Qin and Han · King of Zhao

Wu Chen 武臣

Wǔ Chén

Attested BC 209 - BC 209

Passages: 32
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

The translated histories identify Wu Chen as a general, rebel, and ruler. This record brings together 32 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	Wu Chen	武臣	Wǔ Chén
Title	King of Zhao	趙王	Zhào Wáng
Title	King of Zhao	趙王	Zhao Wang
Title	Lord Wuxin	武信君	Wuxin Jun
Personal	Wu Chen	武臣	Wu Chen

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Male

Sex: male
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0527, hanshu:041:s0028, shiji:048:s0055

Roles

General
Rebel
Ruler

Life and dates

Death

Manner: killed · Place: Handan / 邯鄲 · Authority Person Id: Li Liang (李良)
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0095
Cause: killed by his general
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0099

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0055
Source Date: Text: 陳涉起 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · hanshu:041:s0028

Family

Sibling of Elder sister of Wu Chen (趙王姊)
Kinship Term: elder sister / 姊 · Subject Relative Age: younger · Object Role: elder-sister · Subject Role: younger-brother · Shared Parentage: uncertain

Kinship Role: family members · Quantity: unspecified household members detained by the King of Chen
Explicit · shiji:048:s0072, shiji:048:s0075

Career and standing

Label: general / 將軍 · Action: appointed
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0028
Title: Lord Wuxin / 武信君 · Action: held
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0035
King of Zhao / 趙王
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0528
Title: King of Zhao · Polity: Zhao
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0099
Title: King of Zhao / 趙王 · Action: self-declared
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0071
proclaimed himself King of Zhao / 自立為趙王
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0528
Title: King of Zhao / 趙王
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0047

Places and affiliations

Zhao / 趙
Explicit · hanshu:001:s0527, hanshu:001:s0528
Place: Chen / 陳
Explicit · shiji:048:s0055

Works and attributed material

Kind: council speech · Role: co-speaker · Topic: Zhao strategy toward Qin, Chu, and Yan · Co Speaker Person Ids: Zhang Er (張耳), Chen Yu (陳餘), Zhao Sao (召騷)
Explicit · shiji:048:s0076, shiji:048:s0077, shiji:048:s0078, shiji:048:s0079, shiji:048:s0080, shiji:048:s0081

Events and relationships

Kind: military · Role: commander · Action: captured Zhao cities
Explicit · hanshu:041:s0036
Kind: political · Role: king · Action: declared himself King of Zhao at Handan · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 二世元年 · Western Year: BC 209
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:048:s0007, shiji:048:s0071

References in the histories

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

Book of Han, Chapter 1Volume 1: Annals of Emperor Gaozu 1 · 3 passages

秦二世元年秋七月，陳涉起蘄，至陳，自立為楚王，遣武臣、張耳、陳餘略趙地。 In the first year of the Second Emperor of Qin, in autumn, in the seventh month, Chen She rose at Qi. He reached Chen, set himself up as King of Chu, and sent Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu to seize the territory of Zhao.

八月，武臣自立為趙王。 In the eighth month, Wu Chen set himself up as King of Zhao.

趙王武臣為其將所殺。 King Wu of Zhao was killed by his own general.

Book of Han, Chapter 41Volume 32: Zhang Er and Chen Yu · 20 passages

於是陳王許之，以所善陳人武臣為將軍，耳、餘為左右校尉，與卒三千人，從白馬渡河。 The King of Chen agreed. He appointed his trusted fellow townsman Wu Chen as general, made Zhang Er and Chen Yu left and right commandants, and gave them three thousand soldiers to cross the Yellow River at Baima.

乃行收兵，得數萬人，號武信君。 They raised forces as they went, gathering tens of thousands, and Wu Chen took the title Lord Wuxin.

范陽人蒯通說其令徐公降武信君，又說武信君以侯印封范陽令。 A Fanyang native, Kuai Tong, persuaded Magistrate Xu to surrender and convinced Lord Wuxin to reward him with a marquis seal.

怨陳王不以為將軍而以為校尉，乃說武臣曰：「陳王非必立六國後。 "Resentful that they had only deputy rank, they told Wu Chen that Chen She could not be trusted to restore the six states.

今將軍下趙數十城，獨介居河北，不王無以填之。 They said Wu Chen now held dozens of Zhao cities in Hebei and could not stabilize them without kingship.

武臣乃聽，遂立為趙王。 Wu Chen accepted and proclaimed himself King of Zhao.

使人報陳王，陳王大怒，欲盡族武臣等家，而發兵擊趙。 When news reached Chen, Chen She was enraged and wanted to annihilate Wu Chen's families and attack Zhao.

相國房君諫曰：「秦未亡，今又誅武臣等家，此生一秦也。 "Chancellor Fang remonstrated that Qin still stood and such punishment would create a second Qin.

