Three Kingdoms and Six Dynasties · Official and Judge

Sima Zirui 司馬子瑞

Attested AD 550 - AD 560

Passages: 10
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Sima Zirui was an official and Judge.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	Wenjie	文節	Wenjie

Life and dates

Death

died; posthumous honors followed
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 212

Attested activity

AD 550 天保
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 30, passage 209
AD 550 to AD 559 天保中
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 207
AD 550 天保元年四月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 47, passage 182
AD 560 幹明初
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 210

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Kin of Sima Xiaonan (司馬消難)
cousin 從兄 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 47, passage 193
Parent of Sima Tongxian (司馬同憲)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passages 215, 218
Parent of Sima Tongyou (司馬同遊)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passages 215-216
Parent of Sima Tonghui (司馬同回)
son 子
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passages 215, 217
Spouse of Wife of Sima Zirui (子瑞妻)
wife 妻
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 215
Sibling of Sima Yingzhi (司馬膺之)
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 207
Sibling of Sima Youzhi (司馬幼之)
younger brother 弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 213

Kinship Role sons · Count 3
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 215

Key source chapters

Career and standing

director of the Court of Judicatory 廷尉卿
Concurrent
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 209
censor-in-chief 御史中丞
AD 560 幹明初 · Held
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 210
minister of sacrifices 祠部尚書
Invested at home
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 211
chief administrator of Ding Province 定州長史
AD 550 to AD 559 天保中 · Served
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 207
director in the Ministry of Personnel 吏部郎中
AD 550 to AD 559 天保中 · Transferred
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 207
left director in the Department of State 司徒左長史
Transferred
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 209

Show 4 more source-backed claims

governor of Huaizhou 懷州刺史
AD 565 to AD 577 後主寵令萱時 · Granted posthumously
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 215
Wenjie 文節
Posthumous epithet
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 212
governor of Ying Province 瀛州刺史
Posthumously granted
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 212
Entered
Left office for illness
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 211

Places and affiliations

Polity Northern Qi 北齊 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Northern Qi 18, passages 207, 210
AD 550 to AD 559 天保中
At Ding Province 定州 · Relation Posted to
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 207

Events and relationships

Investigated and impeached
AD 560 幹明初 · Judicial · Censor
Dated from the passage context · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 210
Recommended for virtue
Recommendation · Subject
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 208

Assessments and attributes

Assessment approved by the court for stern impeachments · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 210
Assessment integrity, diligence, fairness, and restraint · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 208
Assessment known for fairness and uprightness · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Northern Qi 18, passage 209

References in the histories

Search passages

History

10 passages

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 18Volume 18 Biographies 10: Sun Teng; Gao Longzhi; Sima Ziru · 4 passages

膺之弟子瑞，天保中為定州長史，遷吏部郎中。 Yingzhi's younger brother Zirui served as Chief Administrator of Ding Province during Tianbao and was transferred to Director in the Ministry of Personnel.

卒，贈瀛州刺史，諡曰文節。 When he died, he was posthumously made governor of Ying Province with the posthumous epithet Wenjie.

子瑞弟幼之，清貞有素行，少歷顯位。 Zirui's younger brother Youzhi was pure and upright, with established virtue; from youth he repeatedly held eminent posts.

子瑞妻，令萱之妹，及令萱得寵於後主，重贈子瑞懷州剌史，諸子亦並居顯職。 Zirui’s wife was Lu Lingxuan’s younger sister. Once Lingxuan won the Later Sovereign’s favor, Zirui was again posthumously appointed Governor of Huaizhou, and all his sons rose to eminent posts.

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 30Volume 30 Biographies 22: Cui Xian; Gao Dezheng; Cui Ang · 1 passage

後九卿以上陪集東宮，帝指昂及尉瑾、司馬子瑞謂太子曰：「此是國家柱石，汝宜記之。」 Later, when the nine ministers and above attended the crown prince at the Eastern Palace, the emperor pointed to Ang, Wei Jin, and Sima Zirui and told the heir, "These are the state's pillars. Mark them well."

Book of Northern Qi, Chapter 47Volume 47 Biographies 39: Cruel Officials · 5 passages

尚書左丞司馬子瑞奏彈義雲，稱：「天保元年四月，竇氏皇姨祖載日，內外百官赴第吊省，義雲唯遣御史投名，身遂不赴。 Left vice director Sima Zirui impeached Yiyun, writing: "In the fourth month of Tianbao year one, on the burial day of Empress Dowager Dou's imperial aunt, officials inside and out went to mourn; Yiyun only sent a censor to register his name and did not attend.

子瑞又奏彈義雲事十餘條，多煩碎，罪止罰金，不至除免。 Zirui impeached him again on more than ten petty counts; punishment stopped at a fine and did not cost him his post.

子瑞從兄消難為北豫州刺史，義雲遣御史張子階詣州采風聞，先禁其典籖家客等。 Zirui's cousin Xiaonan was inspector of North Yuzhou; Yiyun sent censor Zhang Zijie to gather rumors and first detained his registry keeper, household agents, and the like.

時論歸罪義雲，云其規報子瑞，事亦上聞。 Public opinion blamed Yiyun for scheming revenge on Zirui, and word reached the throne.

乾明初，子瑞遷御史中丞。 Early in Qianming, Zirui became censor-in-chief.