Qin and Han · Favored official

Yan Zhu 嚴助

Attested BC 141 - BC 87

Passages: 3
Chapters: 2
Histories: 1

Overview

Yan Zhu was a Favored official.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 122 嚴助
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 33
BC 141 to BC 87 武帝
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 59, passage 163

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 59 Volume 50: Zhang, Feng, Ji and Zheng 2 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 69 Volume 59: Zhang Tang 1 passage

Career and standing

intimately favored minister 腹心之臣
Directly stated · Book of Han 69, passage 33

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · With Emperor Wu (武帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 59, passage 165

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 59Volume 50: Zhang, Feng, Ji and Zheng · 2 passages

最後，嚴助為請告。 At last Yan Zhu begged the throne on his behalf.

曰：「使黯任職居官，亡以愈人，然至其輔少主守成，雖自謂賁、育弗能奪也。」 Yan Zhu replied: "Set him to routine administration and he seems ordinary; but charge him with guarding a young heir and the legacy of the house—even Ben and Yu could not shake his resolve."

Book of Han, Chapter 69Volume 59: Zhang Tang · 1 passage

嚴助、伍被，上欲釋之，湯爭曰：「伍被本造反謀，而助親幸出入禁闥，腹心之臣，乃交私諸侯如此，弗誅，後不可治。」 The emperor wanted to pardon Yan Zhu and Wu Bei. Tang objected: "Wu Bei helped lay the plot from the beginning, and Yan Zhu enjoyed intimate access to the inner apartments—he was a minister of the ruler's inmost counsels—yet he secretly conspired with the kings. If they are not put to death, the law will never again command respect."