生平

汉武帝时，朔上书自荐，言：「臣朔年二十二，长九尺三寸，目若悬珠，齿若编贝，勇若孟贲，捷若庆忌，廉若鲍叔，信若尾生，若此可以为天子大臣矣。」遂诏拜为郎，后任常侍郎、太中大夫等职。古代隐士，多避世于深山，而他却自称避世于朝廷。

东方朔一生著述甚丰，写有《答客难》、《非有先生论》、《封泰山》、《责和氏璧》、《试子诗》等，后人汇为《东方太中集》，收入《汉魏六朝百三家集》中。班固在《前汉书》中称他为「滑稽之雄」，晋人夏侯湛写有《东方朔画赞》，对东方朔的高风亮节以及他的睿智诙谐，备加称颂，唐代大书法家颜真卿将此文书写刻碑。此碑至今仍保存在陵县，名《颜字碑》。日本侵华期间，此碑曾被日本当地驻军当做军营门前水沟上的石板，马踏车碾，致字迹局部损毁。目前《颜字碑》的真迹和仿制品都存放在陵县人民公园的「颜碑亭」里。

他博学多才，对当时的政治局势有自己的观点，「时观察颜色，直言切谏」，但因性格诙谐，常在武帝面前开玩笑，被汉武帝视为搞笑艺人而非读书人，所以毕生未得重用。于是东方朔写有《答客难》、《非有先生论》其中赋体散文《答客难》是其代表作，开了赋体文学的新领域。杨雄的《解嘲》和班固有《答客戏》，都是由《答客难》的形式发展来的。《汉书·艺文志》著录「《东方朔》二十篇」。东方朔亦著有《神异经》。

据史记的说法，东方朔将死之际，以《诗经》「营营青蝇，止于蕃。恺悌君子，无信谗言。谗言罔极，交乱四国」之句上谏，希望汉武帝能远离小人，阻退谗言。之后不久东方朔去世，后人评价其行为正是「鸟之将死，其鸣也哀；人之将死，其言也善」的写照。

神话

在后来的各种记载中，东方朔的事迹常被神化，将其描绘成暂居人间的神仙，如太白金星。李白也有诗曰：「世人不识东方朔，大隐金门是谪仙」。东方朔同时因其滑稽多智被尊为相声业的祖师爷。

神话小说《西游记》里东方朔是东华帝君的弟子，道号曼倩，在孙悟空找东华帝君救人参果树时出现。

生活

约前132年，东方朔约在22岁时，曾随汉武帝派遣的海上方士集团，到海外各地进行过海外探险旅行，有观点认为其曾到过北极。东方朔所著的《海内十洲记﹒序》中记载：「臣……曾随师主履行：北至朱陵，扶桑，蜃海，冥夜之丘，纯阳之陵……」很有可能是古代亚洲文献中对于北极地区极昼极夜现象的描写。

东方朔的《神异经·北荒经》：「北方层冰万里，厚百丈，有磎鼠在冰下土中焉。行若鼠……」中所描述的「鼠」与现在惟一生活在北极地区的麝牛非常相像。另有人认为此为冻土中的猛马象。

艺术

影视

• 2001年电视剧《大汉天子》：陈道明

• 2008年电视剧《东方朔》：程前

Names

Dongfang Shuo's original Chinese surname was Zhang (张 meaning "stretch; spread"), which was later changed to an uncommon compound surname Dongfang (东方 "eastern direction; the east", cf. The East Is Red). His Chinese given name was Shuo (朔 "new moon") and his courtesy name was Manqian (曼倩 "graceful handsome").

Owing to his eccentric and humorous behavior at the Han court in Chang'an, Dongfang's nickname was Huaji (滑稽 "Buffoon") and he proclaimed himself the first chaoyin (朝隐 "recluse at court", punning yinshi 隐士 "recluse scholar; hermit"). When fellow courtiers called him crazy, Dongfang replied, "People like me are known as those who escape the world by taking it easy at court."

History

The primary historical sources for Dongfang Shuo are biographies in the early Chinese dynastic Twenty-Four Histories. The (91 BCE) Records of the Grand Historian includes him under the "Biographies of Jesters" chapter (126, 滑稽列传), which was appended by Chu Shaosun (褚少孙, c. 105 - c. 30 BCE). The (111 CE) Book of Han gives him a full "Biography of Dongfang Shuo" chapter (65, 东方朔传).

