Qin and Han · General

Chen Yu 陳餘

Chén Yú

Died BC 204

Passages: 71
Chapters: 9
Histories: 4

Overview

The translated histories identify Chen Yu as an aristocrat, general, named individual, and official. This record brings together 71 passages from 9 chapters across 4 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Chen Yu	陳餘	Chén Yú
Personal
Title	Chancellor Chen	陳相	Chen xiang
Surname	Chen	陳	Chen
Personal name	Chen Yu	陳餘	Chén Yú
Personal	Chen Yu	陳餘	Chen Yu
Personal name	Chen Yu	陳餘	Chen Yu
Title	King of Dai	代王	Dai Wang
Title	Lord Cheng'an	成安君	Chéng'ān Jūn
Given	Yu	餘	Yu

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · chenshu:013:s0177, hanshu:001:s0527, hanshu:041:s0007, hanshu:051:s0008, liangshu:014:s0238, shiji:048:s0055, shiji:094:s0037
Sex: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:048:s0205
Value: male
Strongly inferred · hanshu:042:s0066

Roles

Aristocrat
General
Named Individual
Official
Rebel
Ruler
Scholar
Statesman

Life and dates

Death

Manner: beheaded · Place: Zhi River / 泜水 · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 漢破趙井陘 · Western Year: BC 204
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0164
Manner: violent
Explicit · liangshu:014:s0252

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0055
Source Date: Text: 凶終 · Western Year: c. BC 204
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:014:s0252
Source Date: Text: 昔 · Western Interval: Start: BC 208 · End: BC 202
Strongly inferred · chenshu:013:s0177
Source Date: Text: 漢初 · Western Interval: Start: BC 209 · End: BC 141
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:051:s0008
Source Date: Text: 漢破趙井陘 · Western Year: BC 204
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0164
Source Date: Text: 秦滅魏 · Western Year: BC 225
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0011
Source Date: Text: 窮交 · Western Year: c. BC 204
Explicit event contextual date · liangshu:014:s0238
Source Date: Text: 趙將陳餘 · Western Interval: Start: BC 206 · End: BC 205
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:094:s0037, shiji:094:s0038
Source Date: Text: 陳涉起 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0017

Family

Immediate source-linked family. Drag to pan, scroll or pinch to zoom, and select a person to open their record.

Spouse of Wife of Chen Yu (陳餘妻)
Kinship Term: wife / 妻 · Union Category: marriage · Relationship State: formed

Kinship Role: family members · Quantity: unspecified household members detained by the King of Chen
Explicit · shiji:048:s0072, shiji:048:s0075

Career and standing

Label: Grand General of Zhao / 大將軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0071
Label: grand general / 大將軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0048
Text: Zhao general / 趙將
Explicit · hanshu:042:s0066
Title: marquis near Nanpi / 南皮旁三縣 · Action: enfeoffed
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0142
Title: Lord Cheng'an / 成安君
Explicit · hanshu:048:s0205
Title: King of Dai / 代王
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0158

Places and affiliations

Zhao campaign / 略趙地
Strongly inferred · hanshu:001:s0527
Polity: Zhao · Relation: served
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0048
Place: Daliang / 大梁
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0007
Place: Nanpi / 南皮 · Relation: resided-in
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0142

Learning and skills

Belief: classical Confucian learning / 儒術 · Relation: adherent-of
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0007

Works and attributed material

Kind: council speech · Role: co-speaker · Topic: Zhao strategy toward Qin, Chu, and Yan · Co Speaker Person Ids: Wu Chen (武臣), Zhang Er (張耳), Zhao Sao (召騷)
Explicit · shiji:048:s0076, shiji:048:s0077, shiji:048:s0078, shiji:048:s0079, shiji:048:s0080, shiji:048:s0081
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Chen She (陳涉)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0020, hanshu:041:s0021, hanshu:041:s0022, hanshu:041:s0023, hanshu:041:s0024
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Zhang Er (張耳)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0125, hanshu:041:s0126
Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Wu Chen (武臣)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0043, hanshu:041:s0044, hanshu:041:s0045, hanshu:041:s0046
Kind: speech · Role: speaker
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0111, hanshu:041:s0112, hanshu:041:s0144, hanshu:041:s0161

