Sui and Tang · Official

Du Jian 杜兼

Attested c. AD 780

Passages: 13
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Du Jian was an official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Chuhong	處弘	Chuhong

Life and dates

Death

died at seventy
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 145

Attested activity

c. AD 780 建中初
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 124

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Descendant of Du Zhenlun (杜正倫)
fifth-generation descendant 五世孫 · 5 generations
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 124
Child of Du Yi (杜廙)
father 父
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 126
Kin of Du Cunjie (杜存介)
paternal uncle 伯父 · paternal line
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 129
Kin of Du Gao (杜羔)
younger cousin 從弟
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 147

Career and standing

director in Ministry of Justice 刑部郎中
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 139
Haozhou prefect 濠州刺史
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 131
metropolitan governor of Henan 河南尹
Held
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 141

Events and relationships

Framed Wei Shang, Lu Chu, Linghu Yun, and Li Fan
False impeachment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 136
Offered to become a slave to save Du Cunjie
Filial rescue
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 129

Assessments and attributes

Assessment frivolous, treacherous, and violent · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 132

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 172, passage 124

References in the histories

Search passages

History

13 passages

New Book of Tang, Chapter 172Volume 172 Biographies 97: Yu, Wang, Two Du's, Fan · 13 passages

冊拜太傅，封雁門郡王，進兼侍中。 He was enfeoffed as Grand Tutor, created Prince of Yanmen, and promoted to concurrent Palace Attendant.

甘露之變，以功兼御史大夫，為光州刺史。 During the Sweet Dew Incident he distinguished himself and was made Vice Censor-in-Chief while serving as prefect of Guangzhou.

遂詔宰以兵五千椎鋒，兼統河陽行營。 The emperor accordingly put Zai at the head of five thousand shock troops and gave him overall command of the Heyang field camp.

杜兼，字處弘，中書令正倫五世孫。 Du Jian, styled Chuhong, descended in the fifth generation from the Chief Minister Du Zhenlun.

兼尚幼，逃入終南山。 Jian was still a child and escaped into the Zhongnan Mountains.

伯父存介為賊執，臨刑，兼號呼願為奴以贖，遂皆免。 When the rebels captured his uncle Cunjie and prepared to execute him, the boy Jian shouted that he would be their slave in exchange—and both lives were spared.

兼探帝意，謀自固，即脩武備，募占勁兵三千。 Reading the throne's mood, Jian schemed to entrench himself: he fortified his defenses and raised three thousand handpicked soldiers.

僚官韋賞、陸楚皆聞家子，有美譽，論事忤兼，誣劾以罪。 His colleagues Wei Shang and Lu Chu—scions of distinguished houses with spotless names—crossed him in council, and he framed them on trumped-up charges.

帝遣中人至，兼廷勞畢，出詔執賞等殺之，二人無罪死，眾莫不冤。 A palace envoy arrived; Jian received him with full ceremony of praise, then produced an edict ordering Wei Shang and the rest seized and put to death. Innocent men were killed, and all who heard it cried injustice.

杜佑素善兼，終始倚為助力。 Du You had always favored Jian and counted on him as a steady ally throughout.

及兼為澤潞判官，鞫獄，有媼辨對不凡，乃羔母，因得奉養。 While Jian held a judgeship on the Ze-Lu circuit and was hearing a case, an old woman's sharp replies revealed her as Gao's long-lost mother, and he was able to take her home and care for her.

既又建奏疏闊，不稱旨，罷為陜虢觀察兼轉運使。 His memorials grew diffuse and missed the mark; he was removed and made observation commissioner of Shan-Guo with concurrent charge of transport.

又賂中人求兼河南尹。 He also bribed eunuchs to win concurrent appointment as metropolitan governor of Henan.