Qin and Han · Official and Aristocrat

Feng Can 馮參

Féng Cān

First attested BC 33; died BC 6

Passages: 20
Chapters: 4
Histories: 1

Overview

Feng Can was an official and Aristocrat.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Shen	參	Shen
Courtesy name	Shuping	叔平	Shuping

Life and dates

Death

BC 6 建平元年
Suicide
Directly stated · Book of Han 12, passage 72
Suicide
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 190

Attested activity

BC 7 哀帝即位
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 189
BC 6 建平元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 12, passage 72
BC 8 to BC 7 成帝末
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 91, passage 191
BC 16 to BC 13 永始中
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 207
BC 8 to BC 7 綏和中
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 210
BC 8 綏和元年二月癸丑
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 274

Show 2 more source-backed claims

BC 24 to BC 21 陽朔中
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 205
BC 33 竟寧中
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 203

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Zhongshan King (中山王)
maternal uncle 舅 · maternal line · Through Mother of Zhongshan King (中山王母)
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 274
Sibling of Lady Feng (馮昭儀)
maternal uncle of Xing implies brother of Lady Feng 舅 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 91, passage 191
Kin of Liu Xing (劉興)
maternal uncle 舅 · maternal line
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 191
Sibling of Mother of Zhongshan King (中山王母)
maternal uncle 舅 · Uncertain siblings
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 11, passage 274
Child of Feng Fengshi (馮奉世)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 125
Sibling of Feng Yuan (馮媛)
younger brother of the Brilliant Companion 昭儀少弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 202
Sibling of Empress Dowager Yuan (媛)
younger brother 弟
Directly stated · Book of Han 12, passage 72

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 90 Volume 79: Feng Fengshi 17 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 11 Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 12 Volume 11: Annals of Emperor Ai 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 91 Volume 80: The Six Sons of Emperors Xuan and Yuan 1 passage

Career and standing

Remonstrance Grandee 諫大夫
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 274
Marquis of Yixiang 宜鄉侯
BC 8 綏和元年二月癸丑 · Enfeoffed
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 274
Marquis of Yixiang 宜鄉侯
Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 191
Marquis of Yixiang 宜鄉侯
Granted
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 210
Marquis of Yixiang 宜鄉侯
Received
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 274

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 274

Learning and skills

Subject Documents 尚書 · Relation Studied
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 200

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 191

Assessments and attributes

Assessment virtuous gentleman who died on a false charge · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 195

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 11Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng · 1 passage

封中山王舅諫大夫馮參為宜鄉侯，益中山國三萬戶，以慰其意。 Enfeoffed Zhongshan King's maternal uncle Remonstrance Grandee Feng Can as Marquis of Yixiang, increased the Zhongshan kingdom by 30,000 households, to console his intention.

Book of Han, Chapter 12Volume 11: Annals of Emperor Ai · 1 passage

冬，中山孝王太后媛、弟宜鄉侯馮參有罪，皆自殺。 In winter, Empress Dowager Yuan of King Xiao of Zhongshan and her younger brother, Marquis Feng Can of Yixiang, were found guilty and both committed suicide.

Book of Han, Chapter 90Volume 79: Feng Fengshi · 17 passages

譚弟野王、逡、立、參至大官。 Younger brothers Yewang, Qun, Li, and Shen all rose high.

參字叔平，學通《尚書》。 Shen, style Shuping, mastered the Documents.

少為黃門郎給事中，宿衛十餘年，參為人矜嚴，好修容儀，進退恂恂，甚可觀也。 As a youth he served as yellow-gate gentleman and attendant within the gates, on night watch for more than ten years. Stern and dignified, he cultivated his bearing; his measured advance and retreat were a sight to behold.

參，昭儀少弟，行又敕備，以嚴見憚，終不得親近侍帷幄。 Shen was the Brilliant Companion's younger brother; his conduct was meticulous. His severity inspired fear, and he never drew near to serve within the curtained chambers.

陽朔中，中山王來朝，參擢為上河農都尉。 During Yangshuo, when the King of Zhongshan came to court, Shen was raised to chief agricultural commandant of Shanghe.

綏和中，立定陶王為皇太子，以中山王見廢，故封王舅參為宜鄉侯，以慰王意。 In Suihe the King of Dingtao became heir apparent; with Zhongshan deposed, the prince's uncle Shen was made Marquis of Yixiang to soothe him.

參之國，上書願至中山見王、太后。 Going to his fief, Shen memorialized asking to visit Zhongshan and see the king and dowager.

王病時，上奏願貶參爵以關內侯食邑留長安。 While ill, the king asked that Shen's rank be reduced to marquis within the passes with his fief kept at Chang'an.

上憐之，下詔曰：「中山孝王短命早薨，願以舅宜鄉侯參為關內侯，歸家，朕甚愍之。 The emperor pitied him and issued an edict: "The Filial King of Zhongshan died young. He wished his uncle, Marquis of Yixiang Shen, made marquis within the passes and sent home. We are deeply moved.

其還參京師，以列侯奉朝請。」 Let Shen return to the capital and attend court as a full marquis."

丞相翟方進亦甚重焉，數謂參：「物禁太甚。 Chancellor Zhai Fangjin also esteemed him and often told Shen, "Things forbid excess.

參性好禮儀，終不改其恆操。 Shen loved ritual and decorum and never changed his steady ways.

頃之，哀帝即位，帝祖母傅太后用事，追怨參姊中山太后，陷以祝詛大逆之罪，語在《外戚傳》。 Soon Ai ruled; Grand Empress Dowager Fu hated Shen's sister, the Zhongshan dowager, and framed her for witchcraft—see the outer-kin annals.

參以同產當相坐，謁者承製召參詣廷尉，參自殺。 Shen faced kin liability; the usher's summons to the commandant of justice drove him to suicide.

且死，仰天歎曰：「參父子兄弟皆備大位，身至封侯，今被惡名而死，姊弟不敢自惜，傷無以見先人於地下！」 About to die, he sighed toward heaven and said, "My father, brothers, and I have all filled high posts and attained marquis rank; now I die bearing a foul name. Sister and brother—I do not pity ourselves; I grieve only that we cannot face our ancestors underground!"

宜鄉侯參鞠躬履方，擇地而行，可謂淑人君子，然卒死於非罪，不能自免，哀哉！ Marquis Shen walked every inch by the book—a true gentleman—yet perished on a false charge he could not escape.

馮參姊弟，亦云悲矣！ Shen and his sister—pitiful indeed.

Book of Han, Chapter 91Volume 80: The Six Sons of Emperors Xuan and Yuan · 1 passage

上乃封孝王舅馮參為宜鄉侯，而益封孝王萬戶，以尉其意。 The emperor then made Xing’s uncle Feng Can marquis of Yixiang and added ten thousand households to Xing’s fief to soothe him.