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: attacker · Action: attacked Zhang Er King of Changshan
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0148
Kind: military · Role: rebel-leader · Action: rebelled-in-Zhao-with-Tian-Rong-aid · Other Person Id: Tian Rong (田榮)
Explicit · shiji:094:s0038
Relation: resented · Person Id: Xiang Yu (項羽)
Explicit · shiji:094:s0037
Relation: ally-of · Person Id: Tian Rong (田榮)
Explicit · shiji:094:s0038
Relation: treated-as-father · Person Id: Zhang Er (張耳)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0009

Assessments and attributes

Assessment: formerly stood with Zhang Er as close as nearest kin, then turned to mutual slaughter · Other Person Id: Zhang Er (張耳) · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · chenshu:013:s0177
Assessment: worthy · Provenance: Mode: historian-judgment
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0213
Item: seal and sash / 印綬 · Relation: relinquished · Other Person Id: Zhang Er (張耳)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0127

References in the histories

Open any source group to read the Chinese and English passage in context.

Book of Chen, Chapter 13Volume 13: Xu Shipu; Lu Xida; Zhou Fu; Xun Lang; Zhou Jiong · 1 passage

昔張耳、陳餘自同於至戚，周敷、周迪亦誓等暱親，尋鋒刃而誅殘，斯甚夫胡越矣。 Once Zhang Er and Chen Yu stood as close as kin; Zhou Fu and Zhou Di swore the same kind of bond—yet they soon drew blades on each other, a breach worse than between Hu and Yue.

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 4 passages

秦二世元年秋七月，陳涉起蘄，至陳，自立為楚王，遣武臣、張耳、陳餘略趙地。 In the first year of the Second Emperor of Qin, in autumn, in the seventh month, Chen She rose at Qi. He reached Chen, set himself up as King of Chu, and sent Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu to seize the territory of Zhao.

陳餘亦怨羽獨不王己，從田榮藉助兵，以擊常山王張耳。 Chen Yu also resented that Xiang Yu had not made him a king. He borrowed troops from Tian Rong and attacked Zhang Er, King of Changshan.

陳餘迎代王歇還趙，歇立餘為代王。 Chen Yu welcomed King Dai Xie back to Zhao. Xie established Yu as King of Dai.

三年冬十月，韓信、張耳東下井陘擊趙，斬陳餘，獲趙王歇。 In winter, in the tenth month of the third year, Han Xin and Zhang Er advanced east through Jingxing to attack Zhao, killed Chen Yu, and captured Xie, King of Zhao.

Book of Han, Chapter 41Volume 32: Zhang Er and Chen Yu · 55 passages

張耳、陳餘 Zhang Er and Chen Yu.

陳餘，亦大梁人，好儒術。 Chen Yu, also from Daliang, was devoted to classical learning.

餘年少，父事耳，相與為刎頸交。 Though younger, Chen Yu treated Zhang Er like a father, and the two became sworn friends willing to die for each other.

秦滅魏，購求耳千金，餘五百金。 After Qin conquered Wei, bounties were posted: one thousand jin for Zhang Er and five hundred for Chen Yu.

吏嘗以過笞餘，餘欲起，耳攝使受笞。 Once an official flogged Chen Yu over a minor offense. Chen Yu wanted to rise up against him, but Zhang Er held him back and made him take the beating.

餘謝罪。 Chen Yu apologized.

陳涉起蘄至陳，耳、餘上謁涉。 When Chen She's uprising reached Chen, Zhang Er and Chen Yu came to pay their respects.

涉及左右生平數聞耳、餘賢，見，大喜。 Chen She and his aides had long heard of their reputation; when he met them, he was delighted.

