Qin and Han · Eunuch Official

Hong Gong 弘恭

First attested BC 74; died BC 46 to BC 44

Passages: 18
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

Hong Gong was an eunuch Official.

Life and dates

Death

BC 46 to BC 44 元帝即位數年，恭死
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 77

Attested activity

BC 48 to BC 44 元帝即位數年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 77
BC 47 初元二年十二月
Directly stated · Book of Han 10, passage 71
BC 49 to BC 47 宣帝寢疾，選大臣可屬者
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 89, passage 214
BC 74 to BC 48 宣帝時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 75

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 89 Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi 11 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 105 Volume 93: Flatterers 5 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 10 Volume 9: Annals of Emperor Yuan 1 passage
New Book of Tang, Chapter 178 Volume 178 Biographies 103: Liu Fen 1 passage

Career and standing

eunuch favorite 宦者
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 8
director 令
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 76
secretary of the central secretariat 中尚書
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 74
yellow-gate attendant 中黃門
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 74
central secretariat official 中書官
BC 74 to BC 48 宣帝時 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 105, passage 75
Palace Secretary 中書令
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 10, passage 71

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Entered
Eunuch
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 74
castration 腐刑
Sentenced
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 74

Places and affiliations

BC 49 to BC 33 孝元時
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 8
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · New Book of Tang 178, passage 147
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passages 73, 75
At Pei 沛
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 73

Learning and skills

Skill statutes, precedents, and drafting memorials 法令故事、請奏 · Level expert
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 75

Works and attributed material

Accusation memorial · Co author · Mode direct-attribution Speaker Hong Gong (弘恭) · Co Author Person Id Shi Xian (石顯) · Accused Person Ids Xiao Wangzhi (蕭望之), Zhou Kan (周堪), Liu Gengsheng (劉更生)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passage 232

Events and relationships

Cited with Xian as treacherous favorites who should be removed
Political · Courtier
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 178, passage 147
Controlled the palace secretariat with Shi Xian and opposed Wangzhi's reforms
Political · Secretariat director · With Xiao Wangzhi (蕭望之)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passages 131-134
Persuaded the emperor to arrest Wangzhi, expecting him to refuse humiliation
Legal · Instigator
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passages 150-156
Pressured Zheng Peng and Hua Long into accusing Wangzhi and his allies
Political · Conspirator · With Zheng Peng (鄭朋), Hua Long (華龍), Xiao Wangzhi (蕭望之)
Directly stated · Book of Han 89, passages 227-228, 230
Slandered
Political · Accuser · With Xiao Wangzhi (蕭望之)
Directly stated · Book of Han 10, passage 71
Relation Associate of · Person Shi Xian (石顯)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 178, passage 147

Assessments and attributes

Assessment exemplar of treachery paired with Xian · Mode quotation Speaker Liu Fen (劉蕡)
Directly stated · New Book of Tang 178, passage 147

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Han 105, passage 8; New Book of Tang 178, passage 147

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 10Volume 9: Annals of Emperor Yuan · 1 passage

十二月，中書令弘恭、石顯等譖望之，令自殺。 In the twelfth month, Palace Secretary Hong Gong, Shi Xian and others slandered Wangzhi, causing him to commit suicide.

Book of Han, Chapter 89Volume 78: Xiao Wangzhi · 11 passages

中書令弘恭、石顯久典樞機，明習文法，亦與車騎將軍高為表裡，論議常獨持故事，不從望之等。 Hong Gong and Shi Xian had long run the machinery of state, knew every clause of the code, and moved in lockstep with General Shi Gao, stonewalling Wangzhi with citations of old precedent.

恭、顯又時傾仄見詘。 The pair were themselves sometimes cornered and refuted in debate.

