Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official

Gu Xie 顧協

Attested AD 502 - AD 549

Passages: 23
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Gu Xie was an official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Zhengli	正禮
Posthumous name	Wenzi	溫子

Life and dates

Death

Age 73
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 110

Age

60
Reckoning Sui
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 103
73
Reckoning Sui · Context at death
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 110

Attested activity

AD 525 普通六年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 99
AD 542 大同八年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 110
AD 542 大同八年
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 110
AD 526 普通七年十一月
Directly stated · Book of Liang 8, passage 53
AD 502 to AD 549 梁世
Directly stated · Book of Chen 19, passage 77

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Zhang Yong (張永)
maternal great-uncle 外從祖 · maternal line · 2 generations
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 84
Descendant of Gu He (顧和)
seventh-generation descendant 七世孫 · 7 generations
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 82
Betrothed to Wife of Gu Xie (顧協妻)
betrothed 娉 · Betrothal
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 123
Spouse of Wife of Gu Xie (顧協妻)
joined in marriage 判合 · Marriage
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passages 124-125
Child of Mother of Gu Xie (顧協母)
mother 母
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 83

Kinship Role heirs · Count 0 · Negated true
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 125
Kinship Role wife-and-children · Count 0 · Negated true · at age sixty
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 103

Key source chapters

Origins and identity

Generation Distance 7 · Ancestor Person Id Gu He (顧和) · Line paternal
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 82

Career and standing

Attendant of the Unimpeded Cavalry 通直散騎侍郎
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 108
Palace Secretary 中書舍人
Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 8, passage 53
posthumous Regular Attendant of the Cavalry 贈散騎常侍
Bestowed
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 115

Places and affiliations

At Wu in Wu commandery 吳郡吳
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 81

Learning and skills

Recommended
Credential Cultivated Talent 秀才
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 90

Works and attributed material

Trivial Sayings 瑣語
Relation Author · Volumes 10
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 127
Garden of Variant Surnames 異姓苑
Relation Author · Volumes 5
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 127

Events and relationships

Relation Envoy of · Person Emperor Wu of Liang (梁武帝)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 8, passage 53
Relation Colleague of · Person Yu Li (虞荔)
Directly stated · Book of Chen 19, passage 77

References in the histories

Search passages

History

23 passages

Book of Chen, Chapter 19Volume 19: Shen Jiong; Yu Li; Ma Shu · 1 passage

時左右之任，多參權軸，內外機務，互有帶掌，唯荔與顧協淡然靖退，居于西省，但以文史見知，當時號為清白。 Close attendants then mostly shared the power axis; inner and outer affairs were split among them—only Li and Gu Xie stayed calm and retired in the western secretariat, known for literature and history; the age called them pure.

Book of Liang, Chapter 8Volume 8: Crown Prince Zhaoming; Crown Prince Ai; Crown Prince Minhuai · 1 passage

高祖遣中書舍人顧協宣旨曰：「毀不滅性，聖人之制。 Gaozu sent Palace Secretary Gu Xie with an edict: "Self-destruction does not extinguish nature—the sage's rule.

Book of Liang, Chapter 30Volume 30: Pei Ziye; Gu Xie; Xu Chi; Bao Quan · 21 passages

子野與沛國劉顯、南陽劉之遴、陳郡殷芸、陳留阮孝緒、吳郡顧協、京兆韋棱，皆博極羣書，深相賞好，顯尤推重之。 Ziye, together with Liu Xian of Peiguo, Liu Zhilin of Nanyang, Yin Yun of Chen commandery, Ruan Xiaoxu of Chenliu, Gu Xie of Wu commandery, and Wei Leng of Jingzhao, had all read exhaustively and were close friends; Xian especially esteemed him.

顧協字正禮，吳郡吳人也。 Gu Xie, styled Zhengli, came from Wu in Wu commandery.

協幼孤，隨母養於外氏。 Xie lost his father early and was raised with his mother in his maternal family's household.

外從祖宋右光祿張永嘗攜內外孫侄游虎丘山，協年數歲，永撫之曰：「兒欲何戲？」 His maternal great-uncle Zhang Yong, who had served Song as Right Director of the Imperial Secretariat, once took the inner and outer grandsons and nephews to tour Tiger Hill. Xie was only a few years old; Yong stroked him and said, "Child, what would you like to play?"

協對曰：「兒正欲枕石漱流。」 Xie replied, "This child wishes only to pillow himself on stone and rinse his mouth in the stream."

