Qin and Han · King Xiao of Liang

Liu Wu 劉武

First attested BC 178; died BC 144

Passages: 51
Chapters: 1
Histories: 1

Overview

Liu Wu was a king Xiao of Liang.

Other names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Posthumous name	King Xiao	孝王	Xiao Wang

Life and dates

Death

BC 144 六月中
died of fever after six days 病熱，六日卒
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 80

Attested activity

BC 144 三十五年冬…六月中…卒
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 76, 80
BC 150 二十九年十月
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 50
BC 154 吳楚七國反
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 32, 34
BC 168 孝文帝之十二年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 19
BC 178 孝文帝即位二年
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 7

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Sibling of Liu Shen (劉參)
brothers 兄弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 3-5
Sibling of Liu Sheng (劉勝)
brothers 兄弟 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 3-4, 6
Sibling of Grand Princess (長公主)
elder princess 長公主 · Full siblings
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 67, 85
Parent of Liu Mai (劉買)
eldest son 長子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 87
Child of Emperor Wen (孝文皇帝)
father 父
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 1
Child of Empress Dowager Dou (竇太后)
mother 母
youngest son 少子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 1-2, 40
Sibling of Emperor Jing (孝景帝)
same mother 同母 · Full siblings
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 1
Parent of Liu Ming (劉明)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 85, 88
Parent of Liu Pengli (劉彭離)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 85, 89
Parent of Liu Ding (劉定)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 85, 90
Parent of Liu Bushi (劉不識)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 85, 91
Spouse of Empress Dowager Li (李太后)
wife 妻
Strongly inferred · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 97

Kinship Role daughters · Count 5
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 85
Kinship Role sons · Count 5
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 85

Career and standing

King of Dai 代王
BC 178 孝文帝即位二年 · Enfeoffed
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 7
King of Huaiyang 淮陽王
BC 176 二歲，徙代王為淮陽王 · Transferred
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 8
King of Liang 梁王
BC 168 孝文帝之十二年 · Transferred
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 18-19

Places and affiliations

At Suiyang 睢陽 · Relation Resided at
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 34, 42

Events and relationships

Defended Suiyang against Wu and Chu
BC 154 吳楚七國反 · Military · Defender · At Suiyang 睢陽
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 34, 36
Ordered assassination of Yuan Ang and other ministers
BC 150 廢栗太子後 · Political · Instigator · With Yuan Ang (袁盎)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 60

Assessments and attributes

Assessment filial and devoted to the empress dowager · Mode historian-judgment
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passage 81
Assessment presumptuous in adopting imperial pomp · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 138-139
Item lei zun vessel 罍樽 · Relation Possessed · worth a thousand catties of gold; ordered descendants not to give it away
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 58, passages 101-102

References in the histories

Search passages

History

51 passages

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 58House of Prince Xiao of Liang · 51 passages

梁孝王武者，孝文皇帝子也，而與孝景帝同母。 King Xiao of Liang, whose given name was Wu, was a son of Emperor Wen, born of the same mother as Emperor Jing.

次子武； The second was Wu.

孝文帝即位二年，以武為代王，以參為太原王，以勝為梁王。 In the second year after Emperor Wen ascended the throne, he enfeoffed Wu as King of Dai, Shen as King of Taiyuan, and Sheng as King of Liang.

二歲，徙代王為淮陽王。 Two years later, he transferred the King of Dai to serve as King of Huaiyang.

初，武為淮陽王十年，而梁王勝卒，謚為梁懷王。 Earlier, Wu had served as King of Huaiyang for ten years when the King of Liang, Sheng, died and was posthumously titled King Huai of Liang.

其明年，徙淮陽王武為梁王。 The following year, the King of Huaiyang, Wu, was transferred to become King of Liang.

梁王之初王梁，孝文帝之十二年也。 The King of Liang first received his fief in the twelfth year of Emperor Wen's reign.

梁王自初王通歷已十一年矣。 By this time, the King of Liang had already held a royal title for eleven years since his first enfeoffment.

梁王十四年，入朝。 In his fourteenth year, the King of Liang traveled to the capital for a court audience.

上與梁王燕飲，嘗從容言曰：「千秋萬歲後傳於王。」 During a private banquet with the King of Liang, the emperor once remarked casually, "When I am gone, I shall pass the throne to you."

