Elai Ge
Elai Ge 惡來革 | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 1963 illustration based on Elai's appearance in Fengshen Yanyi | |||||||
| Died | c. 1046 BCE | ||||||
| Known for | Serving Di Xin | ||||||
| Father | Fei Zhong | ||||||
| Military career | |||||||
| Allegiance | Shang dynasty | ||||||
Conflicts | Battle of Muye † | ||||||
| Monarch | Di Xin | ||||||
| Chinese name | |||||||
| Traditional Chinese | 惡來革 | ||||||
| Simplified Chinese | 恶来革 | ||||||
| |||||||
Elai Ge (Chinese: 惡來革; pinyin: Èlái Gé),[1][2] often simply Elai, was a minister and bodyguard for Di Xin during the Late Shang dynasty.
Name
[edit]Elai's name is highly unusual and not commonly seen in Chinese. Citing Late Shang naming practices, Lu Guoquan argues that È (惡) was a corruption of Yà (亞), given their minute differences. Therefore, they surmise that their actual name was Ya Lai (亞來).[3]
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亞 in small seal script. -
惡 in small seal script. -
亞 in bronze script. -
亞 in oracle bone script.
Ancestry
[edit]Elai was a descendant of Zhongyan, who served Tai Wu, and ancestor of Feizi, the founder of the State of Qin. His father, Fei Zhong, had another son, named Ji Sheng (季勝), was an ancestor of Zaofu, the founder of the state of Zhao.[4]
Life
[edit]According to the Records of the Grand Historian (Shiji) by Sima Qian, Elai was known for his immense physical strength and would often villify those they disliked. Mozi also mentions this, adding that Di Xin himself, as well as Marquess Hu of Chong, also possessed such strength.[5]
Wei Liaozi mentions that Elai, along with Feilian, participated in the Battle of Muye as a commander of extremely large forces.[6] Sima Qian claims that Elai was killed by King Wu of Zhou during the war, dying young, which is also mentioned in Shuo Yuan.[7]
Legacy
[edit]Elai is frequently cited in classical texts, such as Xunzi, as a corrupt minister whose influence on their ruler would lead to the downfall of a state.[8][9][10]
In the historical novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms by Luo Guanzhong, Cao Cao, impressed with Dian Wei's strength, states "This is old Elai again." Thus this fictional nickname of Dian Wei stuck with him, and he was henceforth known as "Elai" Dian Wei.
References
[edit]- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "雜言". 說苑. Chinese Text Project.
二子沈身江湖，頭懸越旗。昔者費仲、惡來革、長鼻決耳，崇侯虎順紂之心，欲以合於意，武王伐紂、四子身死牧之野，頭足異所，比干盡忠剖心而死。
- ^ 白国红. 2019. 嬴秦之祖“恶来”称名及相关问题辨析. 求索.
- ^ 路国权. 2011《咸阳师范学院学报》 第5期1-3共3页.
- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "志氏姓". 潛夫論. Chinese Text Project.
後有仲衍，鳥體人元，為夏帝大戊御。嗣及費仲，生惡來、季勝。武王伐紂，并殺惡來。// 惡來後有非子，以善畜，周孝封之於秦，世地理以為西陲大夫，汧秦高是也。其後列於諸侯，五世而稱王，六世而始皇生於邯鄲，故曰趙政。及梁、葛、江、黃、徐、莒、蓼、六、英、皆皋陶之後也。鍾離、運掩、菟裘、尋梁、脩魚，白寘、飛廉、密如、東灌、良、時、白、巴、公巴公巴、郯、復、蒲，皆羸姓也。
- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "明鬼下". 墨子. Chinese Text Project.
武王以擇車百兩，虎賁之卒四百人，先庶國節窺戎，與殷人戰乎牧之野，王乎禽費中、惡來，眾畔百走。武王逐奔入宮，萬年梓株折紂而繫之赤環，載之白旗，以為天下諸侯僇。故昔者殷王紂，貴為天子，富有天下，有勇力之人費中、惡來、崇侯虎指寡殺人，人民之眾兆億，侯盈厥澤陵，然不能以此圉鬼神之誅。
- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "武議". 尉繚子. Chinese Text Project.
武王伐紂，師渡盟津，右旄左鉞，死士三百，戰士三萬。紂之陳億萬，飛廉、惡來身先戟斧，陳開百里。武王不罷市民，兵不血刃，而克商誅紂，無祥異也，人事修不修而然也。
- ^ Liu, Xiang. "雜言". In Sturgeon, Donald (ed.). 說苑 (in Literary Chinese). Chinese Text Project. Retrieved 29 May 2026.
昔者費仲、惡來革、長鼻決耳，崇侯虎順紂之心，欲以合於意，武王伐紂、四子身死牧之野，頭足異所，比干盡忠剖心而死。
- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "臣道". 荀子. Chinese Text Project.
過而通情，和而無經，不卹是非，不論曲宜，偷合苟容，迷亂狂生，夫是之謂禍亂之從聲，飛廉惡來是也。傳曰：「斬而齊，枉而順，不同而一。」《詩》曰：「受小球大球，為下國綴旒。」此之謂也。
- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "尊賢". 說苑. Chinese Text Project.
是故呂尚聘而天下知商將亡，而周之王也；管夷吾，百里奚任，而天下知齊秦之必霸也，豈特船乘哉！夫成王霸固有人，亡國破家亦固有人；桀用于莘，紂用惡來，宋用唐鞅，齊用蘇秦，秦用趙高，而天下知其亡也；非其人而欲有功，譬其若夏至之日而欲夜之長也，射魚指天而欲發之當也；雖舜禹猶亦困，而又況乎俗主哉！
- ^ Donald Sturgeon (ed.). "連語". 新書. Chinese Text Project.
夏禹契后稷，與之為善則行；鯀讙兜，欲引而為惡則誅。故可與為善，而不可與為惡。下主者，桀紂是也。推侈惡來，進與為惡則行，比干龍逢，欲引而為善，則誅。故可與為惡，而不可與為善。所謂中主者，齊桓公是也。得管仲隰朋，則九合諸侯；豎貂子牙，則餓死胡宮，蟲流而不得葬。故材性乃上主也，賢人必合，而不肖人必離，國家必治無可憂者也。