毛公 / Mao Gong
毛公 / Mao Gong enters the wiki through 《资治通鉴·周纪》97-2丨揭秘信陵君凭什么是四公子之首 as one of the Zhao worthies whom 信陵君 seeks after the relief of 邯郸. The episode says Mao Gong mixes among gamblers, making him a low-status or socially irregular target for an aristocratic patron.
His importance is not a developed biography but the test he creates for Xinlingjun’s reputation. Xinlingjun cannot recruit him through ordinary display or rank; he has to walk into Mao Gong’s own social setting and associate with him on terms that high nobles could find improper. Mao Gong therefore extends 礼贤下士式人才吸附 from the earlier 侯嬴 scene into Xinlingjun’s new life in 赵国.
《资治通鉴·秦纪》103-1｜司马迁看中的信陵君算是小人吗？ gives Mao Gong’s advice a state-saving payoff. When 魏安釐王 summons Xinlingjun back from Zhao, Mao Gong and 薛公 argue that the respect Xinlingjun receives from the lords exists because he still has 魏国 behind him. If Qin destroys 大梁 and the Wei ancestral temple, Xinlingjun’s personal honor cannot stand apart from that loss.
Connections
- 信陵君 - aristocratic patron who lowers status to seek him.
- 薛公 - paired Zhao recluse in the episode.
- 平原君 and 赵国 - local political setting where Xinlingjun’s new patronage may become sensitive.
- 战国养士, 礼贤下士式人才吸附, and 儒家低职隐居 - concepts his scene extends.
- 魏安釐王, 蒙敖, and 大梁 - Qinji 103-1 recall crisis where his counsel becomes practical state action.