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Gu Tan - Wikipedia
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Gu Tan

Gu Tan (c. 205–246), courtesy name Zimo, was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.

Gu Tan
顧譚
Minister of Ceremonies (太ふとし常つね)
In office
244 (244)–245 (245)
MonarchSun Quan
ChancellorLu Xun
Master of Writing in the Selection Bureau (選せん曹尚書しょ)
In office
242 (242)–244 (244)
MonarchSun Quan
ChancellorGu Yong
Preceded byXue Zong
Commandant of Equipage (奉たてまつ車くるま都と尉じょう)
In office
? (?)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
ChancellorGu Yong
Personal details
Bornc. 205
Suzhou, Jiangsu
Diedc. 246 (aged 41)
Hanoi, Vietnam
Relations
Parents
OccupationOfficial
Courtesy nameZimo (子こ默だま)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Gu.

Family background

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Gu Tan's ancestral home was in Wu County, Wu Commandery, which is present-day Suzhou, Jiangsu.[1] The Gu clan, which he was from, was one of the four most influential clans in Wu Commandery and also in the Jiangdong region at the time.[a]

Gu Tan's father, Gu Shao, served as the Administrator (太守たいしゅ) of Yuzhang Commandery (豫よ章あきら郡ぐん; around present-day Nanchang, Jiangxi) under the warlord Sun Quan in the late Eastern Han dynasty. Gu Tan's grandfather, Gu Yong, was the second Imperial Chancellor of the state of Eastern Wu, founded by Sun Quan in the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Eastern Han dynasty. Gu Tan's mother was a daughter of Sun Ce, Sun Quan's elder brother and predecessor as the warlord ruling over the Jiangdong territories in the late Eastern Han dynasty.[2]

Early career

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Gu Tan started his career before he reached adulthood (before the age of 20) as one of four close attendants of Sun Deng, the eldest son and heir apparent of Sun Quan, the ruler of the Eastern Wu state. The other three were Zhuge Ke, Zhang Xiu and Chen Biao.[3][4]

After Sun Quan declared himself emperor in 229 and designated Sun Deng as his crown prince, the four attendants were promoted to commandants under various titles. Gu Tan became Commandant Who Upholds Righteousness (輔正都と尉じょう) and continued playing a supporting role to Sun Deng.[5] Among his four attendants, Sun Deng favoured and trusted Zhuge Ke and Gu Tan the most, and he regarded them more highly than others such as Fan Shen (范慎), Xie Jing (謝しゃ景けい) and Yang Hui (羊ひつじ徽).[6]

When Sun Deng ordered his secretary Hu Zong (胡えびす綜) to write a commentary on four of his advisers in 229, Hu Zong wrote that Gu Tan was excellent at recognising opportunities and having deep and detailed thoughts.[7] After Hu Zong made his commentary public, Yang Dao (羊ひつじ衜[8]) commented to Hu in private on the four's shortcomings; Yang's criticism of Gu Tan was that "Zimo (Gu's courtesy name) is smart but ruthless." Later, Yang's criticism of the four became known to them, estranging them from Yang. However, eventually all four failed at politics, causing the people of Wu to comment that Yang's criticisms were valid.[9]

Mid career

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During the Chiwu era (238–251) of Sun Quan's reign, Gu Tan replaced Zhuge Ke as Left Regional Governor (左ひだり節度せつど).[10] When Gu Tan first started writing memorials and reports to Sun Quan upon entering office, Sun Quan was so impressed with his writings that he even delayed meals to read what Gu Tan wrote, and pointed out that Gu Tan wrote better than Xu Xiang (徐じょ詳しょう), one of his palace attendants. Sun Quan favoured Gu Tan for his talents so much that he awarded him several gifts and had special meetings with him.[11]

Whenever Gu Tan read documents, he could easily spot mistakes simply by browsing through quickly; his subordinates were very impressed with him. He was subsequently given an additional appointment as a Commandant of Equipage (奉たてまつ車くるま都と尉じょう).[12]

At the time, Xue Zong, who was serving as Master of Writing in the Selection Bureau (選せん曹尚書しょ; the equivalent of present-day human resources director) in the Wu government, decided to give up his position to Gu Tan. He wrote to Sun Quan: "(Gu) Tan is focused, meticulous, knowledgeable and detail-oriented. He is also a talented individual and a highly regarded figure among his colleagues. I am afraid that I cannot perform better than him." Sun Quan approved Xue Zong's recommendation and replaced him with Gu Tan.[13]

