Zigong (子貢) | 24 Histories

Overview

Zigong was a Disciple of Confucius, diplomat, and merchant, personal name Duanmu Ci.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Wei Ci	衛賜

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 520 to BC 456 BC 520-456
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 32, passage 79
BC 484 句踐用子貢之謀
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 146
BC 500 子貢
Directly stated · Draft History of Qing 483, passage 120
c. BC 520 to c. BC 456 子贡
Strongly inferred · Book of Later Han 108, passage 137
BC 520 to BC 450 子贛既學於仲尼
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 103, passage 44
BC 500 子贛既學於仲尼
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70

Show 3 more source-backed claims

BC 520 to BC 456 孔門之世
Dated from the passage context · Book of Later Han 31, passage 63
BC 551 to BC 479 春秋之世
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 91, passage 55
BC 500 to BC 400 衛賜
Strongly inferred · Book of Song 62, passage 115

Key source chapters

Book of Han, Chapter 103 Volume 91: Usurers 5 passages
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 129 Biographies of Money-Makers 3 passages
Book of Han, Chapter 76 Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 91 Volume 80: The Six Sons of Emperors Xuan and Yuan 1 passage
Book of Han, Chapter 102 Volume 90: Cruel Officials 1 passage

Career and standing

merchant 貨殖
Directly stated · Book of Han 103, passages 44, 48
merchant 鬻財
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70
office in Wei 仕衛
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 103, passage 44
served in Wei 仕於衛
Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70

Places and affiliations

Polity Wei 衛 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70
At between Cao and Lu 曹、魯之閒 · Relation Traded in
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Mode quotation
Directly stated · Book of Later Han 108, passage 137

Events and relationships

Spread Confucius fame
Diplomatic · Envoy patron
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passages 72-73
Relation Student of · Person Confucius (孔子)
Directly stated · Book of Han 103, passage 44; Book of Later Han 108, passage 137; Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70

Assessments and attributes

Assessment most prosperous of the seventy disciples · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 129, passage 70

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Book of Liang 37, passage 84

References in the histories

Search passages

History

18 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 76Volume 65: Dongfang Shuo · 1 passage

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譬若以周、邵為丞相，孔丘為御史大夫，太公為將軍，畢公高拾遺於後，弁嚴子為衛尉，皋陶為大理，後稷為司農，伊尹為少府，子贛使外國，顏、閔為博士，子夏為太常，益為右扶風，季路為執金吾，契為鴻臚，龍逢為宗正，伯夷為京兆，管仲為馮翊，魯般為將作，仲山甫為光祿，申伯為太僕，延陵季子為水衡，百里奚為典屬國，柳下惠為大長秋，史魚為司直，蘧伯玉為太傅，孔父為詹事，孫叔敖為諸侯相，子產為郡守，王慶忌為期門，夏育為鼎官，羿為旄頭，宋萬為式道候。」 Imagine the Duke of Zhou and the Duke of Shao as your chancellors; Confucius as chief censor; the Grand Duke as commander; Duke Bi Gao as court remonstrant; Bian Zhuangzi as captain of the guard; Gao Yao as chief judge; Hou Ji as minister of agriculture; Yi Yin as palace treasurer; Zigong as foreign envoy; Yan Hui and Min Ziqian as court scholars; Zixia as master of rites; Yi as western capital intendant; Zilu as capital commandant; Xie as master of guest ceremonies; Guan Longpeng as keeper of the imperial genealogy; the minister Boyi as metropolitan governor; Guan Zhong as northern capital intendant; Lu Ban as chief engineer; Zhong Shanfu as palace chamberlain; the Earl of Shen as master of the horse; Prince Jizi of Yanling as keeper of parks and waters; Baili Xi as commissioner for dependent peoples; Liuxia Hui as chamberlain to the empress; Shi Yu as censor of conduct; Qu Boyu as grand tutor; Kong Fu as supervisor of the heir apparent's household; Sunshu Ao as chancellor to the feudal lords; Zichan as commandery governor; Prince Qingji as a palace gate guard; Xia Yu as cauldron officer; Yi the Archer as vanguard officer; and Song Wan as road-clearing scout."

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

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子高素有顏、冉之資，臧武之智，子貢之辯，卞莊子之勇，兼此四者，世之所鮮。 You have Yan Hui’s and Ran Boniu’s gifts, Zang Wuzhong’s wit, Zigong’s tongue, and Bian Zhuangzi’s nerve—four virtues seldom met in one man.

Book of Han, Chapter 102Volume 90: Cruel Officials · 1 passage

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延年為人短小精悍，敏捷於事，雖子貢、冉有通藝於政事，不能絕也。 Small and fierce, he outpaced even Zigong and Ran You in bureaucratic speed.

Book of Han, Chapter 103Volume 91: Usurers · 5 passages

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子贛既學於仲尼，退而仕衛，發貯鬻財曹、魯之間。 After studying with Confucius, Zigong left to serve Wei and made a fortune buying cheap and selling dear between Cao and Lu.