耳、餘復說陳王曰：「大王興梁、楚，務在入關，未及收河北也。 "Zhang Er and Chen Yu again advised him that Hebei was still unsecured and his priority remained entering the passes.

於是陳王許之，以所善陳人武臣為將軍，耳、餘為左右校尉，與卒三千人，從白馬渡河。 The King of Chen agreed. He appointed his trusted fellow townsman Wu Chen as general, made Zhang Er and Chen Yu left and right commandants, and gave them three thousand soldiers to cross the Yellow River at Baima.

下趙十餘城，餘皆城守莫肯下。 They captured over ten Zhao cities, while the rest held behind their walls.

趙地聞之，不戰下者三十餘城。 After news spread, more than thirty Zhao cities surrendered without fighting.

至邯鄲，耳、餘聞周章軍入關，至戲卻； At Handan, Zhang Er and Chen Yu heard that Zhou Zhang had entered the passes but been repulsed at Xi.

以餘為大將軍，耳為丞相。 He appointed Chen Yu grand general and Zhang Er chancellor.

耳、餘說武臣曰：「王王趙，非楚意，特以計賀王。 Zhang Er and Chen Yu persuaded Wu Chen, saying: "Your Majesty's kingship in Zhao is not Chu's true intention; Chu only congratulates Your Majesty as a tactic.

趙王乃與陳、餘北略地燕界。 The Zhao king then moved north with Chen Yu to secure territory on Yan's frontier.

耳、餘患之。 Zhang Er and Chen Yu were deeply troubled.

曰：「君知張耳、陳餘何如人也？」 The soldier said, "Do you know what sort of men Zhang Er and Chen Yu are?"

夫武臣、張耳、陳餘，杖馬箠下趙數十城，亦各欲南面而王。 Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu had taken dozens of cities by force, and each had ambitions to rule.

趙人多為耳、餘耳目者，故得脫出。 Because many locals informed for Zhang Er and Chen Yu, they managed to escape.

客有說耳、餘曰：「兩君羈旅，而欲附趙，難可獨立； A retainer said to them, "You two are strangers here; though you wish to attach yourselves to Zhao, you can hardly stand on your own;

李良進兵擊餘，餘敗良。 Li Liang advanced and attacked Chen Yu, but Chen Yu defeated him.

餘北收常山兵，得數萬人，軍鉅鹿北。 Chen Yu gathered Changshan troops in the north, gained tens of thousands, and camped north of Julu.

鉅鹿城中食盡，耳數使人召餘，餘自度兵少，不能敵秦，不敢前。 When food in Julu was exhausted, Zhang Er repeatedly sent men to summon Chen Yu. Chen Yu measured his own troops, judged them too few to withstand Qin, and did not dare advance.

數月，耳大怒，怨餘，使張黶、陳釋往讓餘曰：「始吾與公為刎頸交，今王與耳旦暮死，而公擁兵數萬，不肯相救，相不赴奏俱死？ After months, Zhang Er was furious and sent Zhang Yan and Chen Shi to reproach Chen Yu, saying, "We swore we would die for each other. Now the king and I face death at any moment, yet you sit with tens of thousands of troops and refuse to come to our aid — will you not come and die with us?

餘曰：「所以不俱死，欲為趙王、張君報秦。 "Chen Yu replied that he was not dying with them because he still wished to avenge Zhao and Zhang against Qin.

餘曰：「吾顧以無益。」 "Chen Yu answered that he saw no benefit in that."

張敖亦北收代，得萬餘人來，皆壁餘旁。 Zhang Ao also gathered over ten thousand in Dai and arrived, all camping beside Chen Yu.

與餘相見，責讓餘，問張黶、陳釋所在。 When they met Chen Yu, they reproached him and asked where Zhang Yan and Chen Shi were.

餘曰：「黶、釋以必死責臣，臣使將五千人先嘗秦軍，皆沒。」 "Chen Yu said they had demanded certain death, so he sent them with five thousand men to test Qin first, and all perished."

