Qin and Han · Official and Strategist

Wang Hui 王恢

Attested BC 140 - BC 104

Passages: 25
Chapters: 6
Histories: 2

Overview

Wang Hui was an official and Strategist.

Life and dates

Death

suicide 自殺
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 114

Attested activity

BC 134 元光元年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passages 79, 86
BC 104 太初元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 71, passages 134-135
BC 140 to BC 135 建元中
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 63
BC 135 建元六年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 114, passages 26, 28
BC 135 建元六年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 116, passage 18
BC 108 攻劫漢使王恢等
Uncertain · Book of Han 71, passage 104

Show 2 more source-backed claims

BC 133 王恢設謀馬邑
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 30, passage 30
BC 133 王恢謀馬邑
Directly stated · Book of Han 27, passage 397

Key source chapters

Career and standing

General 將軍
BC 135 建元六年 · Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 114, passage 28
General of the Garrison 將屯將軍
Appointed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 86
Grand Herald 大行
BC 135 建元六年 · Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 114, passage 28
Grand Herald 大行
Held
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 116, passage 18
Marquis of Hao 浩侯
Formerly held
Directly stated · Book of Han 71, passage 135
sentenced to beheading for delaying 逗橈，當斬
Sentenced
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 107

Places and affiliations

Polity Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 30, passage 30; Records of the Grand Historian 116, passage 18
Polity Western Han 漢 · Relation Served
Directly stated · Book of Han 27, passage 397
At Yan 燕
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 67
At Mayi 馬邑 · Relation Operated at
Directly stated · Book of Han 27, passage 397
At Mayi 馬邑 · Relation Planned operation at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 30, passage 30

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Direct quotation
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 114, passages 38-39
Speech · Speaker · Topic oppose heqin
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passages 68-69

Events and relationships

Attacked Eastern Yue
BC 135 建元六年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 116, passage 18
Attacked by loulan jushi
Diplomatic · Envoy
Directly stated · Book of Han 71, passage 104
Guided ershi army
Military · Guide · With Li Guangli (李廣利)
Directly stated · Book of Han 71, passage 135
Halted troops
BC 135 建元六年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 114, passage 40
Led campaign
BC 140 to BC 135 閩越、東越相攻 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 63
Planned mayi
BC 133 王恢設謀馬邑 · Military · Strategist
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 30, passage 30

Show 1 more source-backed claim

Plotted at Mayi
BC 133 王恢謀馬邑 · Military · Plotter · At Mayi 馬邑
Directly stated · Book of Han 27, passage 397

Assessments and attributes

Item thousand gold 千金 · Relation Bribed · With Tian Fen (田蚡)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 108, passage 108

References in the histories

Search passages

History

25 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 27Volume 24b: Treatise on Trade 2 · 1 passage

及王恢謀馬邑，匈奴絕和親，侵優北邊，兵連而不解，天下共其勞。 When Wang Hui plotted at Mayi, the Xiongnu broke off the marriage alliance, raided and harassed the northern frontier; warfare continued without end, and all under heaven shared the burden.

Book of Han, Chapter 71Volume 61: Zhang Qian and Li Guangli · 2 passages

樓蘭、姑師小國，當空道，攻劫漢使王恢等尤甚。 The petty kingdoms of Loulan and Jushi straddled the caravan road and preyed worst of all on missions such as Wang Hui's.

故浩侯王恢使道軍。 The former Marquis of Hao, Wang Hui, served as route guide for the expedition.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 30Treatise on the Balanced Standard · 1 passage

及王恢設謀馬邑，匈奴絕和親，侵擾北邊，兵連而不解，天下苦其勞，而干戈日滋。 When Wang Hui laid his stratagem at Mayi, the Xiongnu broke off the heqin alliance and invaded and harassed the northern frontier. Warfare continued without end, and the realm suffered under the strain.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 108Biography of Han Changru · 16 passages

閩越、東越相攻，安國及大行王恢將。 When Minyue and Dongyue attacked each other, Anguo and the Grand Herald Wang Hui were appointed to lead the campaign.

大行王恢，燕人也，數為邊吏，習知胡事。 The Grand Herald Wang Hui was a native of Yan who had served repeatedly as a border official and was well versed in the affairs of the northern tribes.