望之以為中書政本，宜以賢明之選，自武帝游宴後庭，故用宦者，非國舊制，又違古不近刑人之義，白欲更置士人，由是大與高、恭、顯忤。 Wangzhi argued that the secretariat was the heart of government and should be staffed by worthy, capable men. Eunuchs had been employed there since Emperor Wu began visiting and holding banquets in the rear palace, but this was neither an original Han institution nor consistent with the ancient principle of keeping punished men at a distance. He proposed replacing them with regular officials, bringing him into sharp conflict with Shi Gao, Hong Gong, and Shi Xian.

望之聞之，以問弘恭、石顯。 When Wangzhi heard this, he questioned Hong Gong and Shi Xian.

顯、恭恐望之自訟，下於它吏，即挾朋及待詔華龍。 Shi Xian and Hong Gong feared that Wangzhi would defend himself and the case would be handed to other officials. They therefore pressured Peng and Hua Long, another man awaiting imperial summons, into acting against him.

恭、顯令二人告望之等謀欲罷車騎將軍疏退許、史狀，候望之出休日，令朋、龍上之。 Hong Gong and Shi Xian had the two accuse Wangzhi and his allies of plotting to remove General Shi Gao and of memorializing to oust the Xu and Shi clans; they waited for Wangzhi's day off and had Peng and Long submit the charge.

事下弘恭問狀，望之對曰：「外戚在位多奢淫，欲以匡正國家，非為邪也。」 The case went to Hong Gong for investigation. Wangzhi replied, "The consort clans in power are mostly extravagant; our aim was to correct the state, not to do wrong."

恭、顯奏「望之、堪、更生朋黨相稱舉，數譖訴大臣，毀離親戚，欲以專擅權勢，為臣不忠，誣上不道，請謁者召致廷尉。」 Hong Gong and Shi Xian memorialized that "Wangzhi, Zhou Kan, and Liu Gengsheng had formed a faction, repeatedly slandered great ministers, divided kinsmen, and sought to monopolize power; as disloyal ministers guilty of impiety toward the throne, they asked that an usher deliver them to the commandant of justice."

以責恭、顯，皆叩頭謝。 He rebuked Hong Gong and Shi Xian, and both kowtowed in apology.

恭、顯因使高言：「上新即位，未以德化聞於天下，而先驗師傅，既下九卿大夫獄，宜因決免。」 Hong Gong and Shi Xian then had Shi Gao speak, saying, "Your Majesty has just taken the throne and your transforming virtue is not yet known throughout the realm, yet you have first put your tutors on trial. Now that nine ministers and grandees sit in prison, you ought to dismiss them at once."

弘恭、石顯等知望之素高節，不詘辱，建白：「望之前為將軍輔政，欲排退許、史，專權擅朝。 Hong Gong, Shi Xian, and the others knew that Wangzhi had always maintained lofty integrity and would not bend under humiliation, so they reported, "When Wangzhi formerly assisted the government as general, he wanted to push aside the Xu and Shi families and monopolize power at court.

Book of Han, Chapter 105Volume 93: Flatterers · 5 passages

孝元時宦者則弘恭、石顯； under Emperor Yuan, the eunuchs Hong Gong and Shi Xian;

弘恭，沛人也。 Hong Gong came from Pei.

宣帝時任中書官，恭明習法令故事，善為請奏，能稱其職。 Under Xuandi they ran the inner chancellery; Hong Gong knew law and precedent cold and drafted petitions to perfection.

恭為令，顯為僕射。 Hong Gong was chief; Shi Xian, his deputy.

元帝即位數年，恭死，顯代為中書令。 A few years into Yuan's reign Hong Gong died and Shi Xian became chief of the secretariat.

New Book of Tang, Chapter 178Volume 178 Biographies 103: Liu Fen · 1 passage

又有居官非其能，左右非其賢，惡如四兇，詐如趙高，奸如恭、顯，陛下何憚而不去邪？ Moreover there are those in office beyond their ability, at your side not the worthy — wicked as the Four Evils, deceitful as Zhao Gao, treacherous as Gong and Xian — why do you shrink from removing them?