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Wu Can

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Wu Can
吾われ粲つばら
Crown Prince's Tutor (太子たいし太ふとし傅でん)
In office
? (?)–245 (245)
MonarchSun Quan
Minister Steward (少しょう府ふ)
In office
? (?)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
Colonel of Garrisoned Riders (屯たむろ騎き校こう尉じょう)
In office
? (?)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
General of the Household of Illustrious Righteousness (昭義あきよし中ちゅう郎ろう將しょう)
In office
? (?)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
Administrator of Kuaiji (會かい稽太守たいしゅ)
In office
222 (222)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
Colonel Who Advises the Army (參さん軍ぐん校こう尉じょう)
In office
? (?)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
Prefect of Shanyin County
In office
? (?)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
Registrar to General of Chariots and Cavalry (under Sun Quan)
In office
209 (209)–? (?)
MonarchSun Quan
Personal details
BornUnknown
Huzhou, Zhejiang
Died245[1]
Nanjing, Jiangsu
OccupationOfficial
Courtesy nameKongxiu (孔あな休きゅう)
In this Chinese name, the family name is Wu.

Wu Can (died 245),[1] courtesy name Kongxiu, was an official of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of China.[2]

Early life and service under Sun Ce[edit]

Wu Can was from Wucheng County (烏がらす程ほど縣けん), Wu Commandery (吳くれ郡ぐん), which is part of present-day Huzhou, Zhejiang.[3] He was born sometime in the late Eastern Han dynasty from a poor family, and his father died when Wu Can was young. When he was still a child, a woman saw him and told his mother, “Your son will become a high-ranking government official in the future.”[4]

Around the 190s, Wu Can served as a minor officer under Sun He (孫まご河かわ), the Chief (長ちょう) of Qu'e County (曲きょく阿おもね縣けん) and a relative of the warlord Sun Ce, who controlled Wu Commandery and many territories in the Jiangdong region. Sun He was impressed by Wu Can so when Sun He was elevated to the status of a general and was allowed to set up his own office, he appointed Wu Can as the Assistant (丞すすむ) of Qu'e County and promoted the latter to a Chief Clerk (長ちょう史ふみ) later. Although he was of humble origin, Wu Can became known for being very competent in his duties and his fame was on par with other officials who were also from Wu Commandery, such as Lu Xun and Bu Jing (卜ぼく靜せい). He caught the eye of Gu Shao, a noted judge of character, and became his friend[5] and the celebrated expert on physiognomy, Zheng Yu.

Sun Ce died in 200 CE and was succeeded by his younger brother, Sun Quan, who maintained control over the Jiangdong lands.[6]

Service under Sun Quan[edit]

In 209,[7] after Sun Quan was nominally appointed General of Chariots and Cavalry (車くるま騎き將軍しょうぐん) by the Han central government, he named Wu Can as his Registrar (主おも簿ぼ). Wu Can was later given greater responsibilities, serving as the Prefect (令れい) of Shanyin County (山陰さんいん縣けん; present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang) and as Colonel Who Advises the Army (參さん軍ぐん校こう尉じょう).[8]

Battle of Dongkou[edit]

Main article: Battle of Dongkou

In 222, Wu Can participated in the Battle of Dongkou against Eastern Wu's rival state, Cao Wei. He accompanied the Wu generals Lü Fan, He Qi and others to resist the Wei forces led by Cao Xiu. There was stormy weather at the time so the Wu ships became separated from each other when the connecting ropes broke. Some of the ships drifted towards the Wei base and ended up being captured by the enemy while others capsized and threw their sailors overboard. Wu Can and another officer, Huang Yuan (黃き淵ふち), were on one of the larger ships which managed to prevail in the storm. The sailors on the ship refused to allow the survivors in the water on board because they feared that their ship would sink due to overloading, so they brandished their weapons at the survivors who were attempting to climb on board. However, Wu Can and Huang Yuan gave orders to their men to save as many survivors as possible. When the men were reluctant to follow orders due to fear of overloading, Wu Can said, "If the ship sinks, we'll all die together! We shouldn't abandon those who are in need of help." Through their efforts, Wu Can and Huang Yuan succeeded in rescuing more than 100 survivors.[9]