Late career

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Around 244, some months after his grandfather's death, Gu Tan was appointed Minister of Ceremonies (太ふとし常つね) in the Wu imperial court. Sun Quan also put him in charge of supervising the imperial secretariat – a task that his grandfather used to do as Imperial Chancellor.[14]

Around the 240s, there was a power struggle between two of Sun Quan's sons over the succession to their father's throne. On one hand, Sun Quan had already designated his third son Sun He as the crown prince in 242 to replace Sun Deng, who died the year before. On the other hand, he also favoured his fourth son Sun Ba, the Prince of Lu, and treated him exceptionally well. Sun Ba, knowing that their father favoured him, started fighting with his brother over the position of crown prince.[15] Sun Quan's subjects also split into two factions – each supporting either of the two princes.[b]

Gu Tan believed that Sun He was the rightful heir apparent so he wrote a memorial to Sun Quan to urge him to follow Confucian rules of propriety in the way he treated his sons. He argued that Sun He, as the crown prince, was of a higher status and should therefore receive greater honours and privileges as compared to Sun Ba. He also quoted historical examples to make his case that rulers should make a clear distinction between their heir apparent and other sons.[16]

Sun Ba bore a grudge against Gu Tan after learning that he wrote this memorial.[17]

Conflict with the Quans

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Around the time, Quan Ji (全ぜん寄よせ), the second son of the general Quan Cong, was a close aide of Sun Ba. Gu Tan did not get along well with Quan Ji because of the latter's behaviour, which he deemed immoral.[18]

Earlier in the summer of 241, Quan Cong had led Wu forces into battle at Quebei (芍陂; south of present-day Shou County, Anhui) against Wei forces led by Wang Ling. The battle did not go well for the Wu side initially, and they lost five units to the Wei forces. Gu Tan's friend Zhang Xiu and brother Gu Cheng, who were serving in the Wu army at the time, led their units to resist the Wei forces and managed to halt their advance. Quan Cong's eldest son Quan Xu (全ぜん緒いとぐち) and relative Quan Duan (全ぜん端はし), who were also serving in the Wu army, led their troops to attack the Wei forces after they stopped advancing, and succeeded in driving them back.[19]

After the battle, when Sun Quan was giving rewards to his officers, he deemed Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng's contributions greater than those of Quan Xu and Quan Duan because he believed that it was more difficult to halt the enemy advance than to drive back the enemy. As a result, he promoted Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng to the rank of General, while Quan Xu and Quan Duan were respectively promoted to Lieutenant-General and Major-General only. Due to this incident, the Quans bore a grudge against Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu and, by extension, against Gu Tan as well.[20]

Exile and death

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The Quans later found an opportunity to report Zhang Xiu, Gu Cheng and Gu Tan for committing serious offences.[21] They claimed that Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng had secretly collaborated with Chen Xun (陳ちん恂まこと), a staff officer in the Wu army during the Battle of Quebei, to make false submissions about their contributions during the battle.[22] As a result, Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng were arrested and thrown into prison, while Gu Tan was implicated in the case because of his relationship with them. Sun Quan was reluctant to find them guilty so he thought of a plan to appease the Quans without convicting Gu Tan, Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu.[23]

During an imperial court session, Sun Quan ordered Gu Tan to publicly apologise for the mistake. He expected Gu Tan to do so, after which he could then pardon and release the three of them. However, Gu Tan refused to apologise and he told Sun Quan: "Your Majesty, how can you let baseless accusations have their way?"[24] Later on, an official accused Gu Tan of showing great disrespect towards the emperor when he protested his innocence, and argued that Gu Tan should be punished by execution. Sun Quan took into consideration that Gu Tan's grandfather Gu Yong had rendered meritorious service in the past, and decided to reduce Gu Tan's punishment from execution to exile.[25]

Gu Tan, along with his brother Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu, were exiled to the remote Jiao Province in the south. When he was in exile, Gu Tan wrote a 20-chapter book, Xin Yan (新しん言げん; New Arguments), to express his frustration and lament at his own plight. After spending two years in exile, he died at the age of 41 in Jiaozhi (around present-day Hanoi, Vietnam).[26]

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The four great clans of Wu Commandery were the Gu (顧), Lu (陸りく), Zhu (朱しゅ) and Zhang (張ちょう) clans. The four great clans of the Jiangdong region were the Gu (顧), Lu (陸りく), Yu (虞おそれ) and Wei (魏たかし) clans. Some notable members from each clan were: Gu Yong, Gu Shao and Gu Tan of the Gu clan; Lu Xun, Lu Ji and Lu Kai of the Lu clan; Zhu Huan and Zhu Ju of the Zhu clan; Zhang Wen of the Zhang clan; Yu Fan of the Yu clan; and Wei Teng (魏たかし騰あが) of the Wei clan.
  2. ^ See Sun He#Succession struggle against Sun Ba and deposal for details.

