King Xi of Yan (燕王喜)

Overview

The translated histories identify King Xi of Yan as a ruler. This record brings together 5 passages from 3 chapters across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	King Xi of Yan	燕王喜	Yan Wang Xi
Title	King Xi	燕王喜
Regnal	King Xi of Yan	燕王喜	Yan Wang Xi
Title	King Xi of Yan	燕王喜	Yan Wang Xi
Personal	Xi	喜	Xi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Strongly inferred · shiji:080:s0088
Sex: male
Explicit · shiji:088:s0049
Value: male
Explicit · shiji:073:s0122

Roles

Ruler

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 始皇二十年 · Western Year: BC 227
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:073:s0121, shiji:073:s0122
Source Date: Text: 燕王喜用其相栗腹之計，欲攻趙 · Western Year: BC 251
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:080:s0088, shiji:080:s0090
Source Date: Text: 荊軻刺秦前 · Western Year: BC 227
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:088:s0049

Career and standing

Label: King of Yan / 燕王 · Action: held
Explicit · shiji:073:s0122

Places and affiliations

Label: Yan / 燕 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · shiji:073:s0122
Label: Yan · Relation: ruled
Explicit · shiji:080:s0088
Polity: Yan / 燕 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · shiji:088:s0049

Works and attributed material

Kind: letter · Role: author · Other Person Id: Yue Xian (樂閒)
Explicit · shiji:080:s0095, shiji:080:s0096, shiji:080:s0097, shiji:080:s0098, shiji:080:s0099, shiji:080:s0100, shiji:080:s0101, shiji:080:s0102, shiji:080:s0103, shiji:080:s0104

Events and relationships

Kind: person-centered · Action: fled to Liaodong during Wang Jian's conquest · Role: fleeing ruler · Other Person Id: Wang Jian (王翦) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 始皇二十年 · Western Year: BC 227
Explicit · shiji:073:s0122

References in the histories

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

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

Open chapter

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

Open chapter

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

Open chapter

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.