Qin and Han · General

Wei Bo 魏勃

Attested BC 180

Passages: 16
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Wei Bo was a general.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 180 魏勃
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passage 49

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Father of Wei Bo (魏勃父)
father 父
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passage 88

Career and standing

Director of the Palace 內史
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passage 239
General 將軍
Appointed
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passage 59

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passages 51, 83, 91

Events and relationships

Relation Client of · Person Cao Shen (曹參)
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passage 237

Assessments and attributes

Assessment cowardly / ordinary fellow when questioned · Mode quotation Speaker Guan Ying (灌嬰)
Directly stated · Book of Han 47, passage 86

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 47Volume 38: The Five Sons of Emperor Gao · 16 passages

齊王聞此計，與其舅駟鈞、郎中令祝午、中尉魏勃陰謀發兵。 The king of Qi took counsel in secret with his uncle Si Jun, his palace superintendent Zhu Wu, and commandant Wei Bo, and plotted to raise troops.

魏勃紿平曰：「王欲發兵，非有漢虎符驗也。 Wei Bo lied to him: "The king means to rebel without the court's tiger tallies.

勃請為君將兵衛衛王。」 Let me relieve you: give me the troops, and I will garrison the palace in your stead."

召平信之，乃使魏勃將。 Shao Ping believed him and handed over the command.

勃既將，以兵圍相府。 Wei Bo at once turned the same troops against the chancellor's compound and besieged it.

於是齊王以駟鈞為相，魏勃為將軍，祝午為內史，悉發國中兵。 The king of Qi then named Si Jun chancellor, Wei Bo general, and Zhu Wu interior secretary, and mobilized every able-bodied man in the kingdom.

齊王與魏勃等因留琅邪王，而使祝午盡發琅邪國而并將其兵。 The king of Qi and his confederates held him fast while Zhu Wu stripped Langye of its remaining troops and brought them under Qi's banner.

灌嬰在滎陽，聞魏勃本教齊王反，既誅呂氏，罷齊兵，使使召責問魏勃。 Guan Ying, still at Xingyang, had heard that Wei Bo had instigated the king of Qi's revolt. Once the Lü were gone and Qi's army sent home, he summoned Wei Bo to account for himself.

勃曰：「失火之家，豈暇先言丈人後救火乎！」 "When the roof is burning," Wei Bo replied, "do you first bow to your elders or grab a bucket?"

灌將軍孰視，笑曰：「人謂魏勃勇，妄庸人耳，何能為乎！」 Guan Ying studied him a long moment, then laughed. "They say Wei Bo is bold. The man is a panicky fool—harmless."

乃罷勃。 He let Wei Bo go.

及勃少時，欲求見齊相曹參，家貧無以自通，乃常獨早埽齊相舍人門外。 In his youth, wanting to meet Chancellor Cao Shen of Qi but too poor for an introduction, he rose before dawn day after day to sweep the doorstep of one of the chancellor's retainers.

舍人怪之，以為物而司之，得勃。 The retainer thought some ghost was at work and lay in wait until he caught Wei Bo in the act.

勃曰：「願見相君，無因，故為子埽，欲以求見。」 Wei Bo said, "I beg an audience with the chancellor, but I have no way in. That is why I have been sweeping your doorstep—to earn a chance to meet him."

於是舍人見勃，曹參因以為舍人。 The retainer then received Wei Bo, and Cao Shen took him on as a retainer.

及悼惠王薨，哀王嗣，勃用事重於相。 When Prince Daohui died and Prince Ai succeeded, Wei Bo wielded power greater than the chancellor's.