Qin and Han · King of Yan

Liu Dingguo 劉定國

First attested BC 170; died BC 128

Passages: 15
Chapters: 3
Histories: 2

Overview

Liu Dingguo was a king of Yan.

Life and dates

Death

BC 128 元朔中
Suicide after condemnation
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 289
BC 128 元朔元年
Suicide
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 289; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 66
sentenced to death 論死
Directly stated · Book of Han 74, passage 313

Attested activity

BC 128 元朔元年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 44, passages 286, 289; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passages 63, 66
BC 170 to BC 128 嗣燕王四十二年
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 44, passages 280, 289

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Liu Jia (劉嘉)
grandson 孫
son 子
Sources vary in certainty · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 59; Book of Han 44, passage 280
Descendant of Liu Ze (劉澤)
grandson 孫 · paternal line · 2 generations · Through Liu Jia (劉嘉)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 59
Parent of Son of Liu Dingguo and King Kang's concubine
one son 生子男一人
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 281
Parent of Son of Dingguo and King Kang's concubine
son 子男
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 59
Spouse of Dingguo's younger brother's wife (弟妻)
taken as concubine 為姬
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 282
Sibling of Younger brother of Liu Dingguo
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 282
Sibling of Dingguo's younger brother
younger brother 弟 · Uncertain siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 60

Kinship Role children with whom he committed incest · Count 3
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 283
Kinship Role daughters · Count 3
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 61

Key source chapters

Career and standing

King of Yan 燕王
Directly stated · Book of Han 74, passages 298, 313
Entered
Kingdom abolished
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 289; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 66
Approved
BC 128 元朔元年 · Sentenced to death · Authority Emperor Wu of Han (漢武帝)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 51, passages 64-65
Approved
BC 128 元朔元年 · Sentenced to death · Authority Liu Che (劉徹)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passages 287-288

Places and affiliations

Polity Yan 燕 · Relation Ruled
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passages 281, 289; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passages 59, 66

Events and relationships

Adultery with father concubine
Personal · Offender · With King Kang's concubine (康王姬)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 281; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 59
Committed incest with King Kang’s concubine and fathered a son by her
Personal · King of Yan · With King Kang's concubine (康王姬), Son of Liu Dingguo and King Kang's concubine
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 281
Crimes exposed by memorial
BC 128 元朔元年 · Legal · Defendant · With Yingren (郢人)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 286; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 63
Incest with three daughters
Personal · Offender
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 283; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 61
Seized his younger brother’s wife as a concubine
Personal · King of Yan · With Younger brother of Liu Dingguo, Dingguo's younger brother's wife (弟妻)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 282
Seized brother wife as concubine
Personal · Offender · With Dingguo's younger brother's wife (弟妻)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 282; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 60

Show 2 more source-backed claims

Tried to silence Yingren by having him arrested on another charge and beaten to death
Legal · Accused ruler · With Yingren (郢人)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passages 284-285
Was condemned by the high ministers and committed suicide; the kingdom was abolished after forty two years
Legal · Condemned king
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passages 286-289

Assessments and attributes

Assessment beastly conduct violating human relationships and opposing Heaven; deserves execution · Mode named-source-report Witness ministers
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 287; Records of the Grand Historian 51, passage 64

References in the histories

Search passages

History

15 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 44Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu · 8 passages

子定國嗣。 His son Dingguo succeeded.

定國與父康王姬姦，生子男一人。 Dingguo committed incest with his father King Kang's concubine and had one male child.

定國有所欲誅殺臣肥如令郢人，郢人等告定國。 Dingguo wished to execute his minister Yingren, the magistrate of Feiru. Yingren and others reported Dingguo.

定國使謁者以它法劾捕格殺郢人滅口。 Dingguo sent an usher to impeach and arrest Yingren on another charge and beat him to death to silence him.

至元朔中，郢人昆弟復上書具言定國事。 In the Yuanshuo era, Yingren's brothers again submitted a memorial detailing Dingguo's crimes.

下公卿，皆議曰：「定國禽獸行，亂人倫，逆天道，當誅。」 The matter was sent down to the dukes and ministers, and they all judged, "Dingguo behaves like a beast. He has thrown human relations into disorder and gone against the Way of Heaven; he should be executed."

定國自殺，立四十二年，國除。 Dingguo killed himself. The state had stood forty-two years and was abolished.

燕王、趙王故與胡王有約，燕王北定代、雲中，轉胡眾入蕭關，走長安，匡正天下，以安高廟。 Yan and Zhao long ago pledged the steppe lords: Yan shall pacify Dai and Yunzhong in the north, swing the nomad horse through Xiaoguan toward Chang’an, set the realm right, and guard Gaozu’s shrine.

Book of Han, Chapter 74Volume 64a: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 1 · 2 passages

尊立衛皇后及發燕王定國陰事，偃有功焉。 He had a hand in raising Empress Wei and in unmasking the crimes of Liu Dingguo, king of Yan.

王以為終不得脫，恐效燕王論死，乃自殺。 The king saw no way out, dreaded the block like the late king of Yan, and opened his own veins.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 51Houses of Jing and Yan · 5 passages

至孫定國，與父康王姬姦，生子男一人。 By the time of his grandson Dingguo, the king committed adultery with his father King Kang's concubine and fathered one son.

定國有所欲誅殺臣肥如令郢人，郢人等告定國，定國使謁者以他法劾捕格殺郢人以滅口。 Dingguo wished to have an official killed—Yingren, the magistrate of Feiru. When Yingren and others reported Dingguo's crimes, Dingguo had the court usher bring trumped-up charges against them, arresting and killing Yingren to silence him.

至元朔元年，郢人昆弟復上書具言定國陰事，以此發覺。 In the first year of the Yuanshuo era, the brothers of the man from Ying submitted another memorial laying out all of Dingguo's secret crimes, and the matter was at last brought to light.

詔下公卿，皆議曰：「定國禽獸行，亂人倫，逆天，當誅。」 The case was referred to the high ministers, who all concluded: 'Dingguo's conduct is that of a beast. He has violated the bonds of human morality and defied the will of Heaven. He deserves execution.'

定國自殺，國除為郡。 Dingguo took his own life, and the kingdom was abolished and converted into a commandery.