and execute him.' Just as they were leading him to hurry to the cauldron, Bu looked back and said, 'I wish to speak one word before I die.' The Sovereign said, 'What words?' Bu said, 'When the Sovereign was distressed at Pengcheng and defeated between Xingyang and Chenggao, the reason Xiang Yu could not advance west was only because the Peng King dwelt in Liang lands and allied with Han to afflict Chu.' At that moment, the fate of the empire hung on a single decision by the King of Peng: had he sided with Chu, Han would have been destroyed; because he sided with Han, Chu was destroyed. Moreover, at the battle of Gaixia, without the King of Peng, the house of Xiang would never have fallen. After the empire was settled, the King of Peng received his tally and his fief, and naturally wished to pass them down for ten thousand generations. Now Your Majesty levied troops from Liang just once, and when the King of Peng was too ill to comply, Your Majesty suspected him of rebellion. No evidence of rebellion was ever found, yet he was destroyed on a trivial pretext. I fear that every minister who has rendered meritorious service now feels his own life is in danger. Now that the Peng King is already dead, living is not as good as dying for me. Please proceed with the boiling.' So the Sovereign released Bu from his crime and appointed him as du wei.
9
孝文時，為燕相，至將軍。 布乃稱曰：「窮困不能辱身下志，非人也； 富貴不能快意，非賢也。」 於是嘗有德者厚報之，有怨者必以法滅之。 吳（軍）［楚］反時，以軍功封俞侯，復為燕相。 燕齊之閒皆為欒布立社，號曰欒公社。
During the reign of Emperor Wen, he served as the Chancellor of Yan and eventually rose to the rank of general. Bu then declared, 'If poverty and distress cannot humiliate one's self or lower one's ambitions, that is not human;' If wealth and nobility cannot delight one's intentions, that is not worthy.' From then on, he repaid generously all those who had once shown him kindness, and those who had wronged him he invariably destroyed through the law. During the time of the Wu [Chu] rebellion, he was enfeoffed as Marquis of Yu for military merit, and again served as prime minister of Yan. Throughout the lands between Yan and Qi, the people established shrines in his honor, calling them the Shrines of Lord Luan.
10
景帝中五年薨。 子賁嗣，為太常，犧牲不如令，國除。
He died in the fifth year of the middle period of Emperor Jing's reign. His son Ben inherited the title and served as the Grand Master of Ceremonies, but because the sacrificial animals he provided did not meet the prescribed standards, his fief was abolished.
11
太史公曰：以項羽之氣，而季布以勇顯於楚，身屨（典）軍搴旗者數矣，可謂壯士。 然至被刑戮，為人奴而不死，何其下也！ 彼必自負其材，故受辱而不羞，欲有所用其未足也，故終為漢名將。 賢者誠重其死。 夫婢妾賤人感慨而自殺者，非能勇也，其計畫無復之耳。 欒布哭彭越，趣湯如歸者，彼誠知所處，不自重其死。 雖往古烈士，何以加哉！
The Grand Historian said: With Xiang Yu's spirit, Ji Bu nonetheless became prominent in Chu through bravery, personally leading troops and seizing enemy banners on several occasions—he can truly be called a stalwart warrior. Yet to suffer punishment and execution, become someone's slave and not die—how lowly this was! He must have been confident in his own abilities, and therefore accepted humiliation without shame, knowing that his talents had not yet been fully employed. In the end, he became one of the celebrated generals of Han. A truly worthy man weighs his death carefully. When slave girls, concubines, and people of low station kill themselves in a moment of passion, it is not because they are brave—it is because they see no way forward. When Luan Bu wept for Peng Yue and walked toward the boiling cauldron as calmly as if he were going home, it was because he truly understood his situation and did not cling to his own life. Even the fierce warriors of past and ancient times—what could be added to this!