Overview
Jin Bi was a Wei commander whose army was seized by Lord Xinling.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Death
Attested activity
Places and affiliations
- Polity Wei · Relation Served
- At Ye 鄴 · Relation Encamped at
Works and attributed material
Events and relationships
Army seized by Lord Xinling
Halted at Dangyin
BC 259 to BC 257 趙孝成王時秦圍邯鄲 · Military · Commander · At Dangyin 蕩陰
Led relief to Zhao
BC 257 魏安釐王二十年 · Military · Commander · Force 100000
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 76Biographies of Lord Pingyuan and Yu Qing · 1 passage
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 77Biography of the Prince of Wei · 16 passages
魏王使將軍晉鄙將十萬眾救趙。
The King of Wei sent General Jin Bi with a hundred thousand troops to rescue Zhao.
魏王恐，使人止晉鄙，留軍壁鄴，名為救趙，實持兩端以觀望。
The King of Wei was frightened, so he sent someone to halt Jin Bi, leaving the army encamped at Ye. In name, it was to rescue Zhao, but in truth he hedged his bets and waited to see the outcome.
侯生乃屏人閒語，曰：「嬴聞晉鄙之兵符常在王臥內，而如姬最幸，出入王臥內，力能竊之。
Master Hou then dismissed the others and spoke privately, saying: 'I have heard that General Jin Bi's army tally is always kept in the king's bedchamber, and Lady Ruji is most favored, able to enter and leave the king's bedchamber at will. She has the ability to steal it.
公子誠一開口請如姬，如姬必許諾，則得虎符奪晉鄙軍，北救趙而西卻秦，此五霸之伐也。」
If the prince truly opens his mouth and asks Lady Ruji, she will certainly agree. Then you can obtain the tiger tally, seize General Jin Bi's army, rescue Zhao to the north and repel Qin to the west. This will be a campaign worthy of the Five Hegemons.'
如姬果盜晉鄙兵符與公子。
Lady Ruji did indeed steal General Jin Bi's military tally and give it to the prince.
公子即合符，而晉鄙不授公子兵而復請之，事必危矣。
If my prince matches the tally, but General Jin Bi refuses to hand over the army and instead requests further instructions from the king, the affair will surely be in danger.
晉鄙聽，大善；
If Jin Bi obeys, all will be well;
公子曰：「晉鄙嚄唶宿將，往恐不聽，必當殺之，是以泣耳，豈畏死哉？」
The prince said: 'General Jin Bi is a grizzled veteran commander. I fear he won't obey my orders when I arrive, and I'll have to kill him. That's why I'm weeping. How could I be afraid of death?'
請數公子行日，以至晉鄙軍之日，北鄉自剄，以送公子。」
Please count the days of your journey, and on the day you reach General Jin Bi's army, I will face north and slit my throat to see you off.'
至鄴，矯魏王令代晉鄙。
When they reached Ye, he forged a command from the King of Wei ordering Jin Bi's replacement.
晉鄙合符，疑之，舉手視公子曰：「今吾擁十萬之眾，屯於境上，國之重任，今單車來代之，何如哉？」
Jin Bi verified the tally but remained suspicious. He raised his hand and stared at the prince, saying: 'I command a hundred thousand troops stationed at the frontier—a critical responsibility for the state. You arrive with just a single chariot to take my place. What am I to make of this?'
朱亥袖四十斤鐵椎，椎殺晉鄙，公子遂將晉鄙軍。
Zhu Hai had hidden a forty-jin iron mace in his sleeve and used it to kill Jin Bi. The prince then assumed command of Jin Bi's army.
魏王怒公子之盜其兵符，矯殺晉鄙，公子亦自知也。
The King of Wei was enraged that the prince had stolen his army tally and forged orders to execute Jin Bi, and the prince knew it full well.
趙孝成王德公子之矯奪晉鄙兵而存趙，乃與平原君計，以五城封公子。
King Xiaocheng of Zhao, grateful that the prince had forged orders to seize Jin Bi's army and save Zhao, consulted with Lord Pingyuan and granted the prince fiefdom over five cities.
且矯魏王令，奪晉鄙兵以救趙，於趙則有功矣，於魏則未為忠臣也。
Moreover, forging the King of Wei's orders and seizing Jin Bi's army to save Zhao—this brought merit to Zhao, but toward Wei it was not the act of a loyal minister.
秦王患之，乃行金萬斤於魏，求晉鄙客，令毀公子於魏王曰：「公子亡在外十年矣，今為魏將，諸侯將皆屬，諸侯徒聞魏公子，不聞魏王。
The King of Qin was troubled by this, so he sent ten thousand jin of gold to Wei to bribe Jin Bi's retainers, ordering them to slander the prince to the King of Wei: 'The prince has been in exile for ten years. Now that he commands Wei's army, all the generals of the feudal lords subordinate themselves to him. The feudal lords know only the Prince of Wei, not the King of Wei.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 83Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang · 2 passages