Dongfang Shuo was a native of Yanci (厌次) in Pingyuan (平原), present-day Ling County in Shandong, where his tomb and a shrine are located.

The Book of Han biography of Dongfang Shuo characterizes him as "rich in words, a man of jests and witticisms, an actor and a buffoon."

In 138 BCE, Emperor Wu called for recommendations of individuals who were "honest and upright, worthy and good, or noted for scholarly or literary talents or unusual strength", offering to assign them official posts. While "thousands came forward to peddle and parade their abilities", Dongfang submitted the following self-description to the throne.

When I was young, I lost my father and mother and was brought up by my older brother and his wife. At the age of twelve I began to study writing, and after three winters I knew enough to handle ordinary texts and records. At fifteen I studied fencing; at sixteen, the Songs and History; and soon I had memorized 220,000 words. At nineteen I studied the works on military science by Masters Sun and Wu, the equipment pertaining to battle and encampment, and the regulations concerning drum and gong. Once more I memorized 220,000 words, so that in all I could recite 440,000 words. In addition I always kept in mind Zilu's words. I am twenty-two years in age, measuring nine feet three inches chi "Chinese foot" was about 24 cm., have eyes like pendant pearls, teeth like ranged shells, and am as brave as Meng Ben, nimble as Qingji, scrupulous as Bao Zhu, and loyal as Wei Sheng. I am fit to become a great minister to the Son of Heaven. Daring death, I bow twice and submit this report.

Based on these egregiously conceited words, the emperor concluded that Dongfang Shuo was extraordinary and "ordered him to await the imperial command in the office of public carriage."

Dongfang was impatient for an imperial audience and devised a scheme that involved frightening the court dwarfs who worked in the stable. He told them the emperor was going to have them killed because they could not do the work of ordinary men, and suggested that the next time Wu passed by, they should kowtow and beg for mercy.

After a while, word came that the emperor was on his way. The dwarfs all wailed and bowed their heads, and when the emperor asked them why they were doing that, they relied, "Dongfang Shuo told us Your Majesty was going to have us all executed!" The emperor, knowing that Shuo was a man of many devices, summoned him and asked him what he meant by terrifying the dwarfs in this fashion. Shuo replied, "I will speak out, whether it means life or death for me! The dwarfs are somewhat over three feet in height, and as a stipend they receive one sack of grain and 240 cash each. I am somewhat over nine feet in height, and as a stipend I too receive one sack of grain and 240 cash. The dwarfs are about to die from overeating, I am about to die of hunger. If my words are of any use, I hope I may be treated differently from them. If my words are of no use, then dismiss me. There's no point in merely keeping me around to eat up the rice of Chang'an!" The emperor roared with laughter and accordingly assigned him to await command at the Golden Horse Gate. Little by little, Shuo gained the confidence of the emperor.

Humor is also recorded in a third Book of Han example. On a hot summer day, Emperor Wu ordered a gift of meat be given to his attendants, but the imperial butler was slow to distribute them. Dongfang drew his sword, cut off a piece of meat, put it into the breast of his robe, and said to his fellow officials, "In these hot days one ought to go home early. With your permission, therefore, I will take my gift." On the next day at court, Dongfang Shuo apologized for his violation of etiquette to the emperor, who commanded, "Stand up, sir, and confess your faults."

Shuo bowed twice and said. "All right now, Shuo! You accepted the gift without waiting for the imperial command – what a breach of etiquette! You drew your sword and cut the meat – what singular daring! When you carved it up, you didn't take much – how abstemious of you! You took it home and gave it to the little lady – how big-hearted!" The emperor laughed and said, "I told you to confess your faults and here you are praising yourself!" Then he presented him with a further gift of a gallon of wine and a hundred catties of meat and told him to take them home to "the little lady."

Writings

Dongfang Shuo wrote various texts, essays, and poems; other writings attributed to him are doubted by textual scholars.

