Younger Sister of Li Yuan (李園女弟)

Overview

The translated histories identify Younger Sister of Li Yuan as a consort and royal family member. This record brings together 9 passages from 1 chapter across 1 history, with names, dates, relationships, offices, and events preserved as source-backed claims.

Names

Type	English	Chinese	Pinyin
Personal	Younger Sister of Li Yuan	李園女弟
Title	Queen	王后	Wanghou
Descriptive kinship	Younger sister of Li Yuan	李園女弟

Identity

Historicity: Historical
Identification: Named
Sex: Female

Sex: female
Explicit · shiji:078:s0130, shiji:078:s0137

Roles

Consort
Royal Family Member

Life and dates

Attested activity

Source Date: Text: 李園乃進其女弟 · Western Interval: Start: BC 240 · End: BC 238
Explicit event contextual date · shiji:078:s0137, shiji:078:s0146

Family

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

Spouse of King Kaolie of Chu (楚考烈王)
Kinship Term: queen / 王后 · Union Category: marriage · Relationship State: formed
Parent of King You of Chu (楚幽王)
Kinship Term: son / 子 · Parentage: biological · Subject Role: son · Object Role: mother
Sibling of Li Yuan (李園)
Kinship Term: younger sister / 女弟 · Subject Relative Age: younger · Subject Role: younger-sister · Object Role: elder-brother · Shared Parentage: full

Works and attributed material

Kind: speech · Role: speaker · Other Person Id: Huang Xie (黃歇)
Explicit · shiji:078:s0139, shiji:078:s0140, shiji:078:s0141, shiji:078:s0142, shiji:078:s0143, shiji:078:s0144

Events and relationships

Kind: political · Role: subject · Action: presented-to-king-while-pregnant · Other Person Id: King Kaolie of Chu (楚考烈王) · Date Context: Source Date: Text: 進妾於楚王 · Western Year: BC 240
Explicit · shiji:078:s0145, shiji:078:s0146

References in the histories

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

Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 78Biography of Lord Chunshen · 9 passages

Open chapter

趙人李園持其女弟，欲進之楚王，聞其不宜子，恐久毋寵。 A Zhao native named Li Yuan brought his younger sister, intending to present her to the King of Chu. Hearing that the king was not producing sons, he feared her favor would not last.

還謁，春申君問之狀，對曰：「齊王使使求臣之女弟，與其使者飲，故失期。」 When he returned for audience, Lord Chunshen asked what had happened. He replied, “The King of Qi sent an envoy to seek my younger sister. I drank with the envoy and therefore missed the appointment.”

於是李園乃進其女弟，即幸於春申君。 Thus, Li Yuan presented his younger sister, who won Lord Chunshen's favor.

知其有身，李園乃與其女弟謀。 When he learned she was with child, Li Yuan conspired with his younger sister.

園女弟承閒以說春申君曰：「楚王之貴幸君，雖兄弟不如也。 Li Yuan’s younger sister took advantage of an intimate moment to advise Lord Chunshen, saying, “The King of Chu values and favors Your Lordship more than his own brothers.

春申君大然之，乃出李園女弟，謹舍而言之楚王。 Lord Chunshen strongly agreed. He sent Li Yuan’s younger sister away, housed her carefully, and spoke of her to the King of Chu.

楚王召入幸之，遂生子男，立為太子，以李園女弟為王后。 The King of Chu summoned her and favored her. She bore a son, who was established as crown prince, and Li Yuan’s younger sister was made queen.

李園既入其女弟，立為王后，子為太子，恐春申君語泄而益驕，陰養死士，欲殺春申君以滅口，而國人頗有知之者。 Once Li Yuan had brought in his younger sister and established her as queen with her son as crown prince, he feared Lord Chunshen would reveal the secret and grow even more insolent. Secretly, he cultivated assassins, intending to kill Lord Chunshen and silence him forever. Many in the kingdom knew of his plans.

而李園女弟初幸春申君有身而入之王所生子者遂立，是為楚幽王。 Li Yuan's younger sister, who had conceived by Lord Chunshen before being presented to the king, bore the son who was enthroned as King You of Chu.