Gu Tan

Historical Record

Gu Tan, styled Zimo, was a man of Wu County in Wu Commandery. He was known for his talent from a young age and, together with Zhuge Ke and others, was chosen as one of the "Four Friends" of the Crown Prince Sun Deng, charged with expounding the arts and the Way, and became Sun Deng's guest and friend ^c:4197. At first Gu Tan served as a Gentleman of the Household of the Heir Apparent, and was later transferred to Commandant Who Rectifies. Lu Ji once wrote a biography of Gu Tan, recording that when the Crown Prince took his proper place in the Eastern Palace, the Son of Heaven, Sun Quan, in order to strengthen his instruction, carefully selected men of distinction to lecture at the prince's side. At that time talented men gathered from all quarters, and Zhuge Ke and others were of peerless brilliance, yet Gu Tan alone was held in special esteem for his clear discernment beyond compare. Even renowned men such as Fan Shen, Xie Jing, and Yang Hui acknowledged themselves his inferiors ^c:4194.

During the Chiwu era, Gu Tan succeeded Zhuge Ke as Left Commissioner. According to the Book of Wu, when Gu Tan first entered office he submitted a memorial on affairs of state, and after reading it Sun Quan once set aside his meal, praising Gu Tan's talent as surpassing that of Xu Xiang. Gu Tan was refined in character and did not concern himself with petty matters, which sometimes drew criticism, but Sun Quan valued his abilities, treated him very generously, repeatedly bestowed rewards on him, and specially summoned him to audience ^c:4194. When reviewing ledgers and documents, Gu Tan never used counting rods; relying on mental calculation alone he could point out every doubtful or erroneous point, leaving his subordinates wholly convinced. He was later additionally appointed Commandant of the Equipage. When Xue Zong served as Minister of Personnel Selection, he firmly insisted on ceding the post to Gu Tan, praising Gu Tan as "refined in heart and meticulous in form, penetrating the Way and reaching the subtle, his talent illuminating men and affairs, his virtue meeting the hopes of the many—truly not one whom this foolish subject can precede," and Gu Tan thereupon succeeded to Xue Zong's office ^c:4194.

Gu Tan's official career, however, was not all smooth. In Sun Quan's later years, the contest for the position of heir between the Crown Prince Sun He and the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, grew ever more intense. Gu Tan, together with Lu Xun, Zhuge Ke, and others, upheld the principle of distinguishing legitimate from collateral and supported the Crown Prince Sun He ^c:4196. This put him at odds with the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba. Quan Ji, a retainer of the Prince of Lu and son of the General of the Guard Quan Cong, was not accepted by Gu Tan owing to his crooked character. Earlier, Gu Tan's younger brother Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu had followed Quan Cong on a northern campaign against Shouchun and fared badly in battle against the Wei general Wang Ling at Shaobei. As the Wei forces pressed their advantage, Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu fought back with all their might and succeeded in halting the Wei assault. Quan Cong's sons Quan Xu and Quan Duan also took part in the fighting, but their merit was less than that of Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu. In the assessment of merit, Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu were enfeoffed as miscellaneous generals, while Quan Xu and Quan Duan were only made subordinate generals. Quan Ji and his father therefore harbored resentment and together framed Gu Tan ^c:4195.

According to the Record of Wu, Quan Cong and his son repeatedly accused the army supervisor Chen Xun of falsely inflating the merits of Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng in the battle of Shaobei, and claimed that Zhang Xiu and Gu Cheng had colluded privately with Chen Xun. Zhang Xiu was accordingly arrested and imprisoned. Sun Quan, on Gu Tan's account, was slow to decide, hoping that Gu Tan would admit fault so that Zhang Xiu might be pardoned. But at a great assembly, when Sun Quan questioned Gu Tan, Gu Tan did not admit fault and instead said: "Your Majesty, slander is on the rise!" According to the Jiangbiao Records, the authorities reported that Gu Tan was guilty of slanderous deception and grave disrespect, a crime deserving death. Sun Quan, mindful of his old regard for Gu Yong (Gu Tan's father), did not apply the supreme penalty but exiled Gu Tan and the others to Jiaozhou ^c:4195. Gu Tan was in exile in Jiaozhou for two years and died at the age of only forty-two. During his exile he devoted himself to writing the New Words in ten chapters, of which the chapter "On the Difficulty of Understanding" was composed to lament his own circumstances ^c:4195.

On the matter of the regulations concerning rushing home for mourning, Gu Tan once put forward his own view. He held that if the penalty for rushing home to mourn were too light, it would not suffice to restrain the feelings of filial sons; but if too heavy, since it was not a capital offense, even harsh law could hardly fully prevent it. He advised that if a senior officer were far away and no one denounced him, the matter would be hard to know. In the interval of replacement, if someone made a denunciation, the penalty would be death—so that the senior officer would bear no charge of neglecting his post, and the filial son would not commit a grave crime ^c:15478.

