Qin Hui (秦檜) | 24 Histories

Overview

Qin Hui was an official and Statesman.

Life and dates

Death

AD 1155 檜死
Stated as died
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 282

Attested activity

AD 1140 to AD 1155 俱用事
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 469, passage 91
AD 1131 去歲上章
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passage 239
AD 1141 to AD 1155 及秦檜倡邪議以沮之
Strongly inferred · History of Song 436, passage 22
AD 1131 to AD 1155 建炎、紹興之間…秦檜又從而備百司庶府
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 436, passages 132-133
AD 1155 檜死
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 282
AD 1131 to AD 1155 秦檜以和誤國二十餘年
Strongly inferred · History of Song 436, passage 213

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AD 1138 to AD 1139 秦檜方主和議
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passage 129
AD 1131 to AD 1155 秦檜當國
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passages 177, 190, 199
AD 1138 to AD 1155 秦檜盡取而沮毀之
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 436, passages 115-116
AD 1143 紹興十三年
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passages 257-258
AD 1131 to AD 1155 紹興和議
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 436, passage 273
AD 1138 to AD 1155 與寅亮俱迕秦檜
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 294
AD 1140 高宗信任
Strongly inferred · History of Song 359, passages 214, 224

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Father of Qin Hui (秦太師父)
father 父
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 189

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Chief Councilor 時相
AD 1131 去歲上章 · Held
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passage 239
chief councilor 相
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passages 177, 190
Grand Preceptor 太師
Held
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 189
Held
AD 1143 紹興十三年 · Held power
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 258

Places and affiliations

Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passages 129, 177, 239; History of Song 436, passages 213, 273
Polity Song 宋 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 399, passages 282, 294
Polity Southern Song 南宋 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · History of Song 436, passages 22, 116, 133
At Guxian 古縣 · Relation Born in
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 189

Learning and skills

Institution Imperial Academy 太學 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 194

Events and relationships

Died
AD 1155 檜死 · Political · Deceased minister
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 282
Directed peace talks
AD 1138 to AD 1139 秦檜方主和議 · Political · Peace advocate
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passage 129
Ignored restoration strategy
AD 1143 紹興十三年 · Political · Decision maker · With Song Ruwei (宋汝為)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 258
Obtained edict of confinement
Legal · Prosecutor · With Gao Deng (高登) · At Rong Prefecture 容州
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 199
Peace with Jin
Diplomatic · Policy author
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 273
Preached perverse peace talk to thwart resistance
Political · Advocate
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 22

Show 10 more source-backed claims

Prepared to send in fetters to Jin
AD 1143 紹興十三年 · Legal · Authority · With Song Ruwei (宋汝為)
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passage 278
Prompted impeachment
AD 1131 去歲上章 · Political · Instigator · With Lou Yinliang (婁寅亮)
Dated from the passage context · History of Song 399, passage 239
Shrine founded
Ritual · Honoree · With Hu Shunzhi (胡舜陟) · At Guxian 古縣
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 192
Stocked offices for rites at Qiantang
Administrative · Organizer · At Qiantang 錢塘
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 133
Stopped reporting memorials
Political · Suppressor · With Gao Deng (高登)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 177
Thwarted ancestral institutions and served enemy
Political · Minister
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 116
Relation Political opponent of · Person Lou Yinliang (婁寅亮)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 294
Relation Political opponent of · Person Chou Yu (仇悆)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 129
Relation Political opponent of · Person Song Ruwei (宋汝為)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 294
Relation Hater of · Person Lou Yinliang (婁寅亮)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 239

Assessments and attributes

Assessment crime exceeds execution · Mode speaker-judgment Speaker Chen Liang (陳亮)
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 116
Assessment deplorable conduct as chief councilor · Mode named-person-judgment Source Person Id Gao Deng (高登)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 190
Assessment great pest · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Song Ruwei (宋汝為)
Directly stated · History of Song 399, passage 282
Assessment misled the state with peace for over twenty years · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Chen Liang (陳亮)
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 213
Assessment preached perverse counsel that slackened the realm's spirit and led to loyal men's ruin in the south · Mode quotation Speaker Chen Liang (陳亮)
Directly stated · History of Song 436, passage 22

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 269, passage 152; History of Song 399, passage 239; History of Song 436, passage 213

References in the histories

Search passages

History

19 passages

History of Song, Chapter 359Volume 359 Biographies 118: Li Gang 2 · 1 passage

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然綱居相位僅七十日，其謀數不見用，獨于黃潛善、汪伯彥、秦檜之言，信而任之，恒若不及，何高宗之見，與人殊哉？ Yet Li Gang held the chancellorship for barely seventy days, and his counsels were repeatedly rejected — while Huang Qianshan, Wang Boyan, and Qin Hui alone were trusted and entrusted as though there were no time to lose. How strange that Gaozong's vision differed so from ordinary men's!

