Shensheng (申生) | 24 Histories

Overview

Shensheng was a Wronged heir of Jin (Spring and Autumn).

PeriodAncient China

IdentityUncertain · Male

Roles

Found in

Life and dates

Death

BC 656 晉獻公殺申生
Killed by ruler · Authority Duke Xian of Jin (晉獻公) · Mode allusion
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 59, passage 161
BC 655 historical identification
Cause Suicide after false accusation
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 239
BC 656 是歲
killed 殺
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 36, passage 59
BC 656 晉太子申生
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passages 230-231

Attested activity

legendary antiquity
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 197; History of Liao 72, passage 108
BC 656 昔申生
Directly stated · Book of Liang 44, passage 147
BC 656 昔申生
Dated from the passage context · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 187
BC 656 是歲，晉獻公殺其太子申生
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 36, passage 59
BC 656 晉太子申生不敢明驪姬之過
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 230
BC 656 晉獻公殺申生
Derived from the source · Records of the Three Kingdoms 59, passage 161

Show 1 more source-backed claim

BC 655 申生
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 239

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Duke Xian of Jin (晉獻公)
crown prince 太子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 36, passage 59
Child of Duke Xian of Jin (晉獻公)
killed Shen Sheng 殺申生
Strongly inferred · Records of the Three Kingdoms 59, passage 161
Child of Duke Xian of Jin (晉獻公)
son
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 239

Key source chapters

Career and standing

crown prince of Jin 晉太子
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 230

Places and affiliations

Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Heir of
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 230
Polity Jin 晉 · Relation Royal member
Strongly inferred · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 187

Events and relationships

Dared not clarify Li Ji transgression
Political · Prince · With Li Ji (驪姬)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 230

Assessments and attributes

Assessment did not cling to life · Mode quotation Speaker Fangdeng (方等)
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 187
Assessment disliked injuring his father's intention; compared with Duke Xuan's sons · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Grand Historian (太史公)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 230
Assessment model of filial duty · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · History of Liao 72, passage 108

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · History of the Southern Dynasties 54, passage 187; Records of the Grand Historian 37, passage 230

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 70Volume 60: Du Zhou · 1 passage

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是以晉獻被納讒之謗，申生蒙無罪之辜。 Thus Duke Xian of Jin suffered slander from accepted calumny, and Shensheng bore guilt though innocent.

Book of Han, Chapter 90Volume 79: Feng Fengshi · 1 passage

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故伯奇放流，孟子宮刑，申生雉經，屈原赴湘，《小弁》之詩作，《離騷》之辭興。 So Boqi was driven out, Mengzi was castrated, Crown Prince Sheng hanged himself, Qu Yuan drowned—the "Little Boy" ode and "Li sao" rose from such pain.

Book of Jin, Chapter 53Volume 53 Biographies 23: Crown Prince Minhuai · 2 passages

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而朕昧於凶構，致爾於非命之禍，俾申生、孝己復見於今。 Hui likened the plot to classic wronged heirs.

昔之申生，含枉莫訟。 Parallel to Jin Prince Shen Sheng.

Book of Liang, Chapter 44Volume 44: Eleven Princes of Taizong; Two Princes of Shizu · 1 passage

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行至繇水，值侯景亂，世祖召之，方等啓曰：「昔申生不愛其死，方等豈顧其生？」 Reaching Yaoshui he met Hou Jing's rebellion; Shizu summoned him; Fang Deng memorialized, "Formerly Shensheng did not love his life—how would I cherish mine?"

History of Liao, Chapter 72Volume 72 Biographies 2: Imperial Family: Yi Zongbei, the Foreign Emperor Zhang Su, Shun Zongjun, Jin Wangaoluwo · 1 passage

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敖盧斡重君父之命，不亡而死，申生其恭矣乎！ Aolugan honored his sovereign and father, refusing flight though it meant death—was he not as dutiful as Prince Sheng of Jin!

History of the Southern Dynasties, Chapter 54Volume 54 Biographies 44: Sons of Emperor Jianwen of Liang, Sons of Emperor Yuan of Liang · 1 passage

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行至繇水，遇侯景亂，元帝召之，方等啟曰：「昔申生不愛其死，方等豈顧其生。」 At the Yao River he met Hou Jing's rebellion; Emperor Yuan recalled him, and Fangdeng wrote, "Long ago Shen Sheng did not cling to life—why should Fangdeng cling to his?"

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 59Volume 59: Book of Wu 14: Biographies of the Five Sons of the Lord of Wu · 1 passage

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權欲廢和立亮，無難督陳正、五營督陳象上書，稱引晉獻公殺申生，立奚齊，晉國擾亂，又據、晃固諫不止。 When Sun Quan meant to depose Sun He for Sun Liang, colonels Chen Zheng and Chen Xiang cited Duke Xian of Jin, who killed Shen Sheng to install Xi Qi and threw the state into chaos; Zhu Ju and Qu Huang still would not let the matter drop.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 36Houses of Chen and Qi · 1 passage

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是歲，晉獻公殺其太子申生。 That year, Duke Xian of Jin killed his crown prince, Shen Sheng.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 37House of Wei Kang Shu · 1 passage

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太史公曰：余讀世家言，至於宣公之太子以婦見誅，弟壽爭死以相讓，此與晉太子申生不敢明驪姬之過同，俱惡傷父之志。 The Grand Historian said: I read the hereditary houses' accounts, and arrived at Duke Xuan's crown prince who was executed because of his wife, and his younger brother Shou contended to die to yield to each other. This is the same as Jin's crown prince Shen Sheng, who dared not clarify Li Ji's transgression. Both disliked injuring their father's intention.