Wang Can
Wang Can | |
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王粲 | |
Palace Attendant (侍中) | |
In office 213 –217 | |
Monarch | Emperor Xian of Han |
Chancellor | Cao Cao |
Personal details | |
Born | 177[a] Weishan County, Shandong |
Died | 17 February 217 (aged 40)[a] |
Children |
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Parent |
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Occupation | Politician, poet |
Courtesy name | Zhongxuan (仲宣) |
Peerage | Secondary Marquis (關內侯) |
Wang Can | |
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Tâi-lô | Ông Tshàn |
Wang Can (177 – 17 February 217),
Wang Can was also renowned for his
Life
Wang Can was from Gaoping County (高平縣), Shanyang Commandery (山陽郡), which is around present-day Weishan County, Shandong. He was born in a family of high-ranking officials as a son of Wang Qian (王謙), a Chief Clerk (長史) to the general He Jin, who was briefly a regent for Emperor Shao in 189.[4] Wang Can's great-grandfather, Wang Gong (王龔), and grandfather, Wang Chang (王暢), held offices among the Three Ducal Ministers during the reigns of Emperor Shun and Emperor Ling respectively.[5]
When the warlord Dong Zhuo usurped power in 189, placing on the throne the puppet ruler Emperor Xian, Wang Can was merely 13 years old (by East Asian reckoning). A year later, Dong Zhuo moved the imperial capital from Luoyang to the more strategically secure Chang'an. Wang Can then headed to Chang'an, where he settled down for the next three years. In Chang'an, the prominent scholar and calligrapher Cai Yong recognised Wang Can's talent and recommended him to the civil service. Wang Can received several offers to serve in the government but he turned down all of them.
In 194, Wang Can went to
Wang Can's talents came to fruition during his service in Cao Cao's administration. In 213, after Emperor Xian enfeoffed Cao Cao as the Duke of Wei and granted him ten cities to form his dukedom, Cao Cao tasked Wang Can with establishing a new system of laws and standards to replace the old one, which had largely fallen into disuse. In late 216, Wang Can accompanied Cao Cao on his fourth campaign against a rival warlord, Sun Quan.
Wang Can died of illness on the way back to
Wang Can had two sons, who were executed in 219 for participating in a rebellion led by Wei Feng against Cao Cao's government. Their deaths resulted in the termination of Wang Can's family line. However, Wang Ye (王業), a younger relative of Wang Can, was eventually designated as Wang Can's adopted son to continue his family line. Wang Ye inherited 10,000 of Wang Can's books and passed them on to his own sons, Wang Bi and Wang Hong (王宏).
Literary achievements
Wang Can was an established poet. Along with six other poets of his time, their poems formed the backbone of what was to be known as the Jian'an style (建安風骨). They were collectively called the "Seven Scholars of Jian'an" (建安七子). "Jian'an" was the era name of Emperor Xian's reign from 196 to 220.
The civil strife towards the end of the
Anecdotes
Many anecdotes and stories related to Wang Can exist. It is recounted that when he was yet a youth,
See also
- Lists of people of the Three Kingdoms
- List of Chinese language poets
Notes
- ^ a b Wang Can's biography in the Sanguozhi recorded that he died at the age of 41 (by East Asian age reckoning) in the 22nd year of the Jian'an era (196-220) of the reign of Emperor Xian of Han.[1] By calculation, Wang Can's year of birth should be 177. Cao Zhi recorded in his "Eulogy for Wang Zhongxuan" that Wang Can died on the 24th day of the 1st month of the 22nd year of the Jian'an era.[2] This corresponds to 17 Feb 217 on the Julian calendar.
References
Citations
- ^ (二十二年春,道病卒,時年四十一。) Sanguozhi vol. 21.
- ^ (建安二十二年正月二十四日戊申,魏故侍中关内侯王君卒。) Wang Zhongxuan Lei
- ^ de Crespigny (2007), p. 802.
- ^ [(王畅)子谦,为大将军何进长史。谦子粲,以文才知名。] Houhanshu, vol.56
- ^ Volume 56 of Book of the Later Han had biographies of Wang Gong and Wang Chang.
- ^ According to Wang Chang's biography in Book of the Later Han, Liu Biao studied under Wang when he was 17 (by East Asian reckoning); Wang was Administrator of Nanyang (南阳太守) at the time.
- ^ (王仲宣好驴鸣,既葬,文帝临其丧,顾语同游曰:“王好驴鸣,可各作一声以送之。”赴客皆一作驴鸣)Shishuo Xinyu, vol.17.
- ^ (左中郎将蔡邕见而奇之。时邕才学显著,贵重朝廷,常车骑填巷,賔客盈坐。闻粲在门,倒屣迎之。粲至,年旣幼弱,容状短小,一坐尽惊。邕曰:“此王公孙也,有异才,吾不如也。吾家书籍文章,尽当与之。”。) Sanguozhi vol. 21.
- ^ (初,粲与人共行,读道边碑,人问曰:“卿能暗诵乎?”曰:“能。”因使背而诵之,不失一字。观人围棊,局坏,粲为覆之。棊者不信,以帊盖局,使更以他局为之。用相比校,不误一道。) Sanguozhi vol. 21.
Bibliography
- Chen, Shou (3rd century). Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi).
- ISBN 978-90-04-15605-0.
- Fan, Ye (5th century). Book of the Later Han (Houhanshu).
- Pei, Songzhi (5th century). Annotations to Records of the Three Kingdoms (Sanguozhi zhu).