Qin and Han · King of Chu and Rebel

Liu Wu 劉戊

Liú Wù

First attested BC 155; died BC 154

Passages: 16
Chapters: 4
Histories: 2

Overview

Liu Wu was a king of Chu and Rebel.

Life and dates

Death

BC 154 三年
Suicide
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 64
BC 154 孝景三年
Suicide after military defeat
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 211
BC 154 楚王戊自殺
suicide 自殺
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 17
suicide 自殺
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 211

Attested activity

BC 154 三年
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 57; Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 24
BC 155 to BC 154 孝景三年冬至七國敗
Dated from the passage context · Book of Han 44, passages 211, 268
BC 154 王戊立二十年…合謀反
Dated from the passage context · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passages 13-14

Family

Immediate relationships attested in the translated histories.

Child of Ying (郢)
son 子
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 12

Key source chapters

Career and standing

King of Chu 楚王
Held
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 191; Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 24
stripped of Donghai commandery 削東海郡
BC 154 王戊立二十年，冬 · Punished
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 13

Events and relationships

Attacked
BC 154 西攻梁 · Military · Commander · At Liang 梁
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 15
Committed suicide after his army was defeated
Death · Defeated rebel king
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 211
Executed
BC 154 戊則殺尚、夷吾 · Legal · Perpetrator · With Zhang Shang (張尚)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 15
Executed
BC 154 戊則殺尚、夷吾 · Legal · Perpetrator · With Zhao Yiwu (趙夷吾)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 15
Raised troops and marched west in the Revolt of the Seven Kingdoms
BC 154 孝景前三年 · Military · Rebel king
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passage 101
Raised troops
BC 154 三年 · Military · Rebel leader
Directly stated · Book of Han 6, passage 57

Show 3 more source-backed claims

Rebelled with
BC 154 春，戊與吳王合謀反 · Military · Rebel leader · With King of Wu (吳王)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 14
Rebelled
BC 154 三年 · Military · Rebel leader
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 11, passage 24
Was pardoned from execution for misconduct during mourning but lost Donghai commandery
Legal · King of Chu · Authority Emperor Jing of Han (漢景帝)
Directly stated · Book of Han 44, passages 268-269

Assessments and attributes

Assessment should have heeded Master Shen · Mode historian-judgment Speaker Sima Qian (司馬遷)
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 49

Source notes

Historicity historical
Directly stated · Records of the Grand Historian 50, passage 12

References in the histories

Search passages

History

16 passages

Book of Han, Chapter 6Volume 5: Annals of Emperor Jing · 2 passages

吳王濞、膠西王卬、楚王戊、趙王遂、濟南王辟光、菑川王賢、膠東王雄渠皆舉兵反。 Kings Pi of Wu, Ang of Jiaoxi, Wu of Chu, Sui of Zhao, Bi Guang of Jinan, Xian of Zichuan, and Xiong Qu of Jiaodong all raised troops in rebellion.

膠西王卬、楚王戊、趙王遂、濟南王辟光、菑川王賢、膠東王雄渠皆自殺。 Kings Ang of Jiaoxi, Wu of Chu, Sui of Zhao, Bi Guang of Jinan, Xian of Zichuan, and Xiong Qu of Jiaodong all committed suicide.

Book of Han, Chapter 44Volume 35: Princes of Jing, Yan and Wu · 7 passages

三年冬，楚王來朝，錯因言楚王戊往年為薄太后服，私姦服舍，請誅之。 In the winter of the third year, the King of Chu came to court. Chao Cuo then reported that in earlier years, while observing mourning for Empress Dowager Bo, the King of Chu, Wu, had had illicit relations in the mourning quarters, and he requested that Wu be executed.

大王誠幸而許之一言，則吳王率楚王略函谷關，守滎陽敖倉之粟，距漢兵，治次舍，須大王。 If you will but nod once, the king of Wu will lead the king of Chu to seize Hangu Pass, guard the grain at Ao Granary by Xingyang, hold the Han armies at bay, pitch camp, and wait for you.

發使遺諸侯書曰：「吳王劉濞敬問膠西王、膠東王、菑川王、濟南王、趙王、楚王、淮南王、衡山王、廬江王、故長沙王子：幸教！ His messengers carried a manifesto: “The king of Wu Liu Bi greets the kings of Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, Zichuan, Jinan, Zhao, Chu, Huainan, Hengshan, Lujiang, and the heir of old Changsha—may you instruct me!

告越、楚王、淮南三王，與寡人西面； Tell Yue, the king of Chu, and the three Huainan kings to wheel west with me;

今乃與楚王戊、趙王遂、膠西王卬、濟南王辟光、菑川王賢、膠東王雄渠約從謀反，為逆無道，起兵以危宗廟，賊殺大臣及漢使者，迫劫萬民，伐殺無罪，燒殘民家，掘其丘壟，甚為虐暴。 Now he has allied with Liu Wu of Chu, Liu Sui of Zhao, Liu Ang of Jiaoxi, Liu Piguang of Jinan, Liu Xian of Zichuan, and Liu Xiongqu of Jiaodong to plot rebellion. These lawless traitors menace the temples, murder ministers and envoys, coerce the people, kill the innocent, burn their homes, and dig open their graves. Their cruelty is monstrous.

初，吳王之度淮，與楚王遂西敗棘壁，乘勝而前，銳甚。 When Liu Bi crossed the Huai he and the king of Chu drove west, stormed the Han strongpoint at Ji, and swept on while their momentum was white-hot.

楚王戊軍敗，自殺。 Liu Wu, king of Chu, was broken in the field and took his own life.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 11Annals of the Xiaojing Emperor · 1 passage

吳王濞、楚王戊、趙王遂、膠西王卬、濟南王辟光、菑川王賢、膠東王雄渠反，發兵西鄉。 The Kings Bi of Wu, Wu of Chu, Sui of Zhao, Ang of Jiaoxi, Piguang of Jinan, Xian of Zichuan, and Xiongqu of Jiaodong rebelled, raised armies, and marched west.

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 50House of Prince Yuan of Chu · 6 passages

夷王四年卒，子王戊立。 King Yi reigned for four years before his death, and his son Wu succeeded him.

王戊立二十年，冬，坐為薄太后服私姦，削東海郡。 In the twentieth year of King Wu's reign, during winter, he was found guilty of committing adultery during the mourning period for Empress Dowager Bo, and the commandery of Donghai was stripped from him.

春，戊與吳王合謀反，其相張尚、太傅趙夷吾諫，不聽。 In spring, King Wu of Chu joined the King of Wu in a conspiracy to rebel. His chancellor Zhang Shang and Grand Tutor Zhao Yiwu remonstrated with him, but he refused to listen.

戊則殺尚、夷吾，起兵與吳西攻梁，破棘壁。 Wu had Shang and Yiwu executed, raised his troops, and marched west with the forces of Wu against Liang, breaching the fortifications at Jibi.

漢絕吳楚糧道，士卒饑，吳王走，楚王戊自殺，軍遂降漢。 The Han forces cut off the supply lines of Wu and Chu. The soldiers starved. The King of Wu fled, and King Wu of Chu took his own life. The army then surrendered to Han.

使楚王戊毋刑申公，遵其言，趙任防與先生，豈有篡殺之謀，為天下僇哉？ Had King Wu of Chu not punished Master Shen but heeded his counsel, and had Zhao entrusted its affairs to Master Fangyu, how could there have been conspiracies of usurpation and bloodshed, bringing shame upon the realm?