陳王從其計，徙繫武臣等家宮中，封耳子敖為成都君。 Chen She accepted: he kept their families under palace custody and enfeoffed Zhang Er's son Ao as Lord of Chengdu.

耳、餘說武臣曰：「王王趙，非楚意，特以計賀王。 Zhang Er and Chen Yu persuaded Wu Chen, saying: "Your Majesty's kingship in Zhao is not Chu's true intention; Chu only congratulates Your Majesty as a tactic.

趙王以為然，因不西兵，而使韓廣略燕，李良略常山，張黶略上黨。 The King of Zhao agreed, kept troops from the western front, and sent commanders into Yan, Changshan, and Shangdang.

趙王乃與陳、餘北略地燕界。 The Zhao king then moved north with Chen Yu to secure territory on Yan's frontier.

趙王間出，為燕軍所得。 During one excursion, the Zhao king was captured by Yan forces.

有廝養卒謝其舍曰：「吾為二公說燕，與趙王載歸。」 A groom went to his quarters and said, "Let me go persuade Yan for you two lords and bring the Zhao king back in the same carriage with me."

夫武臣、張耳、陳餘，杖馬箠下趙數十城，亦各欲南面而王。 Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu had taken dozens of cities by force, and each had ambitions to rule.

顧其勢初定，且以長少先立武臣，以持趙心。 They had only backed Wu Chen first to stabilize Zhao while things were unsettled.

燕以為然，乃歸趙王。 Yan accepted this reasoning and released the Zhao king.

李良已定常山，還報趙王，趙王復使良略太原。 After pacifying Changshan, Li Liang reported back, and the Zhao king sent him on to take Taiyuan.

且趙王素出將軍下，今女兒乃不為將軍下車，請追殺之。」 The King of Zhao has always ranked below General Li Liang, yet now even this woman will not step down from her carriage for him. Pursue and kill her."

邯鄲不知，竟殺武臣。 Handan was caught off guard, and Wu Chen was ultimately killed.

Book of Han, Chapter 75Volume 64b: Yan, Zhu, Wuqiu, Zhufu, Xu, Yan, Zhong, Wang, and Jia 2 · 1 passage

陳勝、吳廣舉陳，武臣、張耳舉趙，項梁舉吳，田儋舉齊，景駒舉郢，周市舉魏，韓廣舉燕，窮山通谷，豪士並起，不可勝載也。 Chen Sheng and Wu Guang seized Chen, Wu Chen and Zhang Er raised Zhao, Xiang Liang rose in Wu, Tian Dan in Qi, Jing Ju in Ying, Zhou Shi in Wei, Han Guang in Yan—bold leaders sprang up in every ravine and pass, too many to list.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 48House of Chen She · 8 passages

令陳人武臣、張耳、陳餘徇趙地，令汝陰人鄧宗徇九江郡。 Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu — all men of Chen — were ordered to subdue the Zhao territories, while Deng Zong of Ruyin was sent to pacify the Commandery of Jiujiang.

武臣到邯鄲，自立為趙王，陳餘為大將軍，張耳、召騷為左右丞相。 Wu Chen arrived at Handan and declared himself King of Zhao. Chen Yu was made Grand General, and Zhang Er and Zhao Sao became the Left and Right Chancellors.

陳王怒，捕系武臣等家室，欲誅之。 The King of Chen was furious. He seized the families of Wu Chen and his associates, intending to put them to death.

柱國曰：「秦未亡而誅趙王將相家屬，此生一秦也。 The Supreme Pillar of State objected: 'If, while Qin has not yet fallen, you execute the families of the King of Zhao and his generals and ministers, you will only create another Qin.

陳王乃遣使者賀趙，而徙系武臣等家屬宮中，而封耳子張敖為成都君，趣趙兵亟入關。 The King of Chen then sent envoys to congratulate Zhao. He moved the detained families of Wu Chen and the others into the palace, enfeoffed Zhang Er's son Zhang Ao as Lord of Chengdu, and urged the Zhao forces to hasten west into the passes.

趙王將相相與謀曰：「王王趙，非楚意也。 The King of Zhao and his generals and ministers deliberated among themselves: 'The king became King of Zhao without Chu's approval.

趙王以為然，因不西兵，而遣故上谷卒史韓廣將兵北徇燕地。 The King of Zhao agreed. Rather than sending his forces west, he dispatched Han Guang, formerly a minor official in Shanggu, to lead an army north and subdue the Yan territories.

且以楚之彊，不敢害趙王將相之家，趙獨安敢害將軍之家！」 Moreover, even mighty Chu has not dared to harm the families of the King of Zhao and his ministers. How then would Zhao alone dare harm the general's family?'