七十子之徒，賜最為饒，而顏淵簞食瓢飲，在於陋巷。 Of the Master's seventy followers, Zigong alone grew truly rich, while Yan Hui lived on a bowl of grain and a dipper of water down a shabby alley.

子贛結駟連騎，束帛之幣聘享諸侯，所至，國君無不分庭與之抗禮。 Zigong rolled up to court in matched chariots, bearing silk gifts for every prince he called on, and each ruler stepped down to the courtyard to greet him as an equal.

然孔子賢顏淵而譏子贛，曰：「回也其庶乎，屢空。 Yet the Master praised Yan Hui and chided Zigong, saying, "Hui is close to perfection, yet he is repeatedly in want.

賜不受命，而貨殖焉，意則屢中。」 Zigong will not accept his allotted lot, but instead multiplies wealth—and his market calls are uncannily right."

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

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自子貢以下，不得而聞，況後世淺儒，能通之乎！ Below Zigong's generation disciples could not grasp them—how shall shallow scholars of our day!

Book of Later Han, Chapter 32Volume 28b: Biography of Feng Yan · 1 passage

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卑衛賜之阜貨兮，高顏回之所慕； I scorn Zigong's clever wealth and lift what Yan Hui loved;

Book of Later Han, Chapter 108Volume 97: Rituals and Worship Part One · 1 passage

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子贡欲去告朔之饩羊，子曰：「賜也，尔爱其羊，我受其禮。」 Zigong wished to abolish the sacrificial sheep for the first-of-month announcement; the Master said: "Ci, you love the sheep; I receive the rite."

Book of Liang, Chapter 37Volume 37: Xie Ju; He Jingrong · 1 passage

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復仲尼能改之言，惟子貢更也之譬，少戢言於衆口，微自救於竹帛，所謂『失之東隅，收之桑榆』。 Remember that Confucius said a man may mend his ways, and Zigong that one may change; speak less to the multitude and rescue yourself a little on the page—that is “what is lost at sunrise is gained at sunset.”

Draft History of Qing, Chapter 483Volume 483 Biographies 270: Confucian Scholars 4: Kong Yinzhi Son: Xing Xie, Yu Qi Son: Chuan Duo, Guang Qi Son: Zhao Huan, Sun :Xianpei, Zeng Sun : Qing Rong, Zeng Sun : Fan Hao, Xuan Sun : Xiang Ke, Lai Sun : Ling Yi · 1 passage

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又增設咸陽姬氏文王后，曲阜東野氏周公後，濟寧閔氏子騫後，濬縣端木氏子貢後，常熟言氏子遊後，鉅野卜氏子夏后，蕭縣顓孫氏子張後，菏澤、肥城兩冉氏伯牛、仲弓後，肥城有氏有子後，鄒平伏氏伏生後，孟縣韓氏文公後，郿縣張氏明公後，各一人。 It further added one post each for the Ji of Xianyang, heirs of King Wen; the Dongye of Qufu, heirs of the Duke of Zhou; the Min of Jining, heirs of Ziqian; the Duanmu of Junxian, heirs of Zigong; the Yan of Changshu, heirs of Ziyou; the Bu of Juye, heirs of Zixia; the Zhuansun of Xiaoxian, heirs of Zizhang; the two Ran lines of Heze and Feicheng, heirs of Boniu and Zhonggong; the You of Feicheng, heirs of Youzi; the Fu of Zouping, heirs of Fusheng; the Han of Mengxian, heirs of Master Wengong; and the Zhang of Meixian, heirs of Master Ming.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 66Biography of Wu Zixu · 1 passage

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其後四年，吳王將北伐齊，越王句踐用子貢之謀，乃率其眾以助吳，而重寶以獻遺太宰嚭。 Four years later, when the Wu king was about to attack Qi to the north, King Goujian of Yue used Zi Gong's strategy. He led his multitudes to help Wu and offered heavy treasures to Grand Steward Pi.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 129Biographies of Money-Makers · 3 passages

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子贛既學於仲尼，退而仕於衛，廢著鬻財於曹、魯之閒，七十子之徒，賜最為饒益。 Zigong studied under Confucius, then withdrew to serve in Wei, trading goods and accumulating wealth between Cao and Lu. Of all the seventy disciples, Zigong was by far the most prosperous.

子貢結駟連騎，束帛之幣以聘享諸侯，所至，國君無不分庭與之抗禮。 Zigong rode in a four-horse carriage with a retinue of mounted escorts, bearing bundles of silk as gifts to visit and feast the feudal lords. Wherever he went, rulers divided the court and received him with the courtesy due an equal.

夫使孔子名布揚於天下者，子貢先後之也。 It was Zigong, working tirelessly before and after, who caused the name of Confucius to be spread and celebrated throughout the realm.

Book of Song, Chapter 62Volume 62 Biographies 22: Yang Xin, Zhang Fu, Wang Wei · 1 passage

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恐君逄此時，或亦不免高閣，乃復假名不知己者，豈欲自比衛賜邪？ I fear that in such a time you too may not escape disgrace in high office, yet you borrow the name of one who does not know you—do you wish to compare yourself to Wei Ci?