1
荊王劉賈者，諸劉，不知其何屬初起時。 漢王元年，還定三秦，劉賈為將軍，定塞地，從東擊項籍。
Liu Jia, the King of Jing, was a member of the Liu clan, though no one knows which branch he belonged to at the time of the initial uprising. In the first year of the King of Han, after the Three Qin territories had been subdued, Liu Jia served as a general, pacifying the frontier regions before marching east to attack Xiang Ji.
2
漢四年，漢王之敗成皋，北渡河，得張耳、韓信軍，軍修武，深溝高壘，使劉賈將二萬人，騎數百，渡白馬津入楚地，燒其積聚，以破其業，無以給項王軍食。 已而楚兵擊劉賈，賈輒壁不肯與戰，而與彭越相保。
In the fourth year of Han, after the King of Han suffered defeat at Chenggao and crossed the Yellow River northward, he joined forces with the armies of Zhang Er and Han Xin. He encamped at Xiuwu behind deep trenches and high ramparts, then dispatched Liu Jia with twenty thousand infantry and several hundred cavalry to cross at Baima Ford into Chu territory. There they burned the enemy's grain stores, devastating their supply lines so that Xiang Yu's army could no longer be fed. Before long, Chu forces struck at Liu Jia, but he fortified his position and refused to engage, instead joining with Peng Yue to hold firm.
3
漢五年，漢王追項籍至固陵，使劉賈南渡淮圍壽春。 還至，使人閒招楚大司馬周殷。 周殷反楚，佐劉賈舉九江，迎武王黥布兵，皆會垓下，共擊項籍。 漢王因使劉賈將九江兵，與太尉盧綰西南擊臨江王共尉。 共尉已死，以臨江為南郡。
In the fifth year of Han, the King of Han pursued Xiang Ji to Guling and ordered Liu Jia to cross the Huai River southward to lay siege to Shouchun. Upon his return, he sent agents to covertly win over Zhou Yin, the Grand Marshal of Chu. Zhou Yin turned against Chu and helped Liu Jia seize the Jiujiang region. They then welcomed the forces of King Wu, Ying Bu, and all their armies converged at Gaixia to strike against Xiang Ji. The King of Han then directed Liu Jia to lead the Jiujiang troops and, together with Grand Commandant Lu Wan, march southwest to attack Gong Wei, the King of Linjiang. After Gong Wei's death, the territory of Linjiang was converted into the Nan Commandery.
4
漢六年春，會諸侯於陳，廢楚王信，囚之，分其地為二國。 當是時也，高祖子幼，昆弟少，又不賢，欲王同姓以鎮天下，乃詔曰：「將軍劉賈有功，及擇子弟可以為王者。」 群臣皆曰：「立劉賈為荊王，王淮東五十二城； 高祖弟交為楚王，王淮西三十六城。」 因立子肥為齊王。 始王昆弟劉氏也。
In the spring of the sixth year of Han, the emperor assembled the feudal lords at Chen, deposed Han Xin, the King of Chu, had him imprisoned, and divided his territory into two kingdoms. At that time, Emperor Gaozu's sons were still young, and his brothers were few in number and lacked distinction. Wishing to install kings who shared his surname to anchor the realm, he issued an edict: 'General Liu Jia has rendered great service. Let worthy members of the clan be selected and made kings.' The assembled ministers all declared: 'Let Liu Jia be established as the King of Jing, to rule over fifty-two cities east of the Huai; and let Jiao, the emperor's younger brother, be made King of Chu, ruling over thirty-six cities west of the Huai.' He also established his son Fei as the King of Qi. This marked the beginning of enfeoffing members of the Liu clan as kings.
5
高祖十一年秋，淮南王黥布反，東擊荊。 荊王賈與戰，不勝，走富陵，為布軍所殺。 高祖自擊破布。 十二年，立沛侯劉濞為吳王，王故荊地。
In the autumn of the eleventh year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, Ying Bu, the King of Huainan, rose in rebellion and attacked the kingdom of Jing to the east. King Jia of Jing fought against him but could not prevail. He fled to Fuling, where he was slain by Ying Bu's forces. Emperor Gaozu personally led the campaign that crushed Ying Bu. In the twelfth year, he installed Liu Pi, the Marquis of Pei, as the King of Wu, to rule over the former Jing territory.
6
燕王劉澤者，諸劉遠屬也。 高帝三年，澤為郎中。 高帝十一年，澤以將軍擊陳豨，得王黃，為營陵侯。
Liu Ze, the King of Yan, was a distant kinsman of the Liu clan. In the third year of Emperor Gao's reign, Liu Ze served as a palace gentleman. In the eleventh year, Liu Ze campaigned as a general against Chen Xi. He captured Wang Huang and was enfeoffed as the Marquis of Yingling.
