Ancient China · King of Chu from BC 528 to 516

King Ping of Chu 楚平王

Chǔ Píng Wáng

Attested BC 528 - BC 516

Passages: 20
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

King Ping of Chu was a king of Chu from BC 528 to 516.

Life and dates

Death

Natural · died; succession of Zhen
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 71

Attested activity

BC 528 to BC 516 楚平王
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passages 5, 71
BC 522 楚平王時
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 69
BC 528 to BC 516 荊平
Directly stated · Book of Han 46, passage 14
BC 528 to BC 516 荊平王
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 100, passage 22

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Spouse of Mother of Crown Prince Jian (建母)
consort 妃
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 12
Parent of King Zhao of Chu (楚昭王)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passages 8, 72
Parent of Crown Prince Jian (太子建)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 5
Spouse of Qin Consort of King Ping (秦女)
took as wife 娶 · Secondary marriage
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 8

Key source chapters

Places and affiliations

Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Associated with
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 66, passage 5
Polity Chu 楚 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 69

References in the histories

Search passages

History

20 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 46Volume 37: Ji Bu, Luan Bu and Tian Shu · 1 passage

夫忌壯士以資敵國，此伍子胥所以鞭荊平之墓也。 To drive a brave man into the arms of a rival is the sort of blunder that made Wu Zixu flog the grave of King Ping of Chu.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 66Biography of Wu Zixu · 17 passages

楚平王有太子名曰建，使伍奢為太傅，費無忌為少傅。 King Ping of Chu had a crown prince named Jian. He made Wu She Grand Tutor and Fei Wuji Junior Tutor.

平王使無忌為太子取婦於秦，秦女好，無忌馳歸報平王曰：「秦女絕美，王可自取，而更為太子取婦。」 King Ping sent Wuji to take a wife for the crown prince from Qin. The Qin woman was beautiful, so Wuji galloped back to report to King Ping, saying: 'The Qin woman is exceptionally beautiful. The king can take her himself and get another wife for the crown prince.'

平王遂自取秦女而絕愛幸之，生子軫。 King Ping then took the Qin woman himself and doted on her exclusively. She gave birth to a son named Zhen.

無忌既以秦女自媚於平王，因去太子而事平王。 Wuji, having used the Qin woman to curry favor with King Ping, then left the crown prince and served King Ping.

恐一旦平王卒而太子立，殺己，乃因讒太子建。 He feared that once King Ping died and the crown prince ascended, he would kill him, so he slandered Crown Prince Jian.

建母，蔡女也，無寵於平王。 Jian's mother was a woman from Cai, and she had no favor with King Ping.

平王稍益疏建，使建守城父，備邊兵。 King Ping gradually grew more distant from Jian. He made Jian guard Chengfu and prepare the border troops.

平王乃召其太傅伍奢考問之。 King Ping therefore summoned Wu She, the crown prince's Grand Tutor, and questioned him.

伍奢知無忌讒太子於平王，因曰：「王獨柰何以讒賊小臣疏骨肉之親乎？」 Wu She knew Wuji was slandering the crown prince to King Ping, so he said: 'Why must Your Majesty listen to a slanderous, traitorous petty official and estrange your own flesh-and-blood kin?'

於是平王怒，囚伍奢，而使城父司馬奮揚往殺太子。 Then King Ping was angry, imprisoned Wu She, and sent the Chengfu commander Fu Yang to go kill the crown prince.

無忌言於平王曰：「伍奢有二子，皆賢，不誅且為楚憂。 Wuji spoke to King Ping, saying: 'Wu She has two sons, both worthy. If not executed, they will be a worry for Chu.

久之，楚平王以其邊邑鐘離與吳邊邑卑梁氏俱蠶，兩女子爭桑相攻，乃大怒，至於兩國舉兵相伐。 Some time later, people from Zhongli, a Chu border town, and the Bei Liang clan, a Wu border settlement, were both tending silkworms. Two women quarreled over mulberry leaves and came to blows. The dispute enraged both sides, until the two states raised troops against each other.

五年而楚平王卒。 Five years later, King Ping of Chu died.

初，平王所奪太子建秦女生子軫，及平王卒，軫竟立為後，是為昭王。 Initially, the Qin woman whom King Ping had seized from Crown Prince Jian gave birth to a son named Zhen. When King Ping died, Zhen was finally established as heir. This was King Zhao.

鄖公弟懷曰：「平王殺我父，我殺其子，不亦可乎！」 The Duke of Yun's younger brother Huai said: 'King Ping killed my father. If I kill his son, would that not also be acceptable!'

既不得，乃掘楚平王墓，出其尸，鞭之三百，然後已。 Unable to find him, Wu Zixu dug up King Ping of Chu's tomb, dragged out the corpse, and whipped it three hundred times before stopping.

今子故平王之臣，親北面而事之，今至於僇死人，此豈其無天道之極乎！」 You were once King Ping's minister and personally served him, facing north before his throne. Now you have gone so far as to mutilate a dead man. Is this not the utmost violation of Heaven's Way?'

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 88Biography of Meng Tian · 1 passage

楚平王殺伍奢。 King Ping of Chu executed Wu She.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 100Biographies of Ji Bu and Luan Bu · 1 passage

夫忌壯士以資敵國，此伍子胥所以鞭荊平王之墓也。 To drive away stalwart warriors and thereby strengthen enemy states—this is why Wu Zixu whipped the tomb of King Ping of Chu.