In the Novel

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms gives no independent literary portrayal of Gu Tan, and his deeds and image are not mentioned in the novel. Gu Tan therefore has no specific appearance, dialogue, or plot in the novel, and there is no question of any divergence from the histories. His absence from the novel means that his important historical role and tragic fate were never widely transmitted through literary form.

Key Relationships

* Sun Deng (friend_of): Gu Tan, together with Zhuge Ke and others, was one of the "Four Friends" of the Crown Prince Sun Deng, charged with expounding the arts and the Way, and became Sun Deng's guest and friend ^c:4197. In Lu Ji's biography it is recorded that Sun Quan carefully selected men of distinction to lecture at the side of the Crown Prince Sun Deng, and Gu Tan alone was held in special esteem for his clear discernment beyond compare ^c:4194.
* Sun Ba (enemy_of): In Sun Quan's later years, Gu Tan firmly supported the Crown Prince Sun He and opposed the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, thereby falling out with Sun Ba ^c:4196. Sun Ba's retainer Quan Ji, not being accepted by Gu Tan, joined with Quan Cong and his son in framing Gu Tan, leading to his exile ^c:4195.
* Sun He (friend_of): In the contest for the heir's position between the Crown Prince Sun He and the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, Gu Tan, together with Lu Xun, Zhuge Ke, and other ministers, upheld the principle of distinguishing legitimate from collateral and supported the Crown Prince Sun He ^c:4196. His exile was also closely bound up with the factional struggle of supporting Sun He against Sun Ba ^c:4195.
* Zhuge Ke (friend_of): Gu Tan and Zhuge Ke were both among the "Four Friends" of the Crown Prince Sun Deng; known for their talent from a young age, they attended the prince together in expounding the arts and the Way ^c:4197. Later Gu Tan also succeeded Zhuge Ke as Left Commissioner ^c:4194. In the contest over the heir in Sun Quan's later years, both firmly supported the Crown Prince Sun He ^c:4196.
* Quan Cong and his son (enemy_of): Quan Cong's son Quan Ji, being crooked, was not accepted by Gu Tan; in addition, at the battle of Shaobei Gu Tan's brother Gu Cheng and Zhang Xiu had won greater merit than Quan Cong's sons, so Quan Cong and his son harbored resentment and together framed Gu Tan, ultimately bringing about his exile ^c:4195.

Signature Scenes

* One of the Crown Prince's Four Friends, of peerless discernment: From a young age Gu Tan was chosen, together with Zhuge Ke and others, as one of the "Four Friends" of the Crown Prince Sun Deng, charged with expounding the arts and the Way. Lu Ji once praised him as "of clear discernment beyond compare, alone held in special esteem," and even renowned men such as Fan Shen and Xie Jing acknowledged themselves his inferiors ^c:4194. This reflects Gu Tan's early talent and reputation.
* Judging cases by mental calculation, winning his subordinates' submission: While serving as Left Commissioner, when reviewing complex ledgers Gu Tan never used counting rods; relying on mental calculation alone he could point out every doubtful or erroneous point, leaving his subordinates wholly convinced ^c:4194. This displays his outstanding intellect and precise thinking.
* Upholding the line of succession, exiled to Jiaozhou: In the contest over the heir between the Crown Prince Sun He and the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, in Sun Quan's later years, Gu Tan, together with Lu Xun, Zhuge Ke, and others, firmly supported the Crown Prince Sun He and upheld the principle of distinguishing legitimate from collateral. He thereby angered the Prince of Lu, Sun Ba, and his clique, was finally framed by Quan Cong and his son, and was exiled to Jiaozhou, dying far from home at the age of only forty-two ^c:4196, ^c:4195. This was the most tragic turning point of Gu Tan's life and an embodiment of his fidelity to principle.
* Writing in exile, mourning his own circumstances: During his exile in Jiaozhou, beset by adversity, Gu Tan devoted himself to writing the New Words in ten chapters, of which the chapter "On the Difficulty of Understanding" was composed to lament his own circumstances ^c:4195. This not only displays his tenacious will and profound learning but also reveals the grief and indignation within him. It became the final note of his tragic life.
* Deliberating the law on mourning, using death to stop death: Gu Tan once put forward his own view on the penalty for rushing home to mourn, holding that if a senior officer were far away and someone denounced the mourner, the penalty should be death, so as to achieve the effect that "the senior officer bears no charge of neglecting his post, and the filial son commits no grave crime" ^c:15478. This reflects his reflection on the legal system and his weighing of human feeling and ethics.