References

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  1. ^ (... 吳くれ郡ぐん吳くれ人じん也。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  2. ^ ([顧]邵字孝則たかのり， ... [孫まご]權妻ごんさい以策女おんな。年とし二に十じゅう七なな，起おこり家か為ため豫よ章あきら太守たいしゅ。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  3. ^ (譚たん字じ子こ默だま，弱冠じゃっかん與あずか諸しょ葛かずら恪つとむ等とう為ため太子たいし四よん友とも，從したがえ中ちゅう庶子しょし轉てん輔正都と尉じょう。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  4. ^ Sun Deng's biography in Sanguozhi recorded that the four were already selected as Sun Deng's attendants when Deng was made crown prince in 221, while Sun Quan was King of Wu. (魏ぎ黄き初はつ二に年ねん，...。是ぜ岁，立たて登とう为太子たいし,.....于是诸葛恪つとむ、张休、顾谭、陈表等とう以选入いれ，侍さむらい讲诗书，出で从骑射しゃ。) Sanguozhi, vol.59
  5. ^ (黃き龍りゅう元年がんねん，權けん稱しょう尊號そんごう，登とう為ため皇太子こうたいし，以[諸しょ葛かずら]恪つとむ為ため左ひだり輔，[張ちょう]休きゅう右みぎ弼，[顧]譚たん為ため輔正，[陳ひね]表おもて為ため翼つばさ正せい都と尉じょう，是ぜ為ため四よん友とも， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 59.
  6. ^ (陸りく機き為ため譚たん傳でん曰：宣せん太子たいし正せい位い東宮とうぐう，天子てんし方かた隆たかし訓導くんどう之の義よし，妙みょう簡俊彥，講こう學がく左右さゆう。時とき四方しほう之の傑すぐる畢集，太ふとし傅でん諸しょ葛かずら恪つとむ以雄奇き蓋ぶた衆しゅ，而譚以清識絕倫ぜつりん，獨どく見みる推重すいちょう。自じ太ふとし尉じょう范慎、謝しゃ景けい、羊ひつじ徽之徒と，皆みな以秀稱しょう其名，而悉在ざい譚たん下か。) Gu Tan Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  7. ^ (《江こう表おもて传》曰：登とう使し侍さむらい中ちゅう胡えびす综作賔友目め曰：“...精せい识时机つくえ，达幽究きわむ微ほろ，则顾谭...) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol.59. The other three whom Hu commented on were Zhuge Ke, Xie Jing and Fan Shen.
  8. ^ Not the same person as the father of Yang Hu and Yang Huiyu
  9. ^ (衜乃私わたし驳综曰：“元もと逊才而疏，子し嘿精而狠，叔发辩而浮，孝こう敬けい深ふか而狭。”所しょ言げん皆みな有ゆう指ゆび趣おもむき。而衜卒そつ以此言げん见咎，不ふ为恪等とう所しょ亲。后きさき四よん人にん皆みな败，吴人谓衜之の言げん有ゆう征せい。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi, vol.59
  10. ^ (赤あか烏がらす中ちゅう，代だい恪つとむ為ため左ひだり節度せつど。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  11. ^ (吳くれ書しょ曰：譚たん初はつ踐官府ふ，上うえ疏陳事ごと，權けん輟食稱しょう善ぜん，以為過か於徐詳しょう。雅みやび性せい高こう亮あきら，不ふ脩おさむ意氣いき，或ある以此望もち之の。然しか權けん鑒其能のう，見み待まち甚隆，數すう蒙こうむ賞賜しょうし，特とく見み召請。) Wu Shu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  12. ^ (每まい省しょう簿ぼ書しょ，未み嘗下籌，徒と屈指くっし心しん計けい，盡つき發はつ疑うたぐ謬，下しも吏以此服之の。加か奉たてまつ車くるま都と尉じょう。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  13. ^ (薛綜為ため選せん曹尚書しょ，固かた讓ゆずる譚たん曰：「譚たん心こころ精せい體たい密みつ，貫ぬき道どう達たち微ほろ，才さい照あきら人物じんぶつ，德とく允まこと衆望しゅうぼう，誠まこと非ひ愚ぐ臣しん所しょ可か越えつ先さき。」後ご遂とげ代だい綜。