Qin and Han · Royal Family Member

Liu Ruyi 劉如意

Died BC 195

Passages: 14
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Liu Ruyi as a royal family member and ruler. This record brings together 14 passages from 4 chapters across 2 histories, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Liu Ruyi	劉如意	Liu Ruyi
Title	King of Dai	代王	Dai Wang
Title	King of Zhao	趙王	Zhao Wang
Title	King of Zhao	趙王
Title	King Ruyi of Zhao	趙王如意	Zhao Wang Ruyi
Posthumous name	King Yin	趙隱
Title	King Yin of Zhao	趙隱王	Zhao Yin Wang
Title	King Yin of Zhao Ruyi	趙隱王如意
Title	Prince Ruyi	趙王如意
Personal name	Ruyi	如意	Ruyi

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:003:s0023, hanshu:051:s0044

Roles

Royal Family Member
Ruler

Life and dates

Death

Date Context: Source Date: Text: 元年冬十二月 · Western Year: BC 195
Explicit · hanshu:003:s0023
Manner: poisoned · Place: Chang'an / 長安
Explicit · hanshu:051:s0077

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 元年冬十二月 · Western Year: BC 195
Explicit · hanshu:003:s0023
Source Date: Text: 漢初 · Western Interval: Start: BC 209 · End: BC 141
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:051:s0044
Source Date: Text: 漢十二年 · Western Year: BC 195
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:099:s0161

Family

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

Child of Emperor Gao (高帝)
Kinship Term: father / 父 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Kin of Emperor Xiaohui (孝惠帝)
Kinship Term: kin / 親親
Child of Emperor Gaozu (高祖)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: father · Object Role: son
Child of Lady Qi (戚姬)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: mother · Object Role: son

Career and standing

Text: 立子如意為代王
Explicit · hanshu:002:s0158
Title: King Yin of Zhao / 趙隱王 · Action: held
Explicit · hanshu:003:s0023

Places and affiliations

Polity: Zhao / 趙 · Relation: ruled
Explicit · hanshu:003:s0023

Events and relationships

Type: son-of · Person Local Id: Emperor Gaozu (高祖)
Explicit · hanshu:002:s0158

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 2Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 2 · 2 passages

辛卯，立子如意為代王。 On the day xinmao, he established son Ruyi as King of Dai.

徙代王如意為趙王，王趙國。 He moved King Dai Ruyi to become King of Zhao, ruling the Zhao kingdom.

Book of Han, Chapter 3Volume 2: Annals of Emperor Hui · 2 passages

元年冬十二月，趙隱王如意薨。 In the first year, winter, twelfth month, King Yin of Zhao Ruyi passed away.

贊曰：孝惠內修親親，外禮宰相，優寵齊悼、趙隱，恩敬篤矣。 The appraisal says: Emperor Hui cultivated affection for his kin at home and showed ritual respect to the chancellor abroad. His favor toward King Dao of Qi and King Yin of Zhao was generous, and his kindness and respect were deeply sincere.

Book of Han, Chapter 51Volume 42: Zhang, Zhou, Zhao, Ren and Shentu · 9 passages

及高帝欲廢太子，而立威姬子如意為太子，大臣固爭莫能得，上以留侯策止。 When the High Ancestor wanted to set aside the heir apparent in favor of Lady Qi's son Ruyi, his senior ministers argued themselves hoarse to no avail, until he dropped the idea on the advice of the Marquis of Liu.

是歲，戚姬子如意為趙王，年十歲，高祖憂萬歲之後不全也。 That same year Lady Qi's son Ruyi, only ten, was invested as king of Zhao, and the High Ancestor brooded over how to keep the boy safe after his own death.

堯進請問曰：「陛下所為不樂，非以趙王年少，而戚夫人與呂後有隙，備萬歲之後而趙王不能自全乎？」 Zhao Yao stepped forward and said softly, "Your Majesty's sorrow—is it not because the king of Zhao is still a child, because Lady Qi and the empress are at odds, and because you fear for his life once you are gone?"

堯曰：「陛下獨為趙王置貴強相，及呂後、太子、群臣素所敬憚者乃可。」 Zhao Yao said, "Then invest Zhao with a chancellor who is both weighty and formidable—someone the empress, the heir, and the whole court already fear and respect."

高祖崩，太后使使召趙王，其相昌令王稱疾不行。 After the High Ancestor's death, the empress dowager sent for the king of Zhao. Chancellor Zhou Chang had the young king plead illness and refuse to travel.

使者三反，昌曰：「高帝屬臣趙王，王年少，竊聞太后怨戚夫人，欲召趙王並誅之。 The envoys came back three times. Zhou Chang replied, "The late emperor left the king of Zhao in my care. The boy is young, and word has reached me that the empress dowager bears a grudge against Lady Qi and means to summon the king of Zhao so she can destroy them together.

而不遣趙王！」 Yet you still would not send me the king of Zhao!"

昌既被征，高後使使召趙王。 Once Zhou Chang had been called away, Empress Gao sent again for the king of Zhao.

高後元年，怨堯前定趙王如意之畫，乃抵堯罪，以廣阿侯任敖為御史大夫。 In the first year of Empress Gao's reign she remembered how Zhao Yao had engineered the plan to protect Prince Ruyi as king of Zhao, found a charge against him, and replaced him with Ren Ao, marquis of Guang'a, as imperial counsellor.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 99Biographies of Liu Jing and Shusun Tong · 1 passage

漢十二年，高祖欲以趙王如意易太子，叔孫通諫上曰：「昔者晉獻公以驪姬之故廢太子，立奚齊，晉國亂者數十年，為天下笑。 In the twelfth year of Han, Gaozu wished to replace the Crown Prince with King Ruyi of Zhao. Shusun Tong admonished the High Emperor, saying, 'Formerly, Duke Xian of Jin deposed the crown prince because of Li Ji and established Xi Qi, plunging Jin into disorder for several decades and making it the laughingstock of the empire.