Qin and Han · Chancellor and Scholar

Wei Xian 韋賢

First attested BC 71; died BC 67

Passages: 9
Chapters: 4
Histories: 3

Overview

Wei Xian was a Chancellor and Scholar.

Life and dates

Death

BC 67 病死
Cause illness 病
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 176

Attested activity

BC 71 to BC 67 宣帝時
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 85, passage 239
BC 71 to BC 67 漢丞相賢
Directly stated · Book of Liang 12, passage 84
BC 71 to BC 67 韋丞相賢…竟為丞相
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 170, 176

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Ancestor of Wei Rui (韋叡)
descendant 以後 · paternal line
ancestor 以後 · paternal line
Directly stated · Book of Liang 12, passage 84
Parent of Eldest son of Wei Xian (韋賢長子)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 175-176
Parent of Xuancheng (玄成)
second son 第二子
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 173; Book of Han 91, passage 13

Kinship Role sons · Count 4
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 173

Key source chapters

Career and standing

Chancellor 丞相
BC 71 to BC 67 漢丞相賢 · Held
Directly stated · Book of Liang 12, passage 84
Chancellor 丞相
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 91, passage 13; Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 176
Grand Herald 大鴻臚
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 171
chancellor 丞相
Resigned
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 239
Entered
Retirement · Reason old age and illness
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 239

Places and affiliations

Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 239
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Liang 12, passage 84
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 170
At Lu 魯
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 170

Learning and skills

entered office through scholarly reading 讀書術為吏
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 171

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Mode quoted-speech Speaker Wei Xian (韋賢)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 175

Events and relationships

Physiognomized as future chancellor
Divination · Subject
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 172
Relation Predecessor of · Person Wei Xiang (魏相)
Directly stated · Book of Han 85, passage 239; Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 179
Relation Successor of · Person Chancellor Che (車丞相)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 169

References in the histories

Search passages

History

9 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 85Volume 74: Wei Xiang and Bing Ji · 1 passage

於是韋賢以老病免，相遂代為丞相，封高平侯，食邑八百戶。 Wei Xian was then dismissed on account of old age and illness, and Wei Xiang succeeded him as chancellor, was enfeoffed as Marquis of Gaoping with eight hundred households.

Book of Han, Chapter 91Volume 80: The Six Sons of Emperors Xuan and Yuan · 1 passage

久之，上以故丞相韋賢子玄成陽狂讓侯兄，經明行高，稱於朝廷，乃召拜玄成為淮陽中尉，欲感諭憲王，輔以推讓之臣，由是太子遂安。 Years later he recalled how Wei Xuancheng, son of the former chancellor Wei Xian, had played mad to yield his noble title to an elder brother—learned in the classics and renowned for integrity—and summoned him to serve as commandant in Huaiyang, hoping such an example of deference would steady the ambitious prince and quiet the succession.

Book of Liang, Chapter 12Volume 12: Liu Tan; Liu Chen; Xi Chanwen; Wei Rui; Wei Ai · 1 passage

自漢丞相賢以後，世爲三輔著姓。 Since Han chancellor Xian, for generations the clan was a great house of the three metropolises.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 96Biography of Chancellor Zhang · 6 passages

卒而有韋丞相代。 He died, and Chancellor Wei succeeded him.

韋丞相賢者，魯人也。 Chancellor Wei Xian was a native of Lu.

韋丞相言曰：「我即為丞相，有長子，是安從得之？」 Chancellor Wei said, "If I become chancellor and have a firstborn son, how would he obtain such nobility?"

後竟為丞相，病死，而長子有罪論，不得嗣，而立玄成。 Later Wei Xian did indeed become chancellor and eventually died of illness. His eldest son was convicted of a crime and could not inherit the title, so Xuancheng was established as heir.

韋丞相卒，有魏丞相代。 After Chancellor Wei Xian died, Chancellor Wei Xiang took his place.

長安中有善相工田文者，與韋丞相、魏丞相、邴丞相微賤時會於客家，田文言曰：「今此三君者，皆丞相也。」 In Chang'an there was a skilled physiognomist named Tian Wen. When Chancellor Wei Xian, Chancellor Wei Xiang, and Chancellor Bing Ji were still humble, he met them at a guest's house and said, "These three gentlemen will all become chancellors."