梁孝王城守睢陽，而使韓安國、張羽等為大將軍，以距吳楚。 King Xiao of Liang held fast within the walls of Suiyang, dispatching Han Anguo, Zhang Yu, and others as grand generals to resist Wu and Chu.

孝王，竇太后少子也，愛之，賞賜不可勝道。 King Xiao was the youngest son of Empress Dowager Dou, who loved him dearly and showered him with gifts and rewards beyond reckoning.

於是孝王筑東苑，方三百餘里。 King Xiao built the Eastern Park, which stretched more than three hundred li on each side.

二十九年十月，梁孝王入朝。 In the tenth month of his twenty-ninth year, King Xiao of Liang traveled to court.

景帝使使持節乘輿駟馬，迎梁王於關下。 Emperor Jing dispatched envoys bearing the imperial tally, with a chariot drawn by four horses, to welcome the King of Liang at the pass.

十一月，上廢栗太子，竇太后心欲以孝王為後嗣。 In the eleventh month, the emperor deposed Crown Prince Li. Empress Dowager Dou secretly wished to make King Xiao the heir apparent.

大臣及袁盎等有所關說於景帝，竇太后義格，亦遂不復言以梁王為嗣事由此。 The great ministers and Yuan Ang remonstrated with Emperor Jing. Empress Dowager Dou, moved by considerations of propriety, relented and from that point on never again raised the matter of making the King of Liang the heir.

梁王怨袁盎及議臣，乃與羊勝、公孫詭之屬陰使人刺殺袁盎及他議臣十餘人。 The King of Liang harbored a deep grudge against Yuan Ang and the other ministers who had spoken against him. Together with Yang Sheng, Gongsun Gui, and their associates, he secretly dispatched assassins who murdered Yuan Ang and more than ten of the other ministers who had advised against the succession.

於是天子意梁王，逐賊，果梁使之。 The Son of Heaven suspected the King of Liang, and when the assassins were tracked down, it was indeed confirmed that Liang had sent them.

上由此怨望於梁王。 From this point on, the emperor bore a lasting resentment toward the King of Liang.

梁王恐，乃使韓安國因長公主謝罪太后，然后得釋。 The King of Liang, now fearful, sent Han Anguo to intercede through the Grand Princess and beg the Empress Dowager's forgiveness. Only then was the matter set aside.

於是梁王伏斧質於闕下，謝罪，然後太后、景帝大喜，相泣，復如故。 The King of Liang then appeared before the palace gate, prostrating himself beside the executioner's axe and block to beg forgiveness for his crimes. The Empress Dowager and Emperor Jing were overjoyed, wept together, and all was restored as before.

北獵良山，有獻牛，足出背上，孝王惡之。 While hunting in the north at Mount Liang, someone presented him with a monstrous ox whose legs protruded from its back. King Xiao took this as an evil omen.

六月中，病熱，六日卒，謚曰孝王。 In the middle of the sixth month, he fell ill with a fever and died after six days. He was posthumously titled King Xiao.

孝王慈孝，每聞太后病，口不能食，居不安寢，常欲留長安侍太后。 King Xiao was devoted and filial. Whenever he heard that the Empress Dowager was ill, he could not eat and could not sleep, always wishing to remain in Chang'an to attend her in person.

及聞梁王薨，竇太后哭極哀，不食，曰：「帝果殺吾子！」 When she learned that the King of Liang had died, Empress Dowager Dou wept inconsolably, refused to eat, and cried, "The emperor has truly killed my son!"

與長公主計之，乃分梁為五國，盡立孝王男五人為王，女五人皆食湯沐邑。 He consulted with the Grand Princess, and together they divided Liang into five kingdoms, enfeoffing all five of King Xiao's sons as kings. His five daughters were each granted revenue from a bathing fief.

梁孝王長子買為梁王，是為共王； King Xiao's eldest son, Mai, became King of Liang — he was King Gong.

孝王未死時，財以巨萬計，不可勝數。 Before King Xiao died, his wealth was reckoned in the tens of millions, too vast to count.

初，孝王在時，有罍樽，直千金。 In earlier times, when King Xiao was still alive, the house possessed a ceremonial wine vessel worth a thousand catties of gold.

