Qin and Han · Han river engineer and dike commissioner

Wang Yanshi 王延世

Attested c. BC 30 - c. BC 22

Passages: 14
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

Wang Yanshi was a Han river engineer and dike commissioner.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 28 to BC 26 建始五年至河平三年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 38, passage 143
BC 28 河平元年春三月
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 67
c. BC 30 to c. BC 22 王延世
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 70, passage 161

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 38 Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals 12 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 11 Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 70 Volume 60: Du Zhou 1 passage

Career and standing

Grand Master of Palace Revenue 光祿大夫
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passage 149
River-Dike Commissioner 河隄使者
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passage 143
Commandant 校尉
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 67
Awarded
Honor One hundred jin of gold 黃金百斤
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passages 149, 160
era renamed Heping for dike success 改元河平
BC 28 河平元年春三月 · Occasioned
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 67
Marquis Within the Passes 關內侯
Granted
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passage 149

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Middle 2000 shi salary rank · 秩中二千石
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passage 149

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Book of Han 38, passage 143
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 11, passage 67

Events and relationships

Closed the Dong Commandery breach in thirty six days with stone filled bamboo gabions
Disaster response · Dike engineer
Directly stated · Book of Han 38, passages 143-145, 148
Diked and closed river breach
BC 28 河平元年春三月 · Engineering · Commander · At Dong Commandery 東郡
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 11, passage 67

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 11Volume 10: Annals of Emperor Cheng · 1 passage

河平元年春三月，詔曰：「河決東郡，流漂二州，校尉王延世隄塞輒平，其改元為河平。 In the third month of spring, in the first year of Heping, an edict declared, 'The Yellow River burst its banks in Dong Commandery, flooding and sweeping through two provinces. Commandant Wang Yanshi built dikes and closed the breach, bringing it quickly under control. Let the era name be changed to Heping.

Book of Han, Chapter 38Volume 29: Treatise on Rivers and Canals · 12 passages

河隄使者王延世使塞，以竹落長四丈，大九圍，盛以小石，兩船夾載而下之。 Dike commissioner Wang Yanshi sealed the breach with stone-filled bamboo gabions four zhang long and nine arm-spans around, lowering them into place between paired boats.

上曰：「東郡河決，流漂二州，校尉延世隄防三旬立塞。 The emperor said, "The Dong Commandery breach ravaged two provinces, yet Commandant Yanshi sealed it in only three ten-day periods.

惟延世長於計策，功費約省，用力日寡，朕甚嘉之。 Yanshi alone showed outstanding strategic skill: he kept costs tight and labor demands low. I commend him highly.

其以延世為光祿大夫，秩中二千石，賜爵關內侯，黃金百斤。」 Promote Yanshi to Grand Master of Palace Revenue at the middle-2000-shi rank, ennoble him as a Marquis Within the Passes, and award one hundred jin of gold."

後二歲，河復決平原，流入濟南、千乘，所壞敗者半建始時，復遣王延世治之。 Two years later the river again breached at Pingyuan and flooded Jinan and Qiancheng. Damage reached about half the Jianshi disaster, and Wang Yanshi was again sent to direct repairs.

杜欽說大將軍王鳳，以為「前河決，丞相史楊焉言延世受焉術以塞之，蔽不肯見。 Du Qin advised Grand General Wang Feng: "During the previous breach, Chancellor's Clerk Yang Yan said that Yanshi had used a technique learned from him to close it, but Yanshi suppressed his claim and refused to see him.

今獨任延世，延世見前塞之易，恐其慮害不深。 If we rely solely on Yanshi now, he may treat this as easy based on last time and underestimate the risks.

又審如焉言，延世之巧，反不如焉。 And if Yang Yan's account is true, Yanshi's technique may actually be inferior to Yan's.

如此，數郡種不得下，民人流散，盜賊將生，雖重誅延世，無益於事。 Then several commanderies will miss planting, populations will disperse, and banditry will emerge. Even severe punishment of Yanshi afterward would be useless.

延世與焉必相破壞，深論便宜，以相難極。 Yanshi and Yang Yan will check one another, forcing a thorough practical debate on what should be done.

復賜延世黃金百斤。 Yanshi was again awarded one hundred jin of gold.

眾庶見王延世蒙重賞，競言便巧，不可用。 Because Wang Yanshi had been lavishly rewarded, many people rushed to submit flashy "ingenious" plans; these should not be adopted blindly.

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

數稱達名士王駿、韋安世、王延世等，救解馮野王、王尊、胡常之罪過，及繼功臣絕世，填撫四夷，當世善政，多出於欽者。 He repeatedly praised worthy men such as Wang Jun, Wei Anshi, and Wang Yanshi to high office, cleared Feng Yewang, Wang Zun, and Hu Chang of unjust charges, restored titles to meritorious families whose lines had failed, and soothed the frontier tribes—most of the era's sound policies owed something to Du Qin.