According to the Book of Han biography of Dongfang,. his two finest writings are the Da ke nan (答客难 "Replies to a Guest's Objections", oldest example of the shelun 设论 "hypothetical discourse" literary form), and Feiyou xiansheng lun (非有先生论 "An Essay by Elder Nobody". It further states that Book of Han bibliography (chapter 30, 艺文志 "Treatise on Literature") lists all of Dongfang's genuine writings, "but the other pieces that are passed around these days are completely spurious". An example of the latter is the Qijian (七谏 "Seven Admonishments") poem in the Chuci, which Wang Yi's (2nd century) commentary attributes to Dongfang. David Hawkes concludes, "Nothing that we know about Dong-fang Shuo leads us to suppose he … is likely to have been a writer in the poetry of Chu style".

Two early texts are traditionally attributed to Dongfang Shuo. The (c. late 2nd century) Shenyi jing (神异经 "Classic on Divine Marvels"), with a commentary by Zhang Hua (232-300), is a geographically arranged collection of wonders and marvels. The (c. 300) Shizhou ji (十洲记 "Records of the Ten Continents") is a long speech by Dongfang to Emperor Wu on mythical geography, in which "this fangshi-adviser describes the outlying terrestrial paradises on each of the Ten Continents, four islands, and two mountains".

Legends

During his lifetime, Dongfang Shuo was considered a zhexian (谪仙 "banished immortal"). In the Six dynasties period (222-589 CE), Dongfang Shuo became the hero of many legends and stories. He was supposedly an embodiment of Sui (岁 "Jupiter") or Taibai (太白 "Venus"), had a miraculous birth, possessed supernatural powers, and went through numerous reincarnations, including Laozi and Fan Li.

Liu Xiang's (c. 77-6 BCE) Liexian Zhuan ("Biographies of Exemplary Transcendents") has an early description of Dongfang Shuo. By the time of Emperor Zhao of Han (r. 87 – 74 BCE), "some people thought he was a sage; others found him ordinary. His behavior varied between depth and shallowness, brazenness and withdrawal. At times his words were full of loyalty, then again he made jokes. Nobody could figure him out." At beginning of Emperor Xuan of Han's reign (91 BCE), Dongfang resigned from his position, left his official residence, and went "drifting off to wherever chance might take him. … Among wise men some suspected that he was really an incarnation of the essence of the planet Jupiter."

The (c. 195 CE) Fengsu tongyi ("Comprehensive Accounts of Popular Customs"), which repeats Dongfang's conceited self-recommendation, says he was "commonly said to be the spirit of the planet Venus, and to have passed through a number of incarnations." When Dongfang was a court official, "he kept a troupe of singers and actors, and did not concern himself with State business. Xiang in his youth often questioned him about the prolongation of life, and found him full of shrewdness and insight. His own contemporaries all describe him as the prince of good fellows, and irresistible in argument."

Both the (c. 3rd century) Han Wudi gushi ("Precedents of Han Emperor Wu") and Buowuzhi ("Monograph on Various Matters") record a myth about Xi Wangmu ("Queen Mother of the West") presenting the "peaches of immortality" to Han Emperor Wu. She brought seven peaches, "each only the size of a pill, five of which she presented to the Emperor, and ate the other two herself." The Queen Mother recognized Dongfang as a courtier of hers at Mount Kunlun and told the Emperor he was "an incarnation of the planet Jupiter who has been temporarily banished to earth for stealing her peaches of immortality".

The (c. 335-349) Soushenji ("Records of an Inquest into the Sacred") tells a story about Emperor Wu encountering a monster blocking Hangu Pass, "Thirty or forty feet in length, its body resembled in shape that of a buffalo or an elephant. It had black eyes that blazed with light, and its four legs were so firmly planted in the ground that every effort to dislodge it was unavailing." All the courtiers were terrified except for Dongfang Shuo, who sprinkled gallons of wine over the monster, which gradually melted away. He explained to the emperor, "This may be called the product of an atmosphere of sorrow and suffering," the site of either a Qin Dynasty dungeon or corvée labor by criminals. "Now, wine has the power to banish grief, and that is why it was able to dispel this phantom." The emperor exclaimed, "Oh, man of much learning, to think that your knowledge can extend as far as this!"

The (c. 6th century) Han Wudi neizhuan ("Outer Biography of Emperor Wu") tells of Dongfang leaving the world in a typically xian fashion. A number of people observed him mount a dragon and fly northwest up into the sky until "he was enveloped in a dense mist which made it impossible to see where he went."