Qin and Han · Royal Family Member

Pengzu 彭祖

Attested BC 155 - BC 141

Passages: 17
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Pengzu was a Royal Family Member.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 155 二年春三月
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 48
BC 141 十五年孝景帝崩
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 73
BC 152 四年徙為趙王
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 72
BC 155 孝景前二年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 70

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Lady Nao (淖姬)
consort 姬 · Concubinage
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 84
Sibling of Sheng (勝)
elder brother 兄 · Maternal half siblings
same-mother brother 同母 · Maternal half siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passages 4, 95
Child of Emperor Jing (孝景皇帝)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 4
Parent of Liu Dan (丹)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 89
Child of Emperor Jing of Han (漢景帝)
imperial son 皇子
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 48
Child of Lady Jia (賈夫人)
mother 母
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 4

Kinship Role children-and-grandchildren · Qualifier many · Quantity many · Count 2
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 76
Kinship Role favored-consorts · Qualifier many · Quantity many · Count 2
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 76

Key source chapters

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 59 House of the Five Clans 16 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 6 Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing 1 passage

Career and standing

King of Guangchuan 廣川王
BC 155 二年春三月 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 48
King of Guangchuan 廣川王
BC 155 孝景前二年 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 70
King of Zhao 趙王
Transferred
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 72

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Royal kinsman
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 1
At Handan 邯鄲 · Relation Patrolled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 87

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Sheng (勝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 97

Assessments and attributes

Assessment artful and fawning, outwardly deferential but ruthless · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 59, passage 74

References in the histories

Search passages

History

17 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 6Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing · 1 passage

春三月，立皇子德為河間王，閼為臨江王，餘為淮陽王，非為汝南王，彭祖為廣川王，發為長沙王。 In the third month of spring, he enfeoffed his imperial sons De as King of Hejian, Yan as King of Linjiang, Yu as King of Huaiyang, Fei as King of Runan, Pengzu as King of Guangchuan, and Fa as King of Changsha.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 59House of the Five Clans · 16 passages

賈夫人子曰彭祖、勝。 Lady Jia bore two sons: Pengzu and Sheng.

趙王彭祖，以孝景前二年用皇子為廣川王。 King Pengzu of Zhao was first enfeoffed as King of Guangchuan as an imperial prince in the second year of Emperor Jing's early reign.

趙王遂反破後，彭祖王廣川。 After King Sui of Zhao's rebellion was crushed, Pengzu ruled as King of Guangchuan.

彭祖為人巧佞卑諂，足恭而心刻深。 Pengzu was by nature artful, fawning, and obsequious, deferential in outward manner but ruthless and calculating at heart.

彭祖多內寵姬及子孫。 Pengzu kept a great number of favored consorts in his inner palace, and sired many children and grandchildren.

是以每相、二千石至，彭祖衣皁布衣，自行迎，除二千石舍，多設疑事以作動之，得二千石失言，中忌諱，輒書之。 For this reason, whenever a new chancellor or official of two-thousand-shi rank arrived, Pengzu would don coarse black cloth and personally go out to welcome him. He would prepare the official's quarters and contrive all manner of provocations to unsettle him. If the official let slip an indiscreet word or violated some taboo, Pengzu recorded it at once.

二千石欲治者，則以此迫劫； Should an official of two-thousand-shi rank attempt to govern, Pengzu would use these records to coerce and threaten him;

不聽，乃上書告，及汙以姦利事。 and if the official still refused to comply, Pengzu would submit a memorial of accusation to the throne, smearing him with charges of corruption and profiteering.

彭祖立五十餘年，相、二千石無能滿二歲，輒以罪去，大者死，小者刑，以故二千石莫敢治。 Over the course of Pengzu's reign of more than fifty years, not a single chancellor or official of two-thousand-shi rank lasted a full two years before being removed on charges. Those convicted of greater offenses died; those of lesser ones were punished. As a result, no official dared to govern.

而趙王擅權，使使即縣為賈人榷會，入多於國經租稅。 The King of Zhao thus monopolized all authority, dispatching agents to the counties to operate trading monopolies on his behalf, which brought in revenue exceeding the kingdom's regular rents and taxes.

以是趙王家多金錢，然所賜姬諸子，亦盡之矣。 As a result, the house of Zhao amassed a great fortune in gold and coin, yet what Pengzu lavished upon his consorts and sons consumed it all.

彭祖取笔江都易王寵姬王建所盜與姦淖姬者為姬，甚愛之。 Pengzu took as his own consort the very Lady Nao whom King Jian of Jiangdu had abducted from the late King Yi's inner palace and bedded unlawfully. Pengzu doted on her greatly.

彭祖不好治宮室、禨祥，好為吏事。 Pengzu took no interest in building palaces or pursuing auspicious omens; his passion lay in the business of governance.

諸使過客以彭祖險陂，莫敢留邯鄲。 Envoys and travelers who passed through all regarded Pengzu as dangerous and unpredictable, and none dared linger in Handan.

常與兄趙王相非，曰：「兄為王，專代吏治事。 He often quarreled with his elder brother, the King of Zhao, saying: "My brother, though a king, concerns himself solely with taking over the work of officials.

趙王亦非之，曰：「中山王徒日淫，不佐天子拊循百姓，何以稱為藩臣！」 The King of Zhao countered: "The King of Zhongshan does nothing but wallow in excess day after day. He does not assist the Son of Heaven in nurturing and guiding the people. How can he claim to be a worthy vassal?"