Ancient China · Adviser to Duke Wen

Zi Fan 子犯

Attested BC 636 - BC 628

Passages: 2
Chapters: 2
Histories: 2

Overview

Zi Fan was an Adviser to Duke Wen.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 636 to BC 628 春秋之世
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 31, passage 230

Key source chapters

Book of Later Han, Chapter 31 Volume 28a: Biographies of Huan Tan; Feng Yan 1 passage
Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 34 Volume 34: Book of Shu 4: Biographies of Concubines and Sons of the Two Lords 1 passage

Events and relationships

Relation Adviser of · Person Duke Wen of Jin (晉文公)
Directly stated · Records of the Three Kingdoms 34, passage 72

References in the histories

Book of Later Han, Chapter 31Volume 28a: Biographies of Huan Tan; Feng Yan · 1 passage

因遣使者招永、衍，永、衍等疑不肯降，而忿邑背前約，衍乃遺邑書曰：蓋聞晉文出奔而子犯宣其忠，趙武逢難而程嬰明其賢，二子之義當矣。 He then sent envoys to summon Bao Yong and Feng Yan; they hesitated and refused to submit, and resenting Tian Yi for breaking their earlier pact, Feng Yan wrote to him: "When Duke Wen of Jin fled into exile, Zi Fan showed his loyalty; when Duke Wu of Zhao met disaster, Cheng Ying proved his worth—both acted as righteousness required."

Records of the Three Kingdoms, Chapter 34Volume 34: Book of Shu 4: Biographies of Concubines and Sons of the Two Lords · 1 passage

晉文廢禮行權，以濟其業，故子犯曰，有求於人，必先從之，將奪其國，何有於妻，非無故而違禮教者也。 Duke Wen of Jin set ritual aside and used expedient power to save his cause; hence Zi Fan said that when one needs others one must first yield, and when one is about to seize a state what care is there for a wife?—that was not capricious breach of ritual.