Overview
Emperor Wu was a ruler.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Attested activity
BC 130 元光五年
BC 116 to BC 111 元鼎中
BC 141 武帝初即位
Works and attributed material
- Edict · Author · Direct quotation
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 10 passages
武帝初即位，招賢良文學士，是時，弘年六十，以賢良徵為博士。
At the beginning of Emperor Wu's reign the court called for worthy men and literary scholars; Hong was sixty and was recommended as worthy and good and summoned to be a court erudite.
策奏，天子擢弘對為第一。
When the papers went up, the emperor placed Hong's first.
唯陛下之所志。」
All hangs on what Your Majesty resolves to do."
書奏，天子以冊書答曰：「問：弘稱周公之治，弘之材能自視孰與周公賢？」
The memorial reached the throne; the emperor replied in his own hand: "You praise the Duke of Zhou's rule—do you count your own gifts the equal of his?"
且無黯，陛下安聞此言？」
Moreover, without Ji An, how would Your Majesty ever have heard this?"
陛下躬孝弟，監三王，建周道，兼文武，招徠四方之士，任賢序位，量能授官，將以厲百姓勸賢材也。
Your Majesty embodies filial piety and brotherly love, takes the Three Kings as mirror, revives Zhou's institutions, blends wen and wu, draws talent from every quarter, ranks the worthy by merit, fits office to ability—all to stir the people and lift the able.
式曰：「天子誅匈奴，愚以為賢者宜死節，有財者宜輸之，如此而匈奴可滅也。」
Bu Shi answered: "The Son of Heaven is chastising the Xiongnu; the worthy should be ready to die for the cause, the rich should open their granaries—only so can the nomads be crushed."
唯聖主所由，制定其當，非君臣之所能列。
Only the Son of Heaven can set the mean and fix the forms—no roster of ministers can substitute for that.
唯天子建中和之極，兼總條貫，金聲而玉振之，以順成天慶，垂萬世之基。」
Only the throne can strike the perfect chord, draw every strand together, and "sound the bell of metal and the chime of jade"—finishing Heaven's celebration and founding an age that will last."
臣寬奉觴再拜，上千萬歲壽。」
Your servant raises the cup twice and bows, wishing Your Majesty ten thousand years of life."