Ancient China · Ruler

King Helu of Wu 吳王闔廬

Wu Wang Helu

Attested BC 518 - BC 509

Passages: 14
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

King Helu of Wu was a ruler.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal name	Guang	光	Guang

Life and dates

Attested activity

BC 515 四月丙子
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 175, 179
BC 514 王闔廬元年
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 187
BC 515 十三年春
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 164, 167
BC 512 三年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 189
BC 511 四年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 187, 191
BC 510 五年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 187, 192

Show 2 more source-backed claims

BC 509 六年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 187, 193
BC 518 to BC 516 after 九年, before 十二年冬
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 158, 163

Career and standing

prince 公子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 158
king 王
BC 515 四月丙子 · Assumed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 179
Claimed
BC 515 十三年春 · True heir · Mode quotation Speaker King Helu of Wu (吳王闔廬)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 169
King of Wu 吳王
BC 515 四月丙子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 179

Places and affiliations

Polity Wu 吳 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 179, 187

Works and attributed material

Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Zhuan Zhu (專諸) · Quote Status quoted · Units s0167, s0168, s0169, s0170 · Mode quotation Speaker King Helu of Wu (吳王闔廬)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 167-170
Speech · Speaker · Addressed to Zhuan Zhu (專諸) · Quote Status quoted · Units s0174 · Mode quotation Speaker King Helu of Wu (吳王闔廬)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 174
Speech · Speaker · Quote Status quoted · Units s0158, s0159 · Mode quotation Speaker King Helu of Wu (吳王闔廬)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 158-159

Events and relationships

Attacked and defeated Yue
BC 510 五年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 192
Captured Shu and killed exiled princes
BC 512 三年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 189
Chose moment of Chu campaign to seize throne
BC 515 十三年春 · Political · Usurper
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 167, 169
Defeated Chu at Yuzhang and took Juchao
BC 509 六年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 194
Hid armored men and feigned foot ailment
BC 515 四月丙子 · Political · Plotter
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 175, 177
Killed two exiled Wu princes
BC 512 三年 · Military · Commander · With Gongzi Gaiyu (公子蓋餘), Zhuyong (燭庸)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 189

Show 7 more source-backed claims

Opposed Zixu plan as private vengeance
BC 518 to BC 516 after 九年, before 十二年冬 · Political · Speaker
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 158-159
Received Zhuan Zhu and guest treated Zixu
BC 518 to BC 516 after 九年, before 十二年冬 · Political · Host
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 160-161
Took Liu and Xi
BC 511 四年 · Military · Commander
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 191
Wanted to enter Ying
BC 512 三年 · Military · Planner
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 190
BC 515 四月丙子
Relation Successor of · Person King Liao of Wu (吳王僚)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 179
Relation Patron of · Person Zhuan Zhu (專諸)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 160, 174
Relation Host of · Person Wu Zixu (伍子胥)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 161

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passages 158, 167, 177, 179, 186
BC 515 四月丙子
From Gongzi Guang 公子光 · To King Helu of Wu 吳王闔廬
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 31, passage 179

References in the histories

Search passages

History

14 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 31Genealogies: House of Wu Taibo · 14 passages

公子光曰：「胥之父兄為僇於楚，欲自報其仇耳。 Gongzi Guang said: “Xu’s father and brothers were executed by Chu. He only wants to avenge that wrong.

於是伍員知光有他志，乃求勇士專諸，見之光。 So Wu Yuan understood that Guang had other ambitions and sought out the brave warrior Zhuan Zhu, then presented him to Guang.

光喜，乃客伍子胥。 Guang was pleased and treated Wu Zixu as a guest.

於是吳公子光曰：「此時不可失也。」 At this point, Gongzi Guang of Wu said: “This opportunity must not be lost.”

光曰：「我身，子之身也。」 Guang said: “My body is your body.”

四月丙子，光伏甲士於窟室，而謁王僚飲。 On Bingzi day of the fourth month, Guang hid armored men in a cave room and invited King Liao to drink.

王僚使兵陳於道，自王宮至光之家，門階戶席，皆王僚之親也，人夾持鈹。 King Liao deployed troops along the road from the palace to Guang’s house, and all the attendants at the gates, steps, and mats were King Liao’s own kin, holding halberds on either side.

公子光詳為足疾，入于窟室，使專諸置匕首於炙魚之中以進食。 Gongzi Guang pretended to have a foot ailment and entered the cave room, while Zhuan Zhu placed a dagger inside a roasted fish to present with the meal.

公子光竟代立為王，是為吳王闔廬。 Gongzi Guang then took his place as king; this was King Helu of Wu.

闔廬乃以專諸子為卿。 Helu then made Zhuan Zhu’s son a minister.

吳公子燭庸、蓋餘二人將兵遇圍於楚者，聞公子光弒王僚自立，乃以其兵降楚，楚封之於舒。 The two Wu princes Zhuyong and Gaiyu, who had been leading troops and were trapped by Chu, heard that Gongzi Guang had assassinated King Liao and taken the throne, so they surrendered to Chu with their armies, and Chu enfeoffed them at Shu.

王闔廬元年，舉伍子胥為行人而與謀國事。 In the first year of King Helu, Wu raised Wu Zixu to the post of envoy and consulted him on state affairs.

三年，吳王闔廬與子胥、伯嚭將兵伐楚，拔舒，殺吳亡將二公子。 In the third year, King Helu of Wu, together with Zixu and Bo Pi, led troops against Chu, captured Shu, and killed the two exiled Wu princes.

光謀欲入郢，將軍孫武曰：「民勞，未可，待之。」 Guang had planned to enter Ying, but General Sun Wu said: “The people are exhausted; it is not yet possible. Wait.”