History of Song, Chapter 399Volume 399 Biographies 158: Zheng Jue, Wang Tingxiu, Chou Yu, Gao Deng, Lou Yinliang, Song Ruwei · 12 passages

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秦檜方主和議，以為異己，落職，以左朝奉郎、少府少監分司西京，全州居住。 Qin Hui was directing the peace talks and regarded him as an opponent. Yu was demoted to left court gentleman for attendance and vice director of the Palace Workshops with nominal service at the Western Capital, and restricted to residence in Quan Prefecture.

秦檜惡其譏己，不復以聞。 Qin Hui hated that Deng had criticized him and no longer reported the memorials to the throne.

帥胡舜陟謂登曰：「古縣，秦太師父舊治，實生太師於此，盍祠祀之？」 Commander Hu Shunzhi said to Deng, "Guxian was where Grand Preceptor Qin's father once governed, and the grand preceptor was born here. Why not establish a shrine to worship him?"

登曰：「檜為相亡狀，祠不可立。」 Deng said, "When Qin Hui was chief councilor his conduct was deplorable. A shrine must not be established."

舜陟遂創檜祠而自為記，且誣以專殺之罪，詔送靜江府獄。 Shunzhi then founded a shrine to Qin Hui and wrote the inscription himself, and also falsely charged Deng with unauthorized killing. An edict ordered him sent to Jingjiang prison.

故人有為右司者，謂曰：「丞相云嘗識君於太學，能一見，終身事且無憂，上書徒爾為也。」 An old friend in the Right Department said to him, "The chief councilor says he knew you at the Imperial Academy. If you see him once, you will have nothing to worry about for life. Memorials are useless."

郡守李仲文即馳以達檜，檜聞震怒，坐以前事，取旨編管容州。 Prefect Li Zhongwen immediately sent it by urgent dispatch to Qin Hui. When Hui heard, he was furious and, on the basis of former affairs, obtained an edict to confine Deng in Rong Prefecture.

時相秦檜以其直柔所薦，惡之，諷言者論寅亮匿父喪不舉，下大理鞫問，無實，猶坐為族父冒占官戶罷職，送吏部，由是坐廢。 Chief councilor Qin Hui, because Fu Zhirou had recommended him, hated him and prompted critics to charge Yinliang with concealing his father's death. The Court of Judicial Review found no truth in it, yet he was still dismissed for a clansman's falsely occupying an official household register and sent to the Ministry of Personnel—thereby ruined.

時秦檜當國，置不復問。 At that time Qin Hui held power and ignored it.

檜將械送金人，汝為變姓名為趙復，徒步入蜀。 Qin Hui was about to send him in fetters to the Jin. Ruwei changed his name to Zhao Fu and walked into Shu.

檜死，汝為曰：「朝廷除此巨蠹，中原恢復有日矣。」 When Qin Hui died, Ruwei said, "The court has removed this great pest—the Central Plains will be restored before long."

宋汝為歸自金國，論事切直，與寅亮俱迕秦檜，一則誣以罪譴，一則逃遁以死，於乎悕矣！ Song Ruwei returned from the Jin; his counsel was cutting and direct. He and Yinliang both opposed Qin Hui—one was falsely charged and punished, the other fled and died—alas, how rare!

History of Song, Chapter 436Volume 436 Biographies 195: Confucian Scholars 6: Chen Liang, Zheng Qiaolinting, Li Daochuan · 5 passages

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及秦檜倡邪議以沮之，忠臣義士斥死南方，而天下之氣惰矣。 When Qin Hui preached perverse talk to thwart them, loyal ministers and righteous men were cast out to die in the south, and the realm's spirit went slack.

如趙鼎諸臣，固已不究變通之理，況秦檜盡取而沮毀之，忍恥事仇，飾太平於一隅以為欺，其罪可勝誅哉！ Zhao Ding lacked flexibility; Qin Hui destroyed all, served the foe, and painted a corner as peace—his crime is beyond death.

秦檜又從而備百司庶府，以講禮樂於其中，其風俗固已華靡，士大夫又從而治園囿臺榭，以樂其生於干戈之餘，上下晏安，而錢塘為樂國矣。 Qin Hui packed offices there for ritual and music; officials built gardens and Qiantang became a pleasure land.

秦檜以和誤國二十餘年，而天下之氣索然無餘矣。 For over twenty years Qin Hui's peace policy sapped the realm until its spirit lay flat and empty.

紹興中，為敕令所刪定官，力詆秦檜和議之非，即掛冠去，當世高之。 Under Shaoxing he revised edicts in the statutes office, fiercely attacked Qin Hui's peace, resigned at once, and won the age's respect.

History of Song, Chapter 469Volume 469 Biographies 228: Eunuchs 4: Shao Chengzhang, Lan Gui Kanglu, Feng Yi, Zhang Quwei, Chen Yuan, Gan Bian, Wang Deqian, Guan Li, Dong Songchen · 1 passage

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其後見道以保康軍承宣使致仕，而去為與秦檜、王繼先俱用事，升延福宮使，累遷至入內內侍省都知，恃恩幹外朝謀議。 Jiandao retired as Commissioner of Baokang Army while Quwei, with Qin Hui and Wang Jixian, ran outer-court policy from Yanfu Palace up to Inner Entering Director.