Gu Tan, style name

Chinese style name

A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...

 Zimo (子默), was a minister of Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu

Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...

 during the Three Kingdoms

Three Kingdoms

The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...

 period of Chinese history

History of China

Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...

.

Biography

Gu Tan was from Wu Commandery. He was the son of Gu Shao (顧邵) and grandson of Gu Yong

Gu Yong

Gu Yong was a minister of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He learned the classics and calligraphy from Cai Yong when the latter came to Wu briefly as a refugee. His family is one of the four illustrious houses of Wu . He became a governor of several prefectures...

, a chancellor of Wu. When he was a youth, he was one of the four close friends of the crown prince

Crown Prince

A crown prince or crown princess is the heir or heiress apparent to the throne in a royal or imperial monarchy. The wife of a crown prince is also titled crown princess....

 Sun Deng

Sun Deng

Sun Deng , style name Zigao , was a crown prince of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He was the oldest son of Sun Quan, founding emperor of Eastern Wu. It is known that Sun Deng was both wise and virtuous, having all the makings of a great man...

. He was appointed Commandant Who Assists Righteousness (輔正都尉).

During the Chiwu era (238 - 251) of Sun Quan

Sun Quan

Sun Quan , son of Sun Jian, formally Emperor Da of Wu, was the founder of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He ruled from 222 to 229 as King of Wu and from 229 to 252 as Emperor of Wu....

's reign, Gu Tan replaced Zhuge Ke

Zhuge Ke

Zhuge Ke , style name Yuanxun , was a military general and regent of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Zhuge Jin and nephew of Zhuge Liang. He succeeded Lu Xun after the latter's death...

 as Left Regional Governor (左節度). Whenever he browsed through documents and records, he was able to spot mistakes just by looking, and his subordinates were impressed with him. Gu Tan was later promoted to Commandant of Equipage (奉車都尉). Xue Zong even once gave up his post as Secretary of Selection of Officials (選曹尚書) to Gu Tan, writing in his recommendation, "(Gu) Tan is focused and meticulous, familiar with affairs and skillful in details. He is talented and placed in high regard. I'm unable to perform better than him."

Months after his grandfather's death in 243, Gu Tan was appointed Minister of Ceremonies (太常) and took over his grandfather's duties as secretary. Around that time, Sun Ba (Prince of Lu) was involved in a rivalry with crown prince Sun He

Sun He

Sun He , style name Zixiao , formally known as Emperor Wen , was a son and crown prince of Eastern Wu's founding emperor Sun Quan during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...

 over succession to the throne. Sun Quan favoured Sun Ba and had the intention of replacing Sun He with Sun Ba, but Gu Tan wrote a memorial to Sun Quan, hinting that Sun He should not be deposed. Quan Ji (全寄), son of Quan Cong

Quan Cong

Quan Cong , style name Zihuang , was a military general of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history. He married Sun Quan's oldest daughter Sun Luban. During the subjugation of the Shanyue, Quan achieved great success. Quan afterwards marched with Lu Xun to attack the Cao Wei...

, was living with Sun Ba then, and he saw Gu Tan as a rival because of the succession dispute.

After the Battle of Xiaopo (芍坡) in 241, Quan Ji and his father were unhappy that Zhang Xiu (張休) and others received higher rewards, and slandered Zhang Xiu in front of Sun Quan. As Gu Tan was a close friend of Zhang Xiu, he was implicated and both of them were eventually dismissed from office and exiled to Jiao Province

Annam (Chinese Province)

Annam or Jiaozhi was the southernmost province of the Chinese Empire. It is now part of present-day Vietnam...

. While in Jiao Province, Gu Tan wrote a 20 volume book, Xin Yan (新言), to express his frustration. He died two years after his exile at the age of 42.

Appointments and titles held

• Commandant Who Assists Righteousness (輔正都尉)
• Left Regional Governor (左節度)
• Commandant of Equipage (奉車都尉)
• Secretary of Selection of Officials (選曹尚書)
• Minister of Ceremonies (太常)