Later career[edit]

After the Battle of Dongkou, Wu Can was appointed as the Administrator (太守たいしゅ) of Kuaiji Commandery along the southern shore of Hangzhou Bay. He wanted to recruit a reclusive hermit, Xie Tan (謝しゃ譚たん), to serve in the Wu government but Tan refused, claiming that he was ill. Wu Can remarked, "The Dragon displays its divine power through its movements; the Phoenix proves its worth through its cries. Why should one remain hidden in the far reaches of the sky or remain submerged in the depths of the sea?" Raising many troops, he was made General of the Household of Illustrious Righteousness (昭義あきよし中ちゅう郎ろう將しょう) and joined the Wu general Lü Dai in attacking rebels, credited with capturing Li Huan from Luling.[10][11]

In 229, Sun Quan declared himself emperor and established the state of Eastern Wu. Throughout the remaining years of his career, Wu Can held the following offices consecutively: Colonel of a Cavalry Garrison (屯たむろ騎き校こう尉じょう), Minister Steward (少しょう府ふ) and Crown Prince's Tutor (太子たいし太ふとし傅でん).

Downfall and death[edit]

See also: Sun He (Zixiao) § Succession struggle against Sun Ba and deposal

In the 240s, a power struggle broke out between Sun Quan's sons Sun He and Sun Ba; both of them fought for the succession to their father's throne. Wu Can sided with and spoke up for Sun He, whom he regarded as the legitimate heir apparent. He attempted to persuade Sun Quan to have Sun Ba relocated away from the imperial capital Jianye to Xiakou (夏なつ口こう; in present-day Wuhan, Hubei) and have Yang Zhu (楊笁), an official who supported Sun Ba, reassigned to another position outside Jianye. Wu Can also maintained close contact with the senior general Lu Xun, who was stationed in Wuchang (武たけ昌あきら; present-day Ezhou, Hubei), keeping Lu Xun informed on events. Sun Ba and Yang Zhu responded to this threat to their positions, attacked Wu Can who was subsequently arrested for his correspondence with Lu Xun , imprisoned and eventually executed.[12][13]

Appraisal[edit]

