King Anli of Wei (魏安釐王)

Overview

King Anli of Wei was a king of Wei.

Life and dates

Death

BC 243 魏安釐王亦薨
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 147

Attested activity

BC 276 安釐王即位
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 2
BC 259 to BC 257 趙孝成王時秦圍邯鄲
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passages 6-7
BC 247 魏安釐王三十年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 136
BC 257 魏安釐王二十年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 40
BC 243 魏安釐王亦薨
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 147

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of King Zhao of Wei (魏昭王)
father 父
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 1
Sibling of Prince Wuji of Wei (魏公子無忌)
half-brother 異母弟 · Paternal half siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 1
Parent of Prince Wuji of Wei (魏公子無忌)
prince 公子
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 83, passage 89

Key source chapters

Career and standing

BC 276 安釐王即位
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 2

Places and affiliations

Polity Wei · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 1

Events and relationships

Halted Jin Bi at Ye
Military · Ruler
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 77, passage 44

References in the histories

Search passages

History

33 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 2Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 2 · 1 passage

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十二月，詔曰：「秦皇帝、楚隱王、魏安釐王、齊愍王、趙悼襄王皆絕亡後。 In the twelfth month, the edict said: "The First Emperor of Qin, King Yin of Chu, King Anli of Wei, King Min of Qi, and King Daoxiang of Zhao all have lineages without descendants.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 77Biography of the Prince of Wei · 26 passages

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魏公子無忌者，魏昭王子少子而魏安釐王異母弟也。 Lord Xinling Wuji was the youngest son of King Zhao of Wei and the half-brother of King Anli of Wei.

昭王薨，安釐王即位，封公子為信陵君。 When King Zhao died and King Anli ascended the throne, he enfeoffed the prince as Lord Xinling.

魏王及公子患之。 The King of Wei and the prince were both deeply troubled by this.

公子與魏王博，而北境傳舉烽，言「趙寇至，且入界」。 The prince was playing liubo with the King of Wei when a messenger from the northern border lit the beacon fires, reporting: 'Zhao invaders are approaching and about to cross our border.'

魏王釋博，欲召大臣謀。 The King of Wei set down his game pieces and wished to summon his ministers for consultation.

魏王大驚，曰：「公子何以知之？」 The King of Wei was greatly astonished and said: 'How did you know this?'

是後魏王畏公子之賢能，不敢任公子以國政。 After this, the King of Wei feared the prince's wisdom and abilities, and did not dare entrust him with the governance of the state.

魏安釐王二十年，秦昭王已破趙長平軍，又進兵圍邯鄲。 In the twentieth year of King Anli of Wei, King Zhao of Qin had already defeated Zhao's army at Changping and then advanced his troops to besiege Handan.

公子姊為趙惠文王弟平原君夫人，數遺魏王及公子書，請救於魏。 The prince's elder sister was the wife of Lord Pingyuan, younger brother of King Huiwen of Zhao. She repeatedly sent letters to the King of Wei and the prince requesting rescue from Wei.

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.

秦王使使者告魏王曰：「吾攻趙旦暮且下，而諸侯敢救者，已拔趙，必移兵先擊之。」 The King of Qin sent an envoy to tell the King of Wei: 'I am attacking Zhao and will take it any day now. Any feudal lord who dares to rescue them—I will first destroy Zhao, then shift my troops to attack them.'

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.

公子患之，數請魏王，及賓客辯士說王萬端。 The prince was deeply troubled and repeatedly petitioned the King of Wei, while his retainers and skilled debaters tried every possible persuasion on the king.

魏王畏秦，終不聽公子。 The King of Wei, terrified of Qin, ultimately refused to listen to the prince.

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.

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.

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.

公子乃謝夫人去，曰：「始吾聞平原君賢，故負魏王而救趙，以稱平原君。 The prince then took leave of his sister and departed, saying: 'At first I heard that Lord Pingyuan was worthy, so I betrayed the King of Wei and saved Zhao to live up to Lord Pingyuan.

魏王患之，使使往請公子。 The King of Wei was deeply concerned and sent envoys to invite the prince back.

公子恐其怒之，乃誡門下：「有敢為魏王使通者，死。」 The prince feared the king's wrath, so he warned his retainers: 'Anyone who dares to communicate with the King of Wei's envoys will be executed.'

魏王見公子，相與泣，而以上將軍印授公子，公子遂將。 The King of Wei saw the prince, and they wept together. The king bestowed the seal of General-in-Chief upon the prince, and the prince took command.

魏安釐王三十年，公子使使遍告諸侯。 In the thirtieth year of King Anli of Wei, the prince sent envoys to notify all the feudal lords.

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.

秦數使反閒，偽賀公子得立為魏王未也。 Qin repeatedly sent double agents, falsely congratulating the prince on his impending enthronement as King of Wei.

魏王日聞其毀，不能不信，後果使人代公子將。 The King of Wei heard these slanders day after day and could not help believing them. In the end, he did send someone to replace the prince as commander.

其歲，魏安釐王亦薨。 In that year, King Anli of Wei also passed away.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 83Biographies of Lu Zhonglian and Zou Yang · 6 passages

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魏安釐王使將軍晉鄙救趙，畏秦，止於蕩陰不進。 King Anxi of Wei dispatched General Jin Bi to rescue Zhao, but fearing Qin, Jin Bi halted at Dangyin and refused to advance.

魏王使客將軍新垣衍閒入邯鄲，因平原君謂趙王曰：「秦所為急圍趙者，前與齊湣王爭彊為帝，已而復歸帝； The King of Wei sent the guest general Xin Yuanyan to slip into Handan, where through Lord Pingyuan he addressed the King of Zhao: 'The reason Qin so urgently besieges Zhao is this: previously, Qin and King Min of Qi competed for supremacy and both assumed the title of Emperor, but soon afterward both relinquished it.

魏王使客將軍新垣衍令趙帝秦，今其人在是。 The King of Wei has sent the guest general Xin Yuanyan to pressure us into crowning Qin as Emperor, and that man is here now.

魯仲連曰：「吾將使秦王烹醢梁王。」 Lu Zhonglian said, 'Then I shall see to it that the King of Qin boils the King of Wei alive and makes mincemeat of him.'

先生又惡能使秦王烹醢梁王？」 And how could the Master possibly bring it about that the King of Qin would boil and mince the King of Wei?'

梁王安得晏然而已乎？ How then could the King of Wei rest easy?