Qin and Han · Han Grand Minister of Works and statesman

He Wu 何武

Hé Wǔ

Attested BC 61 - c. AD 3

Passages: 15
Chapters: 7
Histories: 1

Overview

He Wu was a Han Grand Minister of Works and statesman.

Life and dates

Attested activity

c. BC 7 to c. AD 3 哀帝初
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 38, passage 186
BC 7 哀帝即位
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 26, passages 327, 334
BC 7 to BC 1 哀帝時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 93, passage 57
BC 61 to BC 54 時氾鄉侯何武為僮子
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 75, passages 137-139
BC 7 綏和二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 12, passage 39

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Grand Minister of Works 大司空
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 12, passage 39; Book of Han 26, passage 334; Book of Han 38, passage 186; Book of Han 93, passage 57
grand minister of works 大司空
Directly stated · Book of Han 94, passages 266, 280, 311
imperial secretary 御史大夫
Directly stated · Book of Han 94, passage 265
Grand Minister of Works
大司空
Directly stated · Book of Han 88, passage 253
Marquis of Fanxiang 氾鄉侯
BC 7 綏和二年 · Increased · Households 1000
Directly stated · Book of Han 12, passage 39
marquis 列侯
Directly stated · Book of Han 94, passage 266

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Marquis of Fanxiang 氾鄉侯
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 137
Marquis of Sixiang 汜鄉侯
Directly stated · Book of Han 94, passages 266, 311
schoolboy 僮子
Schoolboy
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 137

Places and affiliations

Polity Western Han · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passage 334
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 38, passage 186
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passages 137, 139
At Chang'an 長安 · Relation Studied at
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 138

Learning and skills

At Chang'an 長安 · Institution Imperial Academy 太學
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 138

Works and attributed material

Joint memorial · Author · With Fu Xi (傅喜) · Mode direct-quotation Speaker He Wu (何武)
Directly stated · Book of Han 93, passages 57-61
Memorial · Author · With Emperor Ai (孝哀皇帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 26, passages 334-337

Events and relationships

Requested nominations of people skilled in river control
Administrative · Recruiting official
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passage 186
Selected to sing Wang Bao poems
BC 61 to BC 54 時氾鄉侯何武為僮子，選在歌中 · Cultural · Chorister · With Wang Bao (王褒)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 75, passage 137
Summoned to sing before Emperor Xuan
BC 61 to BC 49 宣帝召見武等觀之 · Cultural · Performer · With Emperor Xuan (宣帝)
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 75, passages 138-139

Assessments and attributes

Item silk 帛 · Relation Received
Directly stated · Book of Han 75, passage 139

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

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

太僕安陽侯舜輔導有舊恩，益封五百戶，及丞相孔光、大司空氾鄉侯何武益封各千戶。 Grand Coachman Shun, Marquis of Anyang, had longstanding merits in guidance and support. His fief was increased by five hundred households. Chancellor Kong Guang and Grand Minister of Works He Wu, Marquis of Fanxiang, each had their fiefs increased by one thousand households.

Book of Han, Chapter 26Volume 24a: Treatise on Trade 1 · 1 passage

丞相孔光、大司空何武奏請：「諸侯王、列侯皆得名田國中。 Chief Chancellor Kong Guang and Grand Minister of Works He Wu memorialized: "Feudal kings and ranked marquises may all hold titled fields within their domains.

Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 1 passage

下丞相孔光、大司空何武，奏請部刺史、三輔、三河、弘農太守舉吏民能者，莫有應書。 The matter went to Chancellor Kong Guang and Grand Minister of Works He Wu. They asked regional inspectors and the governors of the Three Capital Districts, the Three Rivers commanderies, and Hongnong to nominate capable officials or commoners, but no one responded.

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 3 passages

時氾鄉侯何武為僮子，選在歌中。 Among the choristers was the future Marquis of Fanxiang, He Wu, still a schoolboy.

久之，武等學長安，歌太學下，轉而上聞。 Years later, when He Wu and his companions were students in Chang'an, they sang the pieces below the walls of the Imperial Academy until word of them reached the throne.

宣帝召見武等觀之，皆賜帛，謂曰：「此盛德之事，吾何足以當之！」 Emperor Xuan called He Wu and his fellows in to perform, rewarded each with silk, and said, 'Such music belongs to a reign of supreme virtue; how can I deserve it?'

