Ancient China · Ruler

King Qingxiang of Chu 楚頃襄王

Chu Qingxiang Wang

Died BC 263

Passages: 11
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify King Qingxiang of Chu as a royal family member and ruler. This record brings together 11 passages from 3 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	King Qingxiang of Chu	楚頃襄王	Chu Qingxiang Wang
Title	King Qingxiang	頃襄王
Regnal	King Qingxiang	頃襄王	Qingxiang Wang
Title	King Qingxiang	頃襄王	Qǐngxiāng wáng
Title	King Qingxiang of Chu	楚頃襄王
Regnal	King Qingxiang of Chu	楚頃襄王	Chu Qingxiang Wang

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:078:s0002, shiji:084:s0055

Roles

Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 楚頃襄王卒 · Western Year: BC 263
Explicit · shiji:078:s0099

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 事楚頃襄王 · Western Interval: Start: BC 278 · End: BC 263
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:078:s0002, shiji:078:s0006, shiji:078:s0099
Source Date: Text: 楚頃襄王 · Western Interval: Start: BC 298 · End: BC 263
Explicit event contextual date · houhanshu:037:s0053
Source Date: Text: 頃襄王 · Western Interval: Start: BC 298 · End: BC 263
Explicit · shiji:084:s0055

Family

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

Parent of King Kaolie of Chu (楚考烈王)
Kinship Term: crown prince / 太子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Child of King Huai (懷王)
Kinship Term: eldest son / 長子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son · Object Birth Order: 1
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: father
Sibling of Zi Lan (子蘭)
Kinship Term: younger brother / 弟子 · Shared Parentage: full · Subject Relative Age: elder · Subject Role: elder-brother · Object Role: younger-brother

Career and standing

Title: King Qingxiang / 頃襄王
Explicit · shiji:084:s0055

References in the histories

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

Book of Later Han, Chapter 37Volume 32: Biographies of Fan Hong; Yin Shi · 1 passage

論曰：昔楚頃襄王問陽陵君曰：『君子之富何如？』 The historian remarks: King Qingxiang of Chu once asked the lord of Yangling what a gentleman's wealth should be.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 78Biography of Lord Chunshen · 8 passages

游學博聞，事楚頃襄王。 He traveled widely in his studies, became broadly learned, and served King Qingxiang of Chu.

頃襄王以歇為辯，使於秦。 King Qingxiang valued Xie’s eloquence and sent him as an envoy to Qin.

當是之時，秦已前使白起攻楚，取巫、黔中之郡，拔鄢郢，東至竟陵，楚頃襄王東徙治於陳縣。 At this time, Qin had already sent Bai Qi to attack Chu, taking the commanderies of Wu and Qianzhong, capturing Yan and Ying, and advancing east to Jingling. King Qingxiang of Chu moved his capital east to Chen county.

頃襄王，其子也，秦輕之，恐壹舉兵而滅楚。 King Qingxiang was his son. Qin held him in contempt and feared that with a single campaign they could destroy Chu entirely.

楚頃襄王病，太子不得歸。 King Qingxiang of Chu fell gravely ill, preventing the crown prince's return.

歇曰：「今楚王恐不起疾，秦不如歸其太子。 Xie said: 'The King of Chu now fears he will not survive his illness. Qin should send the crown prince back.

秦王曰：「令楚太子之傅先往問楚王之疾，返而後圖之。」 The King of Qin said: 'Send the Chu crown prince's tutor first to inquire about the King of Chu's illness, then we can decide what to do.'

歇至楚三月，楚頃襄王卒，太子完立，是為考烈王。 When Xie reached Chu, three months later King Qingxiang died. Crown Prince Wan ascended the throne as King Kaolie.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 84Biographies of Qu Yuan and Master Jia · 2 passages

長子頃襄王立，以其弟子蘭為令尹。 The eldest son ascended the throne as King Qingxiang and appointed his younger brother Zi Lan as Prime Minister.

令尹子蘭聞之大怒，卒使上官大夫短屈原於頃襄王，頃襄王怒而遷之。 When Prime Minister Zi Lan heard of this, he was enraged. He had Grand Master Shangguan speak against Qu Yuan before King Qingxiang. The king, in his anger, banished Qu Yuan.