2020年3月20日 星期五

About a Comment by a Traditional Vietnamese Historian

大越史記引霍光論呂嘉不當

《大越史記》外紀卷之二,錄黎文休論呂嘉,謂其諫哀王嬰齊不爾,「則 (當) 用伊、霍故事」。黎公順口言之,或忘呂嘉實霍光以前人。夫南越之亡、呂嘉之殺,漢武正當盛年,霍光雖已弱冠,距其受帝之託、執漢之柄,尚有三、四十年也。


In the Vietnamese classic history book Đại Việt sử ký toàn thư, there's a quote of 14th century historian Lê Văn Hưu's comment on Lữ Gia, the last chancellor of Nam Việt state:

If he found his petition unheeded, he should have given up his place. Otherwise, he should have followed the example of Yi Yin and Huo Guang, to depose King Ai in favour of another son of King Minh, but sparing King Ai's life. Instead, he chose to commit regicide and ultimately led to the downfall of both the Nam Việt state and himself.

There's one error in the comment, though. Huo Guang was quoted as if he existed earlier than Lữ Gia, but in fact Huo's several decades younger. Huo's deposition of Liu He (Marquis of Haihun), which was partly the basis of the quote, was about four decades later than Lữ Gia's assassination of King Ai of Nam Việt.