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Qin Shi      
Three Gentlemen
- Qin Shi #51		 三士 1
琴史 #51 2
The Three Gentlemen are 其思革子 Qisi Gezi, 石文子 Shi Wenzi and 叔愆子 Shu Qianzi
Appended are 離須 Li Xu and 楚明光 Chu Mingguang, perhaps because their stories connect to Chu.

The original Qin Shi essays are indented.

The 三士 Three Gentlemen

其思革子 Qisi Gezi (1498.32 Qisi), 石文子 Shi Wenzi and 叔愆子 Shu Qianzi were apparently from outside of Chu. Qin Cao, Hejian Zage, #18, is a melody called Three Exhausted Gentlemen (三士窮 San Shi Qiong), presumably the same as the melody (三士窮之曲 10.xxx) mentioned here. Qin illustration 16 in Taiyin Daquanji shows what it says was Gezi's qin.

Qisi Gezi lived in the same city as Shi Wenzi and Shu Qianzi. The three of them, while on their way to Chu, came to a dangerous place. They met wind and rain and lost their food and clothing. Figuring they could not all survive, and that Qisi Gezi was the best of them, the other two gave him their food and clothing, and so he survived and they died. When he arrived at Chu the king of Chu held a feast. Gezi took out his qin and played 別散之聲 Sounds of Not Being Separated. The prince heard this and asked about it. Gezi explained the reason. The Chu king said, How unfortunate, and presented Gezi with gold to bury his two friends. As a result there is the melody Three Poor Gentlemen.

離須 Li Xu

Li Xu (43079.xxx) plays a melody called The Song of Zi'an (子安之曲 Zi'an zhi Qu). 7072.114 says Zi'an is name of an immortal. I have not found what the relationship is to the story here.

There was also the family of Li Xu. His older brother went into the army and didn't return for a long time, so Li Xu repeatedly had to take provisions out to him. There was also a younger brother who had to remain at home. He cried and wished to follow his older brothers. Li Xu firmly stopped him, but the youngest brother just as firmly wanted to go. When Li Xu returned he couldn't find his younger brother. As as result there is the Song of Zi'an.

（楚）明光 Chu Mingguang (or Chu Ming Guang)

Chu Mingguang (15473.58 qin melody; lord of Chu) was a minister of King Zhao of Chu (15473.75; Shi Ji #40; reigned from 515 - 489). Mingguang figures in a number of stories from that period. The melody played by his son 組 Zu (27964.xxx), 追怨之歌 Zhui Yuan zhi Ge (30726.xxx; pursue resentment), is not in my catalogues. The melody called Chu Mingguang is in both Qin Cao (Hejian Zage, #11) and the You Lan manuscript melody list.

Van Gulik, Lore, p.160, has a woman playing the melody Chu Mingguang to Wang Shen. Perhaps this melody at some time had a connection to one called Zhui Yuan zhi Ge. 15473.58 Chu Mingguang introduces Chu Mingguang as follows: A melody in Qin Cao. Chu Mingguang was a minister of Chu. King Zhao of Chu obtained a jade bi disc (compare Qin Shi #45) from a Mr. Guo (? 王咼 氏) and wanted to offer it to [the prince of] Zhao. So he planned to send Mingguang to take it to Zhao, but Yang Shenfu knew that Zhao would disagree with him and so he slandered Mingguang to King Zhao by saying Mingguang would turn his back on Chu and support Zhao and so how could he be entrusted on such a mission? So in anger Mingguang was called back. Thus Mingguang himself wrote the tune called Chu Mingguang.

There is also Zu, the son of Mingguang of Chu. At first Mingguang served King Zhao of Chu. In this capacity he had been given orders to go on a mission to 趙 Zhao. However, a certain 羊申甫 Yang Shenfu made slanderous comments about his intentions. King Zhao was angry and jailed Mingguang, who later retired into obsurity. His son Zu then wrote Zhui Yuan zhi Ge (30726.xxx; pursue resentment) about his father's loyal (忠 zhong) and filial (孝 xiao) nature.

Zhu Changwen then adds some comments about these three stories.

嗟乎！聞三士窮之曲可以篤朋友之義。聽子安之篇可以（篤）友悌之情。觀追怨之歌可以進忠孝之誠....

Further details in preparation. 3

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 (Return)

2 (Return)

3 (Return)

4 (Return)

5 (Return)

6 (Return)

7 (Return)

8 (Return)

9 (Return)

10 (Return)

 

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