Overview
Zizhi was an official and Usurper.
IdentityHistorical · Male
Life and dates
Death
Attested activity
Career and standing
prime minister 相
Held
Assumed
De facto king
Held
Noble and powerful
Places and affiliations
- Polity Yan · Relation Served
Assessments and attributes
- Item official seals of three hundred dan and above 三百石吏印 · Relation Received
References in the histories
No matching passages.
Records of the Grand Historian, Chapter 34House of Yan Shaogong · 14 passages
蘇秦之在燕，與其相子之為婚，而蘇代與子之交。
While Su Qin was in Yan, he formed a marriage alliance with the prime minister Zizhi, and Su Dai formed a friendship with Zizhi.
子之相燕，貴重，主斷。
Zi Zhi served as prime minister of Yan. He was noble and important, and made all decisions.
蘇代欲以激燕王以尊子之也。
Su Dai wished to use this to encourage the Yan king to honor Zi Zhi.
於是燕王大信子之。
The Yan king then came to trust Zi Zhi greatly.
子之因遺蘇代百金，而聽其所使。
Zi Zhi then gave Su Dai one hundred pieces of gold and let him direct affairs as he wished.
鹿毛壽謂燕王：「不如以國讓相子之。
Lu Mao Shou said to the Yan king: "It would be better to yield the state to your prime minister Zi Zhi.
今王以國讓於子之，子之必不敢受，是王與堯同行也。」
Now if the king yields the state to Zi Zhi, Zi Zhi will certainly not dare to accept it. In this way, the king will have acted the same as Yao."
燕王因屬國於子之，子之大重。
The Yan king then entrusted the state to Zi Zhi, and Zi Zhi became greatly important.
今王言屬國於子之，而吏無非太子人者，是名屬子之而實太子用事也。」
Now the king says to entrust the state to Zi Zhi, but all the officials are the heir apparent's people. This means in name entrusting it to Zi Zhi, but in reality the heir apparent handles affairs."
王因收印自三百石吏已上而效之子之。
The king then gathered the seals of officials of three hundred dan and above and handed them to Zizhi.
子之南面行王事，而噲老不聽政，顧為臣，國事皆決於子之。
Zizhi faced south and performed the duties of king, while Kuai, being old, ceased to handle government affairs and became a minister. All state affairs were decided by Zizhi.
將軍市被與太子平謀，將攻子之。
General Shi Bei plotted with the heir apparent Ping to attack Zizhi.
太子因要黨聚眾，將軍市被圍公宮，攻子之，不克。
The heir apparent then gathered his partisans and assembled the masses. General Shi Bei besieged the ducal palace and attacked Zizhi, but could not defeat him.
燕子之亡二年，而燕人共立太子平，是為燕昭王。
Two years after Zi Zhi's death, the people of Yan jointly established the heir apparent Ping, who became King Zhao of Yan.