魏文侯 / Marquis Wen of Wei
《资治通鉴·周纪》04｜豫让 为智瑶复仇 adds Wei Wenhou’s formal identity in the 《资治通鉴》 opening notice. The episode identifies him as Wei Si, one of the three Jin grandees recognized by 周威烈王, and previews him as the most capable and prestigious leader among the three.
《资治通鉴·周纪》05｜光彩夺目的魏文侯（1） directly develops that preview. The episode presents Wei Wenhou’s first major quality as 礼贤下士式人才吸附: he honors 子夏 and 田子方 as teachers and salutes 段干木’s residence even when Duan Ganmu avoids him.
The same source adds Wei Wenhou’s credibility image. His rainy hunting-appointment story becomes 小信诚则大信立, where keeping a minor promise signals that the ruler’s word can support larger political trust.
《资治通鉴·周纪》13丨 公孙鞅苛刻变法惹杀身（2） returns to the same rainy appointment in 司马光’s four-example trust commentary. In this later use, Wei Wenhou is placed beside 齐桓公, 晋文公, and 徙木立信, making his small promise part of a broader argument about state credibility.
The episode then extends the pattern to diplomacy. Wei Wenhou refuses both 韩国’s request to attack 赵国 and Zhao’s request to attack Han, using the same Three Jin brotherhood rationale; the symmetry later makes Han and Zhao accept Wei as the elder-brother figure through 对称外交信用.
《资治通鉴·周纪》06丨魏文侯选谁当宰相呢（1） fills in the chancellor-selection question directly. Wei Wenhou asks 李克 how to choose between 魏成 and 翟黄, receives five situational character tests, and then decides on Wei Cheng.
The source turns Wei Wenhou’s court into a referral-quality problem. Di Huang can name useful recommendations such as 吴起, 西门豹, 乐羊, and 屈侯鲋, but Wei Cheng is linked to 子夏, 田子方, and 段干木, people Wei Wenhou treats as teachers rather than only usable ministers.
The same source also has Wei Wenhou consult Li Ke on whether to use Wu Qi. Li Ke’s answer makes Wei Wenhou a ruler balancing talent-virtue risk against role-fit military value.
《资治通鉴·周纪》06丨魏文侯选谁当宰相呢（2） then returns to Wei Wenhou mainly through the episode title and 吴起’s military discipline, bridging the chancellor-selection topic into commander-soldier leadership and early Warring States chronology.
《资治通鉴·周纪》10丨 以家族单位 有蚂蚁吃大象的精神（4） adds a more complicated family-politics scene through 《资治通鉴补》. In this source, Wei Wenhou has sent the future 魏武侯 to 中山国, but 赵苍唐 uses gifts, title correction, and 《诗经》 allusions to get Wei Wenhou to recognize the son’s status and summon him back. Wei Wenhou’s response is itself coded through clothing and timing, making him part of the source’s poetic political language case.
《资治通鉴·周纪》07丨两起刺杀（2） supplies that later succession notice: Wei Wenhou dies in 397 BCE and his son 魏武侯 succeeds him.
Connections
- 魏国 - state context.
- 周威烈王, 韩景侯, 赵烈侯, and Three Jin Vassal Recognition / 三晋受封 - formal-recognition branch.
- 子夏, 田子方, and 段干木 - talent-respect branch.
- Talent Attraction Through Respect / 礼贤下士式人才吸附, Small Trust Builds Large Trust / 小信诚则大信立, Symmetric Interstate Credibility / 对称外交信用, and Renhe Political Power / 人和政治力量 - main Zhouji 05 concepts and Zhouji 13 trust-commentary reuse.
- 齐桓公, 晋文公, and 徙木立信 - other trust examples paired with Wei Wenhou in Zhouji 13 part 2.
- 李克, 魏成, 翟黄, Situational Character Tests / 五观识人法, and Talent Referral Quality / 荐才层级质量 - chancellor-selection branch.
- 韩国 and 赵国 - states whose mirrored requests become the source’s diplomacy case.
- 吴起 - military figure whose command is central to the episode.
- 魏武侯 - successor in the Zhouji 07 part 2 source.
- 赵苍唐, 中山国, 《诗经》, and Poetry As Elite Political Language / 诗经作为贵族政治语言 - Zhouji 10 part 4 succession-recovery supplement.
- 战国时期 - historical setting.