Shao Xinchen (召信臣)

Overview

Shao Xinchen was a Governor and Privy Treasurer.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Courtesy name	Wengqing	翁卿	Wengqing
Nickname	Father Shao	召父

Life and dates

Death

Context died of old age in office
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 221

Attested activity

AD 4 元始四年
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 222
BC 74 to BC 48 孝宣承統
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
BC 48 to BC 33 漢召信臣
Directly stated · History of Jin 50, passage 179
BC 33 竟寧中
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 218

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 101 Volume 89: Upright Officials 10 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 68 Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan 1 passage
History of Jin, Chapter 50 Volume 50 Treatises 31: Finance and Economics 5: Monopoly Markets, State Purchase of Grain, Rice Fields, Agricultural Land Administration, Buying of Titles or Pardons With Grain and Selling of Ordination Certificates 1 passage

Career and standing

Privy Treasurer 少府
BC 33 竟寧中 · Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 218
Governor of Henan 河南太守
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 217
Governor of Nanyang 南陽太守
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 206
Magistrate of Guyang 穀陽長
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 203
called Father Shao 召父
Popular title
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 215

Places and affiliations

Western Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260; Book of Han 101, passage 202
At Shouchun in Jiujiang 九江壽春
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 202
At Nanyang 南陽 · Relation Active at
Directly stated · History of Jin 50, passage 179
At Nanyang 南陽 · Relation Posted to
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 206

Learning and skills

Earned
Credential top-tier classics graduate 明經甲科
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 203

Events and relationships

Built irrigation
Infrastructure · Builder · At Nanyang 南陽
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 209
Irrigated 30000 qing at nanyang
Agricultural · Official · At Nanyang 南陽
Directly stated · History of Jin 50, passage 179
Sacrificed to
AD 4 元始四年 · Ritual · Honoree
Directly stated · Book of Han 101, passage 222

Assessments and attributes

Assessment governed the people (治民) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Assessment had achievements recounted in their age · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260

References in the histories

Search passages

History

12 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage

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孝宣承統，纂修洪業，亦講論六藝，招選茂異，而蕭望之、梁丘賀、夏侯勝、韋玄成、嚴彭祖，尹更始以儒術進，劉向，王褒以文章顯，將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、丙吉、於定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢、嚴延年、張敞之屬，皆有功跡見述於世。 Emperor Xuan inherited the succession and carried forward the great enterprise. He too expounded the Six Arts and recruited outstanding men. Xiao Wangzhi, Liangqiu He, Xiahou Sheng, Wei Xuancheng, Yan Pengzu, and Yin Gengshi advanced through Confucian learning; Liu Xiang and Wang Bao gained distinction for their writing; among the generals and chancellors were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian; and among those who governed the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wengui, Zhao Guanghan, Yan Yannian, Zhang Chang, and others. All left achievements celebrated in their age.

Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 10 passages

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王成、黃霸、朱邑、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣等，所居民富，所去見思，生有榮號，死見奉祀，此廩廩庶幾德讓君子之遺風矣。 Wang Cheng, Huang Ba, Zhu Yi, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, and their peers left districts wealthier than they found them and were mourned when they left. Honored in life and worshipped after death, they came closest to the old ideal of the gentleman who leads by deference and virtue.

召信臣字翁卿，九江壽春人也。 Shao Xinchen, courtesy name Wengqing, was a native of Shouchun in Jiujiang Commandery.

信臣為人勤力有方略，好為民興利，務在富之。 Shao Xinchen was tireless and resourceful; he loved creating prosperity for the people and made their wealth his chief aim.

信臣為民作均水約束，刻石立於田畔，以防分爭。 He drafted fair rules for sharing irrigation water and had them cut in stone at the field edge to forestall disputes.

吏民親愛信臣，號之曰召父。 Officials and commoners cherished him and called him "Father Shao."

荊州刺史奏信臣為百姓興利，郡以殷富，賜黃金四十斤。 The regional inspector of Jingzhou reported how Shao Xinchen had enriched the people until the commandery thrived; the court rewarded him with forty catties of gold.

信臣以為此皆不時之物，有傷於人，不宜以奉供養，乃它非法食物，悉奏罷，省費歲數千萬。 Shao Xinchen held that out-of-season produce harmed health and should not provision the palace; he memorialized to end those practices and other irregular delicacies, saving tens of millions each year.

信臣年老以官卒。 He died of old age in office.

元始四年，詔書祀百辟卿士有益於民者，蜀郡以文翁，九江以召父應詔書。 An edict in Yuanshi 4 ordered sacrifices to former ministers who had served the people; Shu Commandery nominated Wen Weng and Jiujiang nominated Father Shao.

歲時郡二千石率官屬行禮，奉祠信臣塚，而南陽亦為立祠。 Each season the governor led his staff in rites at Shao Xinchen's tomb; Nanyang likewise maintained a shrine in his honor.

History of Jin, Chapter 50Volume 50 Treatises 31: Finance and Economics 5: Monopoly Markets, State Purchase of Grain, Rice Fields, Agricultural Land Administration, Buying of Titles or Pardons With Grain and Selling of Ordination Certificates · 1 passage

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省奏：「漢召信臣於南陽灌溉三萬頃。 The Department memorialized, "In the Han, Shao Xinchen irrigated 30,000 qing at Nanyang.