《汉书·传·儒林传》
成帝末年，有人说孔子以平民身份养弟子三千人，现在天子太学弟子太少，于是增加弟子至三千人。
成帝末，或言孔子布衣养徒三千人，今天子太学弟子少，于是增弟子员三千人。
In the last years of Chengdi, someone said that Confucius raised 3,000 students as a commoner. Now the emperor's disciples in the academy were too few, so the number of students was increased to 3,000.