耳不信，以為殺之，數問餘。 Zhang Er did not believe him and thought Chen Yu had killed them, questioning him repeatedly.

餘怒曰：「不意君之望臣深也！ Chen Yu angrily replied, "I did not expect you to distrust me so deeply!

餘起如廁，客有說耳曰：「天予不取，反受其咎。 Zhang Er did not dare accept. While Chen Yu stepped out to the privy, a retainer persuaded Zhang Er, saying: "If Heaven gives and one does not take, one instead receives its blame.

今陳將軍與君印綬，不受，反天不祥。 Now General Chen gives you the seal and sash. Not accepting them opposes Heaven and is inauspicious.

耳乃佩其印，收其麾下。 Zhang Er then wore the seal and took over Chen Yu's troops.

餘還，亦望耳不讓，趨出。 When Chen Yu returned and saw Zhang Er had not yielded, he withdrew in anger.

餘獨與麾下數百人之河上澤中漁獵。 Chen Yu remained only with a few hundred followers, fishing and hunting in marshes by the river.

餘客多說項羽：「陳餘、張耳一體有功於趙。」 Many of Chen Yu's followers persuaded Xiang Yu, saying: "Chen Yu and Zhang Er were one body and had merit in Zhao."

羽以餘不從入關，聞其在南皮，即以南皮旁三縣封之。 Because Chen Yu had not entered the passes, Xiang Yu only granted him three counties near Nanpi when he heard he was there.

耳之國，餘愈怒曰：「耳與餘功等也，今耳王，餘獨侯。」 When Zhang Er took his kingdom, Chen Yu grew even angrier and said, "Zhang Er and I rendered equal service, yet he is king while I am only a marquis."

及齊王田榮叛楚，餘乃使夏說說田榮曰：「項羽為天下宰不平，盡王諸將善地，徙故王王惡地，今趙王乃居代！ When Qi's king Tian Rong rebelled against Chu, Chen Yu sent Xia Yue to persuade Tian Rong, saying: "Xiang Yu is unfair as steward of all under heaven. He made all his generals kings over good lands and moved former kings to bad lands; now the King of Zhao actually dwells in Dai!

田榮欲樹黨，乃遣兵從餘。 Tian Rong wanted to build his own faction and sent troops to aid Chen Yu.

餘悉三縣兵，襲常山王耳。 Chen Yu gathered all forces from his three counties and struck Zhang Er, King of Changshan.

餘已敗耳，皆收趙地，迎趙王於代，復為趙王。 After defeating Zhang Er, Chen Yu recovered all Zhao territory, welcomed King Xie back from Dai, and restored him as king.

趙王德餘，立以為代王。 King Xie, grateful to Chen Yu, made him King of Dai.

餘為趙王弱，國初定，留傅趙王，而使夏說以相國守代。 Chen Yu considered King Xie too weak and the state too newly settled, so he remained behind as the king's tutor and sent Xia Yue to defend Dai as chancellor.

餘曰：「漢殺張耳乃從。」 Chen Yu said, "I will join you only if Han kills Zhang Er."

於是漢求人類耳者，斬其頭遺餘，餘乃遣兵助漢。 The Han side then found a man who looked like Zhang Er, cut off his head, and sent it to Chen Yu. Only then did Chen Yu send troops to assist Han.

漢敗於彭城西，餘亦聞耳詐死，即背漢。 After Han's defeat west of Pengcheng, Chen Yu learned Zhang Er had only feigned death and therefore turned against Han.

漢遣耳與韓信擊破趙井陘，斬餘泜水上，追殺趙王歇襄國。 Han sent Zhang Er and Han Xin against Zhao. They defeated Zhao at Jingxing, killed Chen Yu by the Zhi River, and pursued King Xie to Xiangguo, where they put him to death.