其明年，則元光元年，雁門馬邑豪聶翁壹因大行王恢言上曰：「匈奴初和親，親信邊，可誘以利。」 The next year, the first year of Yuanguang, Nie Wengyi, a wealthy man of Mayi in Yanmen, spoke to the Emperor through the Grand Herald Wang Hui, saying, "The Xiongnu have just made a marriage alliance and trust the border officials; they can be lured with profit."

衛尉李廣為驍騎將軍，太仆公孫賀為輕車將軍，大行王恢為將屯將軍，太中大夫李息為材官將軍。 The Captain of the Guard Li Guang was appointed General of Agile Cavalry, the Grand Coachman Gongsun He was appointed General of Light Chariots, the Grand Herald Wang Hui was appointed General of the Garrison, and the Palace Grandee Li Xi was appointed General of Infantry.

王恢、李息、李廣別從代主擊其輜重。 Wang Hui, Li Xi, and Li Guang were to advance separately from Dai to strike the Xiongnu supply train.

王恢等兵三萬，聞單于不與漢合，度往擊輜重，必與單于精兵戰，漢兵勢必敗，則以便宜罷兵，皆無功。 Wang Hui and his thirty thousand troops, learning that the Chanyu had not engaged with the Han forces, calculated that if they went to attack the supply train they would inevitably have to fight the Chanyu's elite cavalry and would surely be defeated. He therefore used his discretion to withdraw his forces, and all ended without achievement.

天子怒王恢不出擊單于輜重，擅引兵罷也。 The Emperor was furious that Wang Hui had failed to attack the Chanyu's supply train and had withdrawn his forces without authorization.

恢曰：「始約虜入馬邑城，兵與單于接，而臣擊其輜重，可得利。 Wang Hui said, "The original plan was for the enemy to enter Mayi city, for our troops to engage the Chanyu, and for me to strike his baggage train and gain advantage.

於是下恢廷尉。 Wang Hui was thereupon handed over to the Commandant of Justice.

廷尉當恢逗橈，當斬。 The Commandant of Justice charged Hui with delaying and obstructing the campaign, and sentenced him to death.

恢私行千金丞相蚡。 Hui secretly sent a thousand pieces of gold to the Chancellor Tian Fen.

蚡不敢言上，而言於太后曰：「王恢首造馬邑事，今不成而誅恢，是為匈奴報仇也。」 Tian Fen did not dare speak to the Emperor but said to the Empress Dowager, "Wang Hui was the first to devise the Mayi plan; to execute him now that it has failed would be taking revenge for the Xiongnu."

上曰：「首為馬邑事者，恢也，故發天下兵數十萬，從其言，為此。 The Emperor said, "Wang Hui was the first to propose the Mayi affair, and so I raised several hundred thousand troops from across the realm and followed his plan for this reason.

且縱單于不可得，恢所部擊其輜重，猶頗可得，以慰士大夫心。 Even if the Chanyu himself could not have been captured, had Hui led his forces to attack the supply train, there would still have been considerable gains to comfort the hearts of the soldiers and officials.

今不誅恢，無以謝天下。」 If Wang Hui is not executed now, there will be no way to answer to the realm."

於是恢聞之，乃自殺。 When Hui learned of this, he took his own life.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 114Treatise on the Eastern Yue · 3 passages

上遣大行王恢出豫章，大農韓安國出會稽，皆為將軍。 The emperor sent the Grand Herald Wang Hui forth from Yuzhang and the Grand Minister of Agriculture Han Anguo from Kuaiji, each to serve as a commanding general.

即鏦殺王，使使奉其頭致大行。 They struck the king down and sent an envoy to deliver his head to the Grand Herald.

大行曰：「所為來者誅王。 The Grand Herald declared: 'Our purpose in coming was to punish the king.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 116Treatise on the Southwestern Yi People · 2 passages

建元六年，大行王恢擊東越，東越殺王郢以報。 In the sixth year of the Jianyuan era, the Grand Herald Wang Hui attacked the Eastern Yue, and the Eastern Yue killed their king, Ying, in response.

恢因兵威使番陽令唐蒙風指曉南越。 Riding the momentum of this campaign, Hui dispatched Tang Meng, the Prefect of Fanyang, to deliver veiled warnings to the Southern Yue.