Qin and Han · Exemplary Official

Zheng Hong 鄭弘

Attested BC 74 - BC 36

Passages: 6
Chapters: 5
Histories: 2

Overview

Zheng Hong was an Exemplary Official.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Alternate name	Zheng Jun	鄭君	Zheng Jun

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 74 to BC 49 孝宣
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 101, passages 12, 21
BC 74 to BC 48 孝宣承統
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
BC 74 to BC 48 孝宣承統
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 285-286
BC 40 to BC 36 御史大夫鄭弘坐事免
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 241, 249
BC 42 永光二年秋
Directly stated · Book of Han 90, passage 43

Key source chapters

Career and standing

governing the people 治民
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286
Censor Grand Master 御史大夫
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passages 241, 249
Entered
Dismissal
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 241
dismissal for misconduct 坐事免
Suffered
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 241

Places and affiliations

Western Han 漢
Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passages 285-286
Polity Western Han 西漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 241

Events and relationships

Guarded path to chancellorship for years without obtaining it
Political · Censor grand master
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 249
Skilled in governing the people
Administrative · Governor · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286
Relation Predecessor of · Person Kuang Heng (匡衡)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 241

Assessments and attributes

Assessment governed the people (治民) · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Assessment had achievements recounted in their age · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Book of Han 68, passage 260
Assessment had notable achievements recorded in later accounts · Mode quotation Speaker Ban Gu (班固)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286
Assessment held-censorate-years-without-reaching-chancellor · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 249

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 96, passage 241
Value historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 112, passage 286

References in the histories

Book of Han, Chapter 68Volume 58: Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi and Er Kuan · 1 passage

孝宣承統，纂修洪業，亦講論六藝，招選茂異，而蕭望之、梁丘賀、夏侯勝、韋玄成、嚴彭祖，尹更始以儒術進，劉向，王褒以文章顯，將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、丙吉、於定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢、嚴延年、張敞之屬，皆有功跡見述於世。 Emperor Xuan inherited the succession and carried forward the great enterprise. He too expounded the Six Arts and recruited outstanding men. Xiao Wangzhi, Liangqiu He, Xiahou Sheng, Wei Xuancheng, Yan Pengzu, and Yin Gengshi advanced through Confucian learning; Liu Xiang and Wang Bao gained distinction for their writing; among the generals and chancellors were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian; and among those who governed the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wengui, Zhao Guanghan, Yan Yannian, Zhang Chang, and others. All left achievements celebrated in their age.

Book of Han, Chapter 90Volume 79: Feng Fengshi · 1 passage

永光二年秋，隴西羌□姐旁種反，詔召丞相韋玄成、御史大夫鄭弘、大司馬車騎將軍王接、左將軍許嘉、右將軍奉世入議。 Yongguang 2 autumn: Longxi Qiang of the Xianjie confederation (the manuscript loses one character in the name) rose in revolt; the edict called Chancellor Wei Xuancheng, Counselor Zheng Hong, Grand Marshal Wang Jie, Left General Xu Jia, and Right General Fengshi to council.

Book of Han, Chapter 101Volume 89: Upright Officials · 1 passage

王成、黃霸、朱邑、龔遂、鄭弘、召信臣等，所居民富，所去見思，生有榮號，死見奉祀，此廩廩庶幾德讓君子之遺風矣。 Wang Cheng, Huang Ba, Zhu Yi, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, and their peers left districts wealthier than they found them and were mourned when they left. Honored in life and worshipped after death, they came closest to the old ideal of the gentleman who leads by deference and virtue.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 96Biography of Chancellor Zhang · 2 passages

御史大夫鄭弘坐事免，而匡君為御史大夫。 When Censor Grand Master Zheng Hong was dismissed for misconduct, Kuang Heng was appointed Censor Grand Master.

御史大夫鄭君守之數年不得，匡君居之未滿歲，而韋丞相死，即代之矣，豈可以智巧得哉！ Censor-in-Chief Zheng Jun guarded the post for several years without obtaining it; Kuang Heng held it for less than a full year, yet Chancellor Wei died, and he immediately replaced him—how can this be obtained by wit and craft!

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 112Biographies of the Marquis of Pingjin and Zhufu · 1 passage

將相則張安世、趙充國、魏相、邴吉、于定國、杜延年，治民則黃霸、王成、龔遂、鄭弘、邵信臣、韓延壽、尹翁歸、趙廣漢之屬，皆有功跡見述於後。 Among the generals and chief ministers were Zhang Anshi, Zhao Chongguo, Wei Xiang, Bing Ji, Yu Dingguo, and Du Yannian. Among those skilled in governing the people were Huang Ba, Wang Cheng, Gong Sui, Zheng Hong, Shao Xinchen, Han Yanshou, Yin Wenggui, Zhao Guanghan, and others. All had notable achievements recorded in later accounts.