Qin and Han · Carriage Driver

Bing Ji's coachman 丙吉馭吏

Attested BC 59 - BC 55

Passages: 6
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Bing Ji's coachman was a Carriage Driver.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 59 to BC 55 丙吉為相時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 85, passage 155

Career and standing

carriage driver 馭吏
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 155

Places and affiliations

At border commandery 邊郡 · Relation Native of
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 159

Events and relationships

Reported border raid
Administrative · Informer
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 160

Assessments and attributes

loved ale; once vomited on chancellor carriage
Habit
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 155

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 85Volume 74: Wei Xiang and Bing Ji · 6 passages

吉馭吏耆酒，數逋蕩，嘗從吉出，醉嘔丞相車上。 His coachman was a drunk who once vomited on the chancellor’s cushions.

遂不去也。 The coachman kept his job.

此馭吏邊郡人，習知邊塞發奔命警備事，嘗出，適見驛騎持赤白囊，邊郡發奔命書馳來至。 The man knew frontier signals; one day he saw couriers with red-and-white pouches galloping in with emergency dispatches from the border.

馭吏因隨驛騎至公車刺取，知虜入雲中、代郡，遽歸府見吉白狀，因曰：「恐虜所入邊郡，二千石長吏有老病不任兵馬者，宜可豫視。」 The carriage officer therefore followed the courier to the Public Carriage Office and made inquiries. Learning that the raiders had entered Yunzhong and Dai commanderies, he hurried back to the bureau, saw Bing Ji, reported the situation, and then said, ‘I fear that in the border commanderies the enemy has entered, some of the two-thousand-bushel senior officials may be old or ill and unable to handle troops and horses. It would be proper to inspect this in advance.’

而吉見謂憂邊思職，馭吏力也。 Bing Ji passed for a border-minded chancellor thanks to his driver.

向使丞相不先聞馭吏言，何見勞勉之有？」 Had I not heard my driver, how would I have earned such praise?’