孝王誡後世，善保罍樽，無得以與人。 King Xiao had left strict instructions to his descendants to guard this vessel well and never give it away.

濟川王明者，梁孝王子，以桓邑侯孝景中六年為濟川王。 King Ming of Jichuan was a son of King Xiao. Formerly the Marquis of Huanyi, he was made King of Jichuan in the sixth year of the middle reign of Emperor Jing.

濟東王彭離者，梁孝王子，以孝景中六年為濟東王。 King Pengli of Jidong was a son of King Xiao who was made King of Jidong in the sixth year of the middle reign of Emperor Jing.

山陽哀王定者，梁孝王子，以孝景中六年為山陽王。 King Ai of Shanyang, whose name was Ding, was a son of King Xiao. He was made King of Shanyang in the sixth year of the middle reign of Emperor Jing.

濟陰哀王不識者，梁孝王子，以孝景中六年為濟陰王。 King Ai of Jiyin, whose name was Bushi, was a son of King Xiao. He was made King of Jiyin in the sixth year of the middle reign of Emperor Jing.

太史公曰：梁孝王雖以親愛之故，王膏腴之地，然會漢家隆盛，百姓殷富，故能植其財貨，廣宮室，車服擬於天子。 The Grand Historian remarks: King Xiao of Liang was granted fertile lands because of the close affection he enjoyed. Yet he was able to amass such wealth, expand his palaces, and adopt carriages and robes rivaling those of the Son of Heaven only because his reign coincided with the flourishing of the Han dynasty. At that time, the common people were prosperous and well-off.

竊以為令梁孝王怨望，欲為不善者，事從中生。 I believe that the resentment that drove King Xiao of Liang to contemplate wrongdoing arose from within the court itself.

今太后，女主也，以愛少子故，欲令梁王為太子。 The Empress Dowager, a woman wielding power, wished out of love for her youngest son to make the King of Liang the crown prince.

今主上不宜出好言於梁王。 The sovereign should never have spoken such encouraging words to the King of Liang.

梁王上有太后之重，驕蹇日久，數聞景帝好言，千秋萬世之後傳王，而實不行。 The King of Liang, backed by the Empress Dowager's formidable influence, had long grown arrogant and willful. He had repeatedly heard Emperor Jing's promise that the throne would pass to him after a thousand autumns and ten thousand years, yet this promise was never fulfilled.

今梁王西朝，因留，且半歲。 Yet the King of Liang came west to court and stayed on for nearly half a year.

今梁王常比年入朝見，久留。 Yet the King of Liang attended court year after year and stayed for prolonged periods.

蓋聞梁王西入朝，謁竇太后，燕見，與景帝俱侍坐於太后前，語言私說。 I have heard that the King of Liang traveled west to court, paid his respects to Empress Dowager Dou, and was granted a private audience. He sat together with Emperor Jing before the Empress Dowager, and they spoke freely among themselves.

安車大駕，用梁孝王為寄。」 When the great carriage and imperial procession pass to another, let King Xiao of Liang be the one entrusted with them."

皆對曰：「太后意欲立梁王為帝太子。」 They all replied, "The Empress Dowager intends to establish the King of Liang as the imperial heir."

袁盎等入見太后：「太后言欲立梁王，梁王即終，欲誰立？」 Yuan Ang and the others entered and asked the Empress Dowager, "If Your Majesty establishes the King of Liang, and the King of Liang later dies, whom would you choose after him?"

太后乃解說，即使梁王歸就國。 The Empress Dowager was persuaded and abandoned the idea, immediately directing the King of Liang to return to his kingdom.

而梁王聞其義出於袁盎諸大臣所，怨望，使人來殺袁盎。 When the King of Liang learned that the arguments against him had come from Yuan Ang and the other ministers, he was consumed with resentment and sent men to assassinate Yuan Ang.

獨梁王所欲殺大臣十餘人，文吏窮本之，謀反端頗見。 In all, the King of Liang had targeted more than ten ministers for assassination. When the legal officials traced the matter to its source, clear signs of a conspiracy to rebel emerged.

對曰：「言梁王不知也。 They replied, "The King of Liang knew nothing of the plot.

謹以伏誅死，梁王無恙也。」 They have already submitted to the law and been put to death. The King of Liang is well and bears no guilt."