Book of Han, Chapter 88Volume 77: Gai, Zhuge, Liu, Zheng, Sun, Wujiang and He · 2 passages

併為郡吏，至大司空掾，事何武。 He rose to staff under Grand Minister of Works He Wu.

武高其志節，舉能治劇，為長陵令，道不拾遺。 He Wu sent him to tough Changling, where honesty ran so high that lost goods stayed put.

Book of Han, Chapter 93Volume 82: Wang Shang, Shi Dan and Fu Xi · 1 passage

大司空何武、尚書令唐林皆上書言：「喜行義修潔，忠誠憂國，內輔之臣也，今以寢病，一旦遣歸，眾庶失望，皆曰傅氏賢子，以論議不合於定陶太后故退，百寮莫不為國恨之。 Grand Minister of Works He Wu and Secretary Director Tang Lin jointly wrote: 'Fu Xi is upright, scrupulous, and devoted to the state—exactly the kind of man who should stand at the emperor's side. To dismiss him overnight on grounds of illness will disappoint the empire. People will say the worthy son of the Fu clan was cashiered because he would not trim his opinions to suit the Dowager of Dingtao, and every official will feel the dynasty has wronged itself.

Book of Han, Chapter 94Volume 83: Xue Xuan and Zhu Bo · 6 passages

及成帝時，何武為九卿，建言：「古者民樸事約，國之輔佐必得賢聖，然猶則天三光，備三公官，各有分職。 Under Emperor Cheng, Minister He Wu argued: "In high antiquity life was simple and government lean; even sage assistants modeled the three lights of heaven, so the three dukes each had a clear portfolio.

時曲陽侯王根為大司馬票騎將軍，而何武為御史大夫。 Wang Gen, Marquis of Quyang, then held grand marshal with the agile-cavalry generalship, while He Wu was imperial secretary.

於是上賜曲陽侯根大司馬印綬，置官屬，罷票騎將軍官，以御史大夫何武為大司空，封列侯，皆增奉如丞相，以備三公官焉。 The throne gave Wang Gen the grand marshal seal and staff, dropped the separate agile-cavalry post, made He Wu grand minister of works with a marquisate and chancellor-level salary, rounding out the three excellencies.

初，何武為大司空，又與丞相方進共奏言：「古選諸侯賢者以為州伯，《書》曰『咨十有二牧』，所以廣聰明，燭幽隱也。 Earlier, when He Wu was Grand Minister of Works, he and Chancellor Zhai Fangjin jointly memorialized: "In antiquity worthy regional lords were selected as provincial chiefs. The Documents says, 'Consult the twelve shepherds'; this broadened intelligent hearing and illuminated what was hidden.

博惡獨斥奏喜，以故大司空汜鄉侯何武前亦坐過免就國，事與喜相似，即並奏：「喜、武前在位，皆無益於治，雖已退免，爵士之封非所當得也。 Unwilling to single out Fu Xi alone, Zhu Bo lumped in He Wu, former grand minister of works and Marquis of Sìxiang, who had also been cashiered to his fief: "Neither Fu Xi nor He Wu helped the government while in power; though removed, they should not keep their marquisates.

宣等劾奏：「博宰相，玄上卿，晏以外親封位特進，股肱大臣，上所信任，不思竭誠奉公，務廣恩化，為百寮先，皆知喜、武前已蒙恩詔決，事更三赦，博執正道，虧損上恩，以結信貴戚，背君鄉臣，傾亂政治，奸人之雄，附下罔上，為臣不忠不道； Peng Xuan and the others impeached them, saying: "Zhu Bo is chancellor, Zhao Xuan is an upper minister, and Yan, as an outside relative, holds enfeoffed rank as Specially Advanced. They are great ministers, arms and thighs of the state, trusted by the sovereign, yet they did not think to exhaust loyalty in serving the public, broaden grace and transformation, and lead the hundred offices. They all knew that Xi and Wu had already received a merciful edict and decision, and that the matter had passed through three amnesties. Bo abandoned the straight Way and damaged the sovereign's grace in order to bind trust with honored in-laws; he turned his back on the ruler and faced the ministers, overturned and disordered government, became a champion among wicked men, attached himself below and deceived above. As a minister he is disloyal and without the Way;