Chen Shou, who wrote Wu Can's biography in the Records of the Three Kingdoms, appraised Wu and Zhu Ju as follows, "Wu Can and Zhu Ju met with unlucky fates and died in the name of righteousness. What a pity!"[14]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b (邵陵厲公正こうせい始はじめ六ろく年ねん（乙おつ丑うし、二に四よん五ご年ねん） ... 太子たいし太ふとし傅でん吾われ粲つばら請使魯王出で鎮夏口こう，出で楊竺等とう不ふ得とく令れい在京ざいきょう師し，又また數かず以消息いき語ご陸りく遜へりくだ；魯王與あずか楊竺共ども譖之，吳ご主しゅ怒いか，收おさむ粲つばら下獄げごく，誅。) Zizhi Tongjian vol. 74.
  2. ^ de Crespigny (2007), pp. 865–866.
  3. ^ (吾われ粲つばら字じ孔あな休きゅう，吳くれ郡ぐん烏がらす程ほど人じん也。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  4. ^ (吳くれ錄ろく曰：粲つばら生せい數すう歲さい，孤城こじょう嫗おうな見み之これ，謂いい其母曰：「是ぜ兒じ有ゆう卿きょう相之あいの骨こつ。」) Wu Lu annotation in Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  5. ^ 初はつ，錢ぜに唐から丁ひのと諝出於役伍ご，陽ひ羨とも張ちょう秉生於庶民しょみん，烏がらす程ほど吳ご粲つばら、雲くも陽ひ殷いん禮れい起おこり乎微賤，邵皆拔而友之ともの，為ため立りつ聲譽せいよ Sanguozhi vol. 52
  6. ^ (孫まご河かわ為ため縣けん長ちょう，粲つばら為ため小吏しょうり，河かわ深ふか奇き之の。河かわ後ご為ため將軍しょうぐん，得とく自選じせん長ちょう吏，表おもて粲つばら為ため曲きょく阿おもね丞すすむ，遷為長ちょう史し，治ち有名ゆうめい迹。雖起孤こ微ほろ，與あずか同どう郡ぐん陸りく遜へりくだ、卜ぼく靜せい等とう比肩ひけん齊ひとし聲こえ矣。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  7. ^ ([建たて安やすし]十じゅう四よん年ねん， ... 劉りゅう備表權けん行ぎょう車しゃ騎き將軍しょうぐん， ...) Sanguozhi vol. 47.
  8. ^ (孫まご權けん為ため車しゃ騎き將軍しょうぐん，召為主ぬし簿ぼ，出で為ため山陰さんいん令れい，還かえ為ため參さん軍ぐん校こう尉じょう。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  9. ^ (黃き武ぶ元年がんねん，與あずか呂りょ範はん、賀が齊ひとし等とう俱以舟ふね師し拒こばめ魏ぎ將しょう曹休於洞口こう。值天大風おおかぜ，諸しょ船ふね綆紲斷絕だんぜつ，漂沒著ちょ岸がん，為ため魏ぎ軍ぐん所しょ獲え，或ある覆沒ふくぼつ沈溺，其大船せん尚なお存そん者しゃ，水中すいちゅう生せい人じん皆みな攀よじ緣えん號ごう呼よび，他た吏士恐おそれ船せん傾かたぶけ沒ぼつ，皆みな以戈矛ほこ撞擊不ふ受。粲つばら與あずか黃き淵ふち獨どく令れい船人ふなびと以承取と之これ，左右さゆう以為船せん重じゅう必敗，粲つばら曰：「船ふね敗はい，當とう俱死耳みみ！人ひと窮きゅう，柰何棄之。」粲つばら、淵ふち所しょ活かつ者しゃ百ひゃく餘人よにん。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  10. ^ (還かえ，遷會稽太守たいしゅ，召處士し謝しゃ譚たん為ため功こう曹，譚たん以疾不ふ詣まい，粲つばら教きょう曰：「夫おっと應おう龍りゅう以屈伸くっしん為ため神しん，鳳おおとり皇すめらぎ以嘉鳴な為ため貴とうと，何なに必隱形がた於天外がい，潛せん鱗うろこ於重淵ふち者しゃ哉？」粲つばら募つの合ごう人じん衆しゅ，拜はい昭義あきよし中ちゅう郎ろう將はた，與あずか呂りょ岱討平山ひらやま越えつ，入にゅう為ため屯たむろ騎き校こう尉じょう、少しょう府ふ，遷太子たいし太ふとし傅でん。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  11. ^ Sanguozhi vol.47
  12. ^ (遭二宮にのみや之の變へん，抗言こうげん執と正ただし，明あきら嫡庶之これ分ぶん，欲よく使し魯王霸出駐ちゅう夏なつ口こう，遣や楊笁不ふ得とく令れい在ざい都邑とゆう。又また數かず以消息いき語ご陸りく遜へりくだ，遜へりくだ時とき駐ちゅう武たけ昌あきら，連れん表ひょう諫爭。由よし此為霸、笁等所しょ譖害，下獄げごく誅。) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  13. ^ (太子たいし太ふとし傅でん吾われ粲つばら坐すわ數かず與あずか遜へりくだ交書，下獄げごく死し。) Sanguozhi vol. 58.
  14. ^ (評ひょう曰： ... 吾われ粲つばら、朱しゅ據よりどころ遭罹屯たむろ蹇あしなえ，以正喪も身み，悲夫！) Sanguozhi vol. 57.
  • Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
  • de Crespigny, Rafe (2007). A Biographical Dictionary of Later Han to the Three Kingdoms 23-220 AD. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 9789004156050.
  • Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).
  • Sima, Guang (1084). Zizhi Tongjian.
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