公

CIVILIZATION DOSSIER

Gongsun Hong公孙弘

Archaic / OtherHistory

A minister during Emperor Wu of Han's reign, once sent on a mission beyond the borders.

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DIRECT FIGURES
7
RELATION RECORDS
9
SOURCE WORKS
3

RELATIONSHIP COMPASS

Gongsun Hong, and the people around them.

Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.

01
ALLEGIANCE

Allegiance

Rulers, appointments and allegiance

4 figures · 5 records
02
CONFLICT

Conflict

Battles, captures and defeat

3 figures · 4 records
Complete relationships and verbatim sources ↓Open in the civilization atlas ↗

7 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.

Across source works

How this figure changes across texts

Works are shown side by side, not as a chronology. No influence between texts is inferred.

  1. Official history

    Book of Han

    33 profile notes
    6 relations15 verified quotations
    • Gongsun Hong→ admonish →Emperor Wu of Han
    • Emperor Wu of Han→ enfeoff →Gongsun Hong
    • Gongsun Hong→ exile →Dong Zhongshu
    • Gongsun Hong→ resent →Ji An
    Verified original text · 15
    1. 自公孙弘以下至司马迁皆奉使方外

      serve as envoy · Book of Han, 东方朔传

    2. 公孙弘起徒步，数年至丞相

      chancellor · Book of Han, 严朱吾丘主父徐严终王贾传上

    13 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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  2. Official history

    Book of the Later Han

    3 profile notes
    0 relations0 verified quotations

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  3. 10 profile notes
    8 relations13 verified quotations
    • Gongsun Hong→ admonish →Emperor Wu of Han
    • Emperor Wu of Han→ enfeoff →Gongsun Hong
    • Gongsun Hong→ exile →Dong Zhongshu
    • Emperor Wu of Han→ conscript →Gongsun Hong
    Verified original text · 13
    1. 弘数谏

      admonish · Records of the Grand Historian, 平津侯主父列传

    2. 卒以弘为丞相

      appoint prime minister · Records of the Grand Historian, 平津侯主父列传

    11 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.

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Where the histories differ

Records of the Grand Historian portrays Gongsun Hong as cunning and treacherous, while History of Han honors him as a renowned prime minister who rose with the times.

  • histories differGongsun Hong's character and status as a famous minister

    In Records of the Grand Historian, the joint biography of Gongsun Hong and Zhufu Yan depicts him as sycophantic, cunning, and treacherous, recording Ji An's public rebuke of his hypocrisy: 'The people of Qi are deceitful and lack sincerity. Initially they agreed with us on this proposal, but now they have all turned against it, which is disloyal.' In History of Han, the biography of Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi, and Er Kuan places him alongside Bu Shi and Er Kuan, praising his rise from obscurity to prominence: 'Gongsun Hong, Bu Shi, and Er Kuan all, with wings of the great swan, were trapped among the sparrows.' Records of the Grand Historian satirizes his use of Confucian arts to curry favor, while History of Han honors him as a prime minister who rose in response to the times.

Relationship network

8 figures · 20 links
Gongsun HongGongsun HongEmperor Wu of HanEmperor Wu of HanDong ZhongshuDong ZhongshuEmperor Wu of HanEmperor Wu of HanJi AnJi AnZhu FuyanZhu FuyanLiu AnLiu AnLi CaiLi Cai
historyliteraturedual
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Sources: Records of the Grand Historian, 儒林列传; Book of the Later Han, 党锢列传; Book of Han, 东方朔传; Records of the Grand Historian, 孝武本纪; Book of the Later Han, 天文中明十二章五和三十三殇一安四十六顺二十三质三; Book of Han, 严朱吾丘主父徐严终王贾传上; Records of the Grand Historian, 平津侯主父列传; Book of the Later Han, 朱冯虞郑周列传

This page was extracted from classical texts with AI assistance and revised; errors remain possible. Spotted a mistake? Tell us →

Compiled with AI assistance from public-domain texts; for cultural reference. Mythological accounts vary — corrections welcome.