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  14. ^ (祖父そふ雍卒數すう月がつ，拜おがめ太ぶと常つね，代だい雍平尚書しょうしょ事ごと。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  15. ^ (是ぜ時じ魯王霸有盛もり寵ちょう，與太よた子こ和かず齊ひとし衡， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  16. ^ (... 譚たん上じょう疏曰：「臣しん聞有國有こくゆう家か者しゃ，必明嫡庶之の端はし，異い尊卑そんぴ之の禮れい，使つかい高下こうげ有ゆう差さ，階級かいきゅう踰邈，如此則そく骨肉こつにく之の恩おん生せい，覬覦之の望もち絕ぜっ。昔むかし賈誼陳ひね治安ちあん之の計けい，論ろん諸侯しょこう之の勢いきおい，以為勢ぜい重じゅう，雖親必有逆ぎゃく節ぶし之の累るい，勢いきおい輕かる，雖踈必有保全ほぜん之の祚。故こ淮南ワイナン親おや弟おとうと，不ふ終おわり饗きょう國こく，失しつ之の於勢重也しげや；吳ご芮踈臣しん，傳つて祚長沙すな，得とく之の於勢輕けい也。昔むかし漢文かんぶん帝みかど使し慎まき夫人ふじん與あずか皇后こうごう同席どうせき，袁盎退夫人ふじん之の座ざ，帝みかど有ゆう怒いか色いろ，及盎辨べん上下じょうげ之の儀ぎ，陳ひね人じん彘之戒，帝みかど旣すんで恱懌，夫人ふじん亦また悟さと。今こん臣しん所しょ陳ひね，非ひ有ゆう所しょ偏へん，誠まこと欲よく以安太子たいし而便魯王也。」) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  17. ^ (由ゆかり是ぜ霸與譚たん有ゆう隙すき。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  18. ^ (時長ときなが公主こうしゅ壻むこ衞まもる將軍しょうぐん全ぜん琮子寄よせ為ため霸賔客きゃく，寄よせ素もと傾かたぶけ邪よこしま，譚たん所しょ不納ふのう。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  19. ^ (先さき是ぜ，譚たん弟おとうと承うけたまわ與あずか張ちょう休きゅう俱北征せい壽ことぶき春はる，全ぜん琮時為ため大だい都と督とく，與あずか魏ぎ將しょう王おう淩戰於芍陂，軍ぐん不利ふり，魏ぎ兵へい乘じょう勝かち陷沒かんぼつ五ご營將秦はた晃あきら軍ぐん，休きゅう、承うけたまわ奮擊之の。遂とげ駐ちゅう魏ぎ師し。時とき琮羣子こ緒いとぐち、端はし亦また並なみ為ため將はた，因いん敵てき旣すんで住じゅう，乃進擊げき之の，淩軍用もちい退ずさ。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  20. ^ (時とき論功行賞ろんこうこうしょう，以為駐ちゅう敵てき之の功こう大だい，退すさ敵てき之の功こう小しょう，休きゅう、承うけたまわ並なみ為ため雜ざつ號ごう將軍しょうぐん，緒いとぐち、端はし偏へん裨而已やめ。寄よせ父子ふし益えき恨， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  21. ^ (... 共きょう構會譚たん。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  22. ^ (吳くれ錄ろく曰：全ぜん琮父子ふし屢言芍陂之の役やく為ため典てん軍ぐん陳ちん恂まこと詐いつわり增ぞう張ちょう休きゅう、顧承之の功こう，而休、承うけたまわ與あずか恂まこと通どおり情じょう。) Wu Lu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  23. ^ (休きゅう坐すわ繫獄，權けん為ため譚たん故こ，沈吟ちんぎん不ふ決けつ，欲よく令れい譚たん謝しゃ而釋之の。) Wu Lu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  24. ^ (及大會たいかい，以問譚たん，譚たん不ふ謝しゃ，而曰：「陛下へいか，讒言ざんげん其興乎！」) Wu Lu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  25. ^ (江こう表ひょう傳でん曰：有司ゆうし奏そう譚たん誣罔大だい不敬ふけい，罪つみ應おう大だい辟。權けん以雍故こ，不ふ致法，皆みな徙之。) Jiang Biao Zhuan annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 52.
  26. ^ (譚たん坐すわ徙交州しゅう，幽かそけ而發憤はっぷん，著しる新しん言げん二に十じゅう篇へん。其知難なん篇へん蓋ぶた以自悼傷也。見み流りゅう二に年ねん，年ねん四よん十じゅう二に，卒そつ於交阯。) Sanguozhi vol. 52.
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