Min Ziqian (閔子騫) | 24 Histories

Overview

Min Ziqian was a Disciple of Confucius renowned for filial piety, personal name Min Sun.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Min Sun	閔損	Mǐn Sǔn

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 536 to BC 487 Min Sun (traditionally BC 536-487)
Strongly inferred · Book of Song 73, passage 87
BC 500 子騫
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 483, passage 120
BC 520 to BC 480 孔門弟子之世
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 75, passage 283
BC 536 to BC 487 德行顏、閔
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 99, passage 176
BC 520 to BC 480 時人方之閔子騫、原憲
Uncertain · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 260
c. BC 500 曾、閔
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 37, passage 221

Show 4 more source-backed claims

BC 500 祖述回、騫
Strongly inferred · Book of Liang 30, passage 201
BC 536 to BC 487 閔損
Directly stated · Book of Liang 47, passage 274
BC 520 to BC 490 顏、閔
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 65, passage 173
BC 536 to BC 487 顏、閔之極摯
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 86

Key source chapters

Events and relationships

Cited as a model of filial and disciplined conduct
AD 426 to AD 433 元嘉三年後庭誥引述 · Literary comparison · Exemplar
Dated from the passage context · Book of Song 73, passages 41, 62, 87
Relation Student of · Person Confucius (孔子)
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 117, passage 86; Book of Liang 30, passage 201; Book of Liang 47, passage 274

Assessments and attributes

Assessment exemplar to whom contemporaries compared Zhang Wenxu · With Zhang Wenxu (張文詡) · Mode named-source-report Witness people of the time 時人
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 260
Assessment exemplary filial figure invoked in Household Admonitions · Mode quoted-document Source Person Id Yan Yanzhi (顏延之)
Directly stated · Book of Song 73, passage 87
Assessment filial exemplar under the sage's teaching · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Liang 47, passage 274
Assessment model for virtue and conduct among the four categories · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Yao Cha (姚察)
Directly stated · Book of Liang 30, passage 201

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of the Northern Dynasties 88, passage 260; Book of Han 75, passage 283

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

History of the Northern Dynasties, Chapter 88Volume 88 Biographies 76: Recluses · 1 passage

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以如意擊幾自樂，皆有處所，時人方之閔子騫、原憲焉。 He struck the table with his ruyi scepter for his own pleasure, each stroke falling in its place; people of the time compared him to Min Ziqian and Yuan Xian.

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

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興事父母有曾氏之孝，事師有顏閔之材，榮名聞於四方。 He honors his parents with the devotion of Zeng Shen, serves his teachers with the gifts of Yan Hui and Min Sun, and his good name rings through the realm.

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

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譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."

Book of Han, Chapter 96Volume 85: Gu Yong and Du Ye · 1 passage

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善閔子騫守禮不苟，從親所行，無非理者，故無可間也。 He praised Min Ziqian for keeping ritual: whatever his parents did stayed within reason, so no wedge could enter.

Book of Han, Chapter 99Volume 87b: Yang Xiong 2 · 2 passages

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仲尼之後，訖於漢道，德行顏、閔、股肱蕭、曹，□及名將尊卑之條，稱述品藻。 From Confucius down to Han times—Yan Hui and Min Ziqian for virtue, Xiao He and Cao Shen as arms of state, and the ranking of celebrated generals—each is weighed and characterized.

撰《淵騫》第十一。 Book XI, 《Yuan and Qian》.

Book of Han, Chapter 117Volume 100a: Afterword and Family History 1 · 1 passage

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今吾子已貫仁誼之羈絆，繫名聲之韁鎖，伏周、孔之軌躅，馳顏、閔之極摯，既繫攣於世教矣，何用大道為自眩曜？ Now you, sir, have already put on the fetters of benevolence and duty and tied yourself to the reins and locks of reputation. You crouch in the tracks of the Duke of Zhou and Confucius and race toward the utmost earnestness of Yan Hui and Min Ziqian; since you are already bound fast by worldly teaching, why use the great Way merely to dazzle yourself?

Book of Later Han, Chapter 37Volume 32: Biographies of Fan Hong; Yin Shi · 1 passage

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輔導朕躬，有周昌之直，在家仁孝，有曾、閔之行，不幸早卒，朕甚傷之。 He guided me with Zhou Chang's integrity, and at home showed the filial devotion of Zeng and Min. His untimely death grieves Us deeply.

Book of Liang, Chapter 30Volume 30: Pei Ziye; Gu Xie; Xu Chi; Bao Quan · 1 passage

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若夫憲章游、夏，祖述回、騫，體兼文行，於裴幾原見之矣。 In modeling oneself on Ziyou and Zixia, following in the footsteps of Yan Hui and Min Ziqian, and combining literary talent with moral conduct — all of this we see in Pei Jiyuan.

Book of Liang, Chapter 47Volume 47: Filial Acts · 1 passage

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高柴、仲由伏膺聖教，曾參、閔損虔恭孝道，或水漿不入口，泣血終年，豈不知創鉅痛深，《蓼莪》慕切？ Gao Chai and Zhong You followed the sage; Zeng Shen and Min Sun were reverently filial—some took no food, some wept blood a year: did they not know wound and longing in "Luxuriant Reeds"?

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 483Volume 483 Biographies 270: Confucian Scholars 4: Kong Yinzhi Son: Xing Xie, Yu Qi Son: Chuan Duo, Guang Qi Son: Zhao Huan, Sun :Xianpei, Zeng Sun : Qing Rong, Zeng Sun : Fan Hao, Xuan Sun : Xiang Ke, Lai Sun : Ling Yi · 1 passage

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又增設咸陽姬氏文王后，曲阜東野氏周公後，濟寧閔氏子騫後，濬縣端木氏子貢後，常熟言氏子遊後，鉅野卜氏子夏后，蕭縣顓孫氏子張後，菏澤、肥城兩冉氏伯牛、仲弓後，肥城有氏有子後，鄒平伏氏伏生後，孟縣韓氏文公後，郿縣張氏明公後，各一人。 It further added one post each for the Ji of Xianyang, heirs of King Wen; the Dongye of Qufu, heirs of the Duke of Zhou; the Min of Jining, heirs of Ziqian; the Duanmu of Junxian, heirs of Zigong; the Yan of Changshu, heirs of Ziyou; the Bu of Juye, heirs of Zixia; the Zhuansun of Xiaoxian, heirs of Zizhang; the two Ran lines of Heze and Feicheng, heirs of Boniu and Zhonggong; the You of Feicheng, heirs of Youzi; the Fu of Zouping, heirs of Fusheng; the Han of Mengxian, heirs of Master Wengong; and the Zhang of Meixian, heirs of Master Ming.

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 65Volume 65: Book of Wu 20: Biographies of Wang, Lou, He, Wei, and Hua · 1 passage

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假令世士移博奕之力而用之於詩書，是有顏、閔之志也。 Turn that zeal to the classics and you approach Yan Hui and Min Ziqian;

Book of Song, Chapter 73Volume 73 Biographies 33: Yan Yanzhi · 1 passage

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儻知恩意相生，情理相出，可使家有參、柴，人皆由、損。 If you grasp that kindness and intent breed one another and that principle and feeling arise together, your household may hold men like Zeng Shen and Gao Chai, and every man be a Zhong You or Min Sun.

Book of Sui, Chapter 77Volume 77 Biographies 42: Recluses · 1 passage

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以如意擊幾，皆有處所，時人方之閔子騫原憲焉。 He would strike the armrest with his ruyi scepter, each blow landing in its place; men of the time compared him to Min Ziqian and Yuan Xian.