Ancient China · Ruler of Yan

King Xi of Yan 燕王喜

Yan Wang Xi

Attested BC 251 - BC 227

Passages: 5
Chapters: 3
Histories: 1

Overview

King Xi of Yan was a ruler of Yan.

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 227 始皇二十年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passages 121-122
BC 251 燕王喜用其相栗腹之計，欲攻趙
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 80, passages 88, 90
BC 227 荊軻刺秦前
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 49

Key source chapters

Career and standing

King of Yan 燕王
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passage 122

Places and affiliations

Yan 燕
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passage 122
Yan
Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 80, passage 88
Polity Yan 燕 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 88, passage 49

Works and attributed material

Letter · Author · With Yue Xian (樂閒)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 80, passages 95-104

Events and relationships

Fled to Liaodong during Wang Jian's conquest
BC 227 始皇二十年 · Person centered · Fleeing ruler · With Wang Jian (王翦)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 73, passage 122

References in the histories

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 73Biographies of Bai Qi and Wang Jian · 1 passage

燕王喜走遼東，翦遂定燕薊而還。 King Xi of Yan fled to Liaodong. Jian thereupon pacified Yan's Ji and returned.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 80Biography of Yue Yi · 3 passages

樂閒居燕三十餘年，燕王喜用其相栗腹之計，欲攻趙，而問昌國君樂閒。 Yue Xian dwelt in Yan for more than thirty years; King Xi of Yan employed his chancellor Li Fu's plan, wished to attack Zhao, and questioned Lord of Changguo Yue Xian.

燕王不聽，遂伐趙。 The Yan king did not listen, thus attacked Zhao.

燕王恨不用樂閒，樂閒既在趙，乃遺樂閒書曰：「紂之時，箕子不用，犯諫不怠，以冀其聽； The king of Yan regretted not having listened to Yue Xian. Since Yue Xian was now in Zhao, he sent him a letter: "In the time of Zhou, Jizi was not used, yet he kept remonstrating at personal risk, hoping Zhou would listen;

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

子嬰進諫曰：「臣聞故趙王遷殺其良臣李牧而用顏聚，燕王喜陰用荊軻之謀而倍秦之約，齊王建殺其故世忠臣而用后勝之議。 Ziying came forward to remonstrate: "Your servant has heard that King Qian of Zhao executed his able minister Li Mu and relied instead on the mediocre Yan Ju; that King Xi of Yan secretly adopted Jing Ke's assassination plot and thereby violated his treaty with Qin; and that King Jian of Qi executed his loyal ministers of many generations and followed the counsel of the treacherous Hou Sheng.