CIVILIZATION DOSSIER
Weizi微子
Eldest son of King Yi, half-brother of King Zhou, enfeoffed in Song after the fall of Shang.
- DIRECT FIGURES
- 7
- RELATION RECORDS
- 11
- SOURCE WORKS
- 9
RELATIONSHIP COMPASS
Weizi, and the people around them.
Open one chapter at a time. Each chapter gives the relationship first, then the source text behind it.
01KINSHIPKinship
Blood, marriage and sworn bonds
3 figures · 4 records＋
Kinship
Blood, marriage and sworn bonds
Di YiisWeizi’s father
Weizi—King Zhou (Di Xin)half brother
Bi Gan—Weizifather-son
02ALLEGIANCEAllegiance
Rulers, appointments and allegiance
4 figures · 4 records＋
Allegiance
Rulers, appointments and allegiance
Weizi→King Zhou (Di Xin)report
King Wu→Weizienfeoff
Duke of Zhou→Weizienfeoff
King Cheng→Weiziconfer title
03CONFLICTConflict
Battles, captures and defeat
1 figure · 2 records＋
Conflict
Battles, captures and defeat
King Zhou (Di Xin)→Weiziflee
04THE UNSEENMythic acts
Transformation, aid and divine punishment
1 figure · 1 record＋
Mythic acts
Transformation, aid and divine punishment
King Wu of Zhou→Weizirelease
9 key relationships are shown here. The complete record remains below.
In history · Records of the Three Kingdoms · Records of the Grand Historian
Eldest son of King Yi, his mother was of low status so he could not inherit, later enfeoffed in Song.
In fiction · Records of Myriad Things · Book of the Later Han · Investiture of the Gods · New Book of Tang · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition · Book of Han · Bamboo Annals
Son of King Yi of Shang, half-brother of King Zhou, a court minister, remonstrated with Bigan and others, fled with Weizi, and was enfeoffed in Song after returning to Zhou.
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.
- Literature / legend1 profile notes
Records of Myriad Things
0 relations0 verified quotations - Literature / legend23 profile notes
Investiture of the Gods
4 relations6 verified quotations- Weizi→ report →King Zhou (Di Xin)
- King Wu→ enfeoff →Weizi
- Bi Gan→ father-son →Weizi
- Di Yi→ father-son →Weizi
Verified original text · 6
抱本来奏纣王
report · Investiture of the Gods, ch. 29
微子看本，知张山阵亡，洪锦归周，忙抱本入内庭，见纣王
report · Investiture of the Gods, ch. 68
4 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.
- Official history1 profile notes
Book of Han
0 relations0 verified quotations - Official history1 profile notes
Book of the Later Han
0 relations0 verified quotations - Official history1 profile notes
Records of the Three Kingdoms
0 relations0 verified quotations - Official history8 profile notes
Records of the Grand Historian
6 relations6 verified quotations- Weizi→ admonish →King Zhou (Di Xin)
- Weizi→ half brother →King Zhou (Di Xin)
- King Wu of Zhou→ release →Weizi
- Duke of Zhou→ enfeoff →Weizi
Verified original text · 6
微子数谏，纣不听
admonish · Records of the Grand Historian, 宋微子世家
殷帝乙之首子而帝纣之庶兄也
half brother · Records of the Grand Historian, 宋微子世家
4 more verified quotations in the relationship records below.
- Official history2 profile notes
New Book of Tang
0 relations0 verified quotations - Official history2 profile notes
Bamboo Annals
1 relations1 verified quotations- King Zhou (Di Xin)→ flee →Weizi
Verified original text · 1
微子出奔
flee · Bamboo Annals, 今本-殷纪
- Official history2 profile notes
Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition
2 relations2 verified quotations- King Wu of Zhou→ release →Weizi
- Weizi→ eldest son →Di Yi
Verified original text · 2
武王亲释其缚，受其璧而祓之。
untie bonds · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition, ch. 12
微子启，帝乙之元子也
eldest son · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition, ch. 58
History vs. fiction
In official history, he is a virtuous member of the Shang royal house and the founding ruler of the state of Song, while in the novel he is portrayed as a representative of internal opposition to King Zhou.
The Records of the Grand Historian, in the Hereditary House of Weizi, records that Weizi, seeing that Shang was about to fall, took the sacrificial vessels and went to the camp of King Wu; after the Duke of Zhou quelled the rebellion, he enfeoffed Weizi in Song to continue the ancestral sacrifices of the Shang dynasty. (Original text: 「周武王伐纣克殷，微子乃持其祭器造于军门，肉袒面缚，左牵羊，右把茅，膝行而歬以告。于是武王乃释微子，复其位如故。」, source: data/raw/shiji/宋微子世家.txt)
- novel inventionSecretly colluded with Jiang Ziya to plot rebellion
The Records of the Grand Historian records that Weizi consulted with the Grand Tutor and the Junior Tutor about whether to stay or leave, which was for the preservation of the Shang ancestral sacrifices, and there was no act of colluding with immortals from within and without to rebel as in the novel. The original text: 「微子度纣终不可谏，欲死之，及去，未能自决，乃问于太师、少师曰」（The Hereditary House of Song Weizi, Records of the Grand Historian, data/raw/shiji/宋微子世家.txt）
Relationship network
- reportWeizi → King Zhou (Di Xin)litInvestiture of the Gods, ch. 29Investiture of the Gods, ch. 68Investiture of the Gods, ch. 87
Original text (3)
抱本来奏纣王
微子看本，知张山阵亡，洪锦归周，忙抱本入内庭，见纣王
微子接本看了，忙入内庭
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
殷帝乙之首子而帝纣之庶兄也
Original text (1)
Original text (1)
- release← King Wu of Zhou → Weizihist × litRecords of the Grand Historian, 宋微子世家Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition, ch. 12
Original text (2)
于是武王乃释微子，复其位如故
武王亲释其缚，受其璧而祓之。
Original relation: untie bonds · Correct Meaning of the Zuo Tradition, ch. 12
Original text (1)
乃命微子开代殷后，奉其先祀
Original text (1)
夫人，你好生看顾孩儿微子德！
Original text (1)
- father-son← Di Yi → Weizihist × litRecords of the Grand Historian, Annals of YinInvestiture of the Gods, ch. 1
Original text (2)
Original text (1)