Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and Statesman

Bai Jian 白建

Attested AD 550 - AD 576

Passages: 11
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Bai Jian was an official and Statesman.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Yansu	彥舉	Yansu

Life and dates

Death

Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 149

Attested activity

AD 559 天保十年
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 134
AD 576 武平七年
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 149
AD 570 to AD 576 武平末
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 141
AD 564 河清三年
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 136
AD 550 to AD 570 齊世
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 33, passage 168

Family

Kinship Role daughters · Quantity plural unspecified
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 147
Kinship Role sons · Quantity plural unspecified
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 146

Key source chapters

Career and standing

cavalry adjutant 騎兵參軍
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 135
cavalry bureau clerk 騎兵曹
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 133
secretariat gentleman 中書舍人
Appointed
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 134
special advance, attendant-in-ordinary, chief minister of secretariat 特進、侍中、中書令
Held
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 141

Places and affiliations

Northern Qi 齊
Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 130
At Yangyi in Taiyuan 太原陽邑
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passage 132

Events and relationships

Inspected herds and expediently distributed horses
Military · Inspector
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passages 136-139

Assessments and attributes

Assessment diligent; reached minister rank managing troops with Tang Yong · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passages 142-143
Assessment sons made clerks young; marriages matched leading families · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 40, passages 146-148

References in the histories

Search passages

History

11 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 33Volume 33 Biographies 25: Xiao Yuanming; Xiao Zhi (Liang); Xiao Tui; Xiao Fang (Liang); Xu Zhicai · 2 passages

唐邕、白建方貴，時人言云：「幷州赫赫唐與白。」 Tang Yong and Bai Jian were then in high favor; people said, "In Bingzhou, Tang and Bai blaze bright."

元日，對邕為諸令史祝曰：「見卿等位當作唐、白。」 On New Year's Day, facing Yong, he said to the clerks in blessing, "May you gentlemen in rank become Tang and Bai."

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 40Volume 40 Biographies 32: Yu Jin (Northern Qi); Feng Zicong; Helian Ziyue; Tang Yong; Bai Jian · 9 passages

尉瑾馮子琮赫連子悅唐邕白建 Yu Jin; Feng Zicong; Helian Ziyue; Tang Yong; Bai Jian

及天保受禪，諸司監咸歸尚書，唯此二曹不廢，令唐邕、白建主治，謂之外兵省、騎兵省。 When Tianbao received the mandate, all office supervisors went to the Masters of Writing, but these two bureaus remained; Tang Yong and Bai Jian headed them, called the External Troops Department and Cavalry Department.

其後邕、建位望轉隆，各為省主，令中書舍人分判二省事，故世稱唐、白云。 Later Yong and Jian rose higher; each became head of his department, with secretariat gentlemen to divide their affairs—hence the age called them Tang and Bai.

白建，字彥舉，太原陽邑人也。 Bai Jian, styled Yansu, was from Yangyi in Taiyuan.

賊退後，勑建就彼檢校，續使人詣建間領馬，送定州付民養飼。 After the raiders withdrew, an edict sent Jian to inspect; messengers kept coming for him to take the horses and send them to Ding Province for the people to raise.

建以馬久不得食，瘦弱，遠送恐多死損，遂違勑以便宜從事，隨近散付軍人。 Jian judged the horses had long gone unfed and were thin; a long haul would kill many, so he disobeyed the edict, acted as expedient required, and distributed them nearby to soldiers.

戎乘無損，建有力焉。 The war horses suffered no loss—Jian had credit for this.

建雖無他才，勤於在公。 Jian had no other talent but was diligent in public affairs.

屬王業始基，戎寄為重，建與唐邕俱以典執兵馬致位卿相。 As the royal enterprise was just beginning and military trust was weighty, Jian and Tang Yong both reached minister and chancellor by holding charge of troops and horses.