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Zou Yang shu 鄒陽書

Sep 1, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Zou Yang shu 鄒陽書 "Book of Zou Yang" was a political treatise written during the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) by Zou Yang 鄒陽. He hailed from the region of Qi 齊 (modern province of Shandong) and was a secretary (sheren 舍人) of the Prince of Wu, Liu Pi 劉濞 (216-154 BCE), together with Wu Yanji 吳嚴忌 and the poet Mei Sheng 枚乘 (d. 140 BCE). The imperial court was enraged about the heir that the prince of Wu had nominated. Zou Yang, therefore, submitted a memorial in which he remonstrated against the prince's decision, but his suggestions were ignored. Fearing punishment, the three persons left Wu and went to the court of Prince Xiao of Liang 梁孝王 (d. 144 CBE). Zou Yang was slandered by courtiers like Yang Sheng 羊勝 (d. 148 BCE) and imprisoned. Charged with high treason and sentenced to death, he submitted a memorial to the prince in which he pledged not guilty. The prince was indeed moved by the words of Zou Yang and pardoned him.

The book Zou Yang shu is listed in the imperial bibliography Yiwen zhi 藝文志 in the official dynastic history Hanshu 漢書 among the writings of the coalition advisors (zonghengjia 縱橫家). The book was 7 chapters long and showed Zou Yang's brilliance in argumentation and rhetoric. Unfortunately, it was lost soon.

The fragments surviving in the histories Shiji 史記 and Hanshu 漢書 were collected by the Qing-period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Ma Guohan 馬國翰 (1794-1857). They are to be found in Ma's series Yuhan shanfang jiyi shu 玉函山房輯佚書.

Source:
Li Xueqin 李學勤, and Lü Wenyu 呂文郁, eds. 1996. Siku da cidian 四庫大辭典, vol. 2, 1882. Changchun: Jilin daxue chubanshe.