正德爲巴西、梓潼郡，協除所部安都令。 Zhengde held the commanderies of Baxi and Zitong; Xie was appointed magistrate of Andu within his jurisdiction.

會西豊侯正德爲吳郡，除中軍參軍，領郡五官，遷輕車湘東王參軍事，兼記室。 When Marquis of Feng of the West Zhengde became governor of Wu commandery, Xie was appointed aide in the Central Army and placed in charge of the five officials of the commandery; he was then transferred as aide to the Prince of Xiangdong in the Light Chariots and made concurrent recorder.

普通六年，正德受詔北討，引爲府錄事參軍，掌書記。 In the sixth year of Putong, Zhengde received an edict for the northern campaign and took Xie on as recorder of the headquarters, in charge of records.

軍還，會有詔舉士，湘東王表薦協曰：「臣聞貢玉之士，歸之潤山； When the army returned, an edict called for the recommendation of scholars. The Prince of Xiangdong memorialized recommending Xie, saying, "Your servant has heard that one who offers jade returns to Mount Run;

臣府兼記室參軍吳郡顧協，行稱鄉閭，學兼文武，服膺道素，雅量邃遠，安貧守靜，奉公抗直，傍闕知己，志不自營，年方六十，室無妻子。 Your servant's headquarters concurrent recorder Gu Xie of Wu commandery — his conduct is praised throughout his district, his learning embraces both civil and military affairs, he embraces the Way in plain simplicity, his generous spirit runs deep, he is content in poverty and keeps to quiet, serves the public with upright integrity, has no patron at his side, and never seeks his own advantage. He is just sixty, and his household has neither wife nor children.

臣欲言于官人，申其屈滯，協必苦執貞退，立志難奪，可謂東南之遺寶矣。 Your servant wished to speak to the officials on his behalf, but Xie would surely cling stubbornly to integrity and withdrawal; his resolve cannot be swayed. He may truly be called a treasure left behind in the southeast.

昔孔愉表韓績之才，庾亮薦翟湯之德，臣雖未齒二臣，協實無慚兩士。」 In the past Kong Yu memorialized Han Ji's talent and Yu Liang recommended Zhai Tang's virtue. Your servant, though not equal to those two ministers, finds that Xie would not be shamed before those two gentlemen."

高祖悼惜之，手詔曰：「員外散騎常侍、鴻臚卿、兼中書通事舍人顧協，廉潔自居，白首不衰，久在省闥，內外稱善。 Emperor Wu mourned him deeply and wrote in his own hand: "Extraordinary Regular Attendant of the Cavalry Gu Xie, who also served as Minister of Ceremonies and concurrent Attendant of General Affairs in the Secretariat — he lived in integrity and purity, which did not fade even in old age. Long in the inner offices, he was praised within and without.

諡曰溫子。」 His posthumous title is Wenzi (Gentle)."

協少清介有志操。 From youth Xie was pure, upright, and possessed of moral resolve.

初爲廷尉正，冬服單薄，寺卿蔡法度謂人曰：「我願解身上襦與顧郎，恐顧郎難衣食者。」 When he first served as Director of the Court of Justice, his winter clothing was thin. Director Cai Fadu of the bureau said to others, "I would gladly take off my own jacket and give it to Master Gu, but I fear he would find it hard to accept clothing and food."

及爲舍人，同官者皆潤屋，協在省十六載，器服飲食，不改於常。 When he became an attendant, his colleagues all enriched their households, but Xie served in the inner offices for sixteen years and his utensils, clothing, food, and drink never changed from the usual.

有門生始來事協，知其廉潔，不敢厚餉，止送錢二千，協發怒，杖二十，因此事者絕於饋遺。 A student who had just come to serve Xie, knowing his integrity, did not dare make a lavish gift and sent only two thousand cash. Xie grew angry and had him beaten twenty strokes; from then on those who served him ceased all gifts.

少時將娉舅息女，未成婚而協母亡，免喪後不復娶。 In youth he was betrothed to his uncle's son's daughter, but before the marriage was completed his mother died; after mourning ended he did not marry again.

至六十餘，此女猶未他適，協義而迎之。 By his sixties this woman had still not married another; out of righteousness Xie went to receive her as his wife.

協博極羣書，於文字及禽獸草木尤稱精詳。 Xie had read exhaustively and was especially renowned for his precision in writing and in birds, beasts, plants, and trees.