趙相貫高、趙午年六十餘，故耳客也，怒曰：「吾王孱王也！」 Zhao's chancellor Guan Gao and Zhao Wu, both over sixty and former retainers of Zhang Er, grew angry and said, "Our king is a weakling!"

貫高等十餘人相謂曰：「 "Guan Gao and more than ten others then discussed the matter among themselves.

趙午等十餘人皆爭自剄，貫高獨怒罵曰：「誰令公等為之？ Zhao Wu and more than ten others all vied to cut their own throats. Guan Gao alone cursed them in anger, saying, "Who told you gentlemen to do this?

贊曰：張耳、陳餘，世所稱賢，其賓客廝役皆天下俊桀，所居國無不取卿相者。 The appraisal says: Zhang Er and Chen Yu were celebrated in their age as worthy men. Even the retainers and servants in their households were outstanding talents of the empire, and wherever they settled, men from their circle rose to be ministers and chancellors.

然耳、餘始居約時，相然信死，豈顧問哉！ Yet when Zhang Er and Chen Yu were first in hardship, they trusted each other to die for one another without a second thought.

Book of Han, Chapter 42Volume 33: Wei Bao, Tian Dan and Hán Xin (King of Han) · 2 passages

趙將陳餘亦失職，不得王。 Zhao general Chen Yu had also lost his position and likewise was not made king.

榮使人將兵助陳餘，令反趙地，而榮亦發兵以距擊田都，都亡走楚。 Tian Rong sent men with troops to assist Chen Yu and ordered him to recover Zhao territory. Rong himself also raised troops to attack Tian Du, and Du fled to Chu.

Book of Han, Chapter 48Volume 39: Xiao He and Cao Shen · 1 passage

韓信與故常山王張耳引兵下井陘，擊成安君陳餘，而令參還圍趙別將戚公於鄔城中。 While Han Xin and Zhang Er drove through Jingxing against Chen Yu, Cao Shen was sent back to bottle up Zhao’s general Qi in Wu.

Book of Han, Chapter 51Volume 42: Zhang, Zhou, Zhao, Ren and Shentu · 2 passages

陳餘擊走常山王張耳，耳歸漢。 Chen Yu routed Zhang Er, the King of Changshan, who then came over to Han.

從韓信擊趙，蒼得陳餘。 He followed Han Xin against Zhao and took Chen Yu prisoner.

Book of Liang, Chapter 14Volume 14: Jiang Yan; Ren Fang · 2 passages

是以伍員濯溉於宰嚭，張王撫翼於陳相。 So Wu Yuan was washed by Zai Pi; King Zhang spread wings under Chancellor Chen.

由是觀之，張、陳所以凶終，蕭、朱所以隙末，斷焉可知矣。 Viewed thus, why Zhang and Chen met violent ends, why Xiao and Zhu found rifts at the close—clear at a glance.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 48House of Chen She · 2 passages

令陳人武臣、張耳、陳餘徇趙地，令汝陰人鄧宗徇九江郡。 Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu — all men of Chen — were ordered to subdue the Zhao territories, while Deng Zong of Ruyin was sent to pacify the Commandery of Jiujiang.

武臣到邯鄲，自立為趙王，陳餘為大將軍，張耳、召騷為左右丞相。 Wu Chen arrived at Handan and declared himself King of Zhao. Chen Yu was made Grand General, and Zhang Er and Zhao Sao became the Left and Right Chancellors.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 94Biography of Tian Dan, King of Qi · 2 passages

趙將陳餘亦失職，不得王：二人俱怨項王。 The Zhao general Chen Yu had likewise been passed over and denied a kingdom. Both men harbored a deep resentment toward King Xiang.

頊王既歸，諸侯各就國，田榮使人將兵助陳餘，令反趙地，而榮亦發兵以距擊田都，田都亡走楚。 Once King Xiang returned west and the lords dispersed to their kingdoms, Tian Rong sent troops to aid Chen Yu, directing him to seize Zhao. At the same time, Rong raised his own forces and attacked Tian Du, who fled to Chu.