7
高后時，齊人田生游乏資，以畫干營陵侯澤。 澤大說之，用金二百斤為田生壽。 田生已得金，即歸齊。 二年，澤使人謂田生曰：「弗與矣。」 田生如長安，不見澤，而假大宅，令其子求事呂后所幸大謁者張子卿。 居數月，田生子請張卿臨，親修具。 張卿許往。 田生盛帷帳共具，譬如列侯。 張卿驚。 酒酣，乃屏人說張卿曰：「臣觀諸侯王邸弟百餘，皆高祖一切功臣。 今呂氏雅故本推轂高帝就天下，功至大，又親戚太后之重。 太后春秋長，諸呂弱，太后欲立呂產為［呂］王，王代。 太后又重發之，恐大臣不聽。 今卿最幸，大臣所敬，何不風大臣以聞太后，太后必喜。 諸呂已王，萬戶侯亦卿之有。 太后心欲之，而卿為內臣，不急發，恐禍及身矣。」 張卿大然之，乃風大臣語太后。 太后朝，因問大臣。 大臣請立呂產為呂王。 太后賜張卿千斤金，張卿以其半與田生。 田生弗受，因說之曰：「呂產王也，諸大臣未大服。 今營陵侯澤，諸劉，為大將軍，獨此尚觖望。 今卿言太后，列十餘縣王之，彼得王，喜去，諸呂王益固矣。」 張卿入言，太后然之。 乃以營陵侯劉澤為瑯邪王。 瑯邪王乃與田生之國。 田生勸澤急行，毋留。 出關，太后果使人追止之，已出，即還。
During the reign of Empress Dowager Gao, a man from Qi named Tian Sheng, who had exhausted his travel funds, approached the Marquis of Yingling with his stratagems. Liu Ze was greatly delighted with him and presented Tian Sheng with two hundred jin of gold as a gift. Once Tian Sheng had the gold in hand, he promptly returned to Qi. Two years later, Liu Ze sent a messenger to tell Tian Sheng: 'I will have nothing more to do with you.' Tian Sheng traveled to Chang'an but did not call upon Liu Ze. Instead, he rented a grand residence and had his son seek a position under Zhang Ziqing, the Grand Usher who enjoyed the special favor of Empress Lü. After several months, Tian Sheng's son invited Zhang Qing to visit, personally preparing an elaborate feast for the occasion. Zhang Qing accepted the invitation. Tian Sheng laid out sumptuous curtains and furnishings rivaling those of a marquis's household. Zhang Qing was taken aback. When the wine was flowing freely, Tian Sheng dismissed the attendants and spoke to Zhang Qing in confidence: 'I have observed over a hundred sons and younger brothers of the feudal lords residing in the capital, all descendants of Emperor Gaozu's meritorious officials. Now the Lü clan, as old allies, originally helped propel Emperor Gao to conquer the realm. Their merit is immense, and they hold the additional weight of being close kinsmen of the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager is advanced in years, and the Lü are still weak. She wishes to establish Lü Chan as the King of Lü, to rule over Dai. Yet the Empress Dowager hesitates to press the matter, fearing the ministers will refuse. You are the most favored at court and respected by the ministers. Why not hint to them to bring this matter before the Empress Dowager? She will certainly be delighted. Once the Lü clan members are made kings, a marquisate of ten thousand households will be yours as well. The Empress Dowager desires this in her heart. As an inner minister, if you do not act swiftly, I fear disaster will fall upon you.' Zhang Qing wholeheartedly agreed and began dropping hints to the ministers, who then spoke to the Empress Dowager. At the next court audience, the Empress Dowager raised the matter with the ministers. The ministers petitioned to establish Lü Chan as the King of Lü. The Empress Dowager rewarded Zhang Qing with a thousand jin of gold, and Zhang Qing gave half of it to Tian Sheng. Tian Sheng declined the gift and counseled him: 'Although Lü Chan has been made king, the great ministers are not yet fully won over. At present, the Marquis of Yingling, Liu Ze of the Liu clan, serves as Grand General, and he alone still harbors resentment. If you now speak to the Empress Dowager and have her enfeoff him as king over ten or more counties, he will be delighted and depart the capital, making the Lü kingships all the more secure.' Zhang Qing entered the palace and presented the proposal. The Empress Dowager approved. Accordingly, Liu Ze, the Marquis of Yingling, was made the King of Langya. The King of Langya then set out for his kingdom, taking Tian Sheng with him. Tian Sheng urged Liu Ze to travel with all haste and make no stops along the way. Once they had passed through the frontier passes, the Empress Dowager did indeed send men in pursuit to stop them, but they had already left, and the pursuers returned empty-handed.
8
及太后崩，瑯邪王澤乃曰：「帝少，諸呂用事，劉氏孤弱。」 乃引兵與齊王合謀西，欲誅諸呂。 至梁，聞漢遣灌將軍屯滎陽，澤還兵備西界，遂跳驅至長安。 代王亦從代至。 諸將相與瑯邪王共立代王為天子。 天子乃徙澤為燕王，乃復以瑯邪予齊，復故地。
When the Empress Dowager died, the King of Langya, Liu Ze, declared: 'The emperor is young. The Lü clan holds power, and the house of Liu is isolated and vulnerable.' He raised his troops and conspired with the King of Qi to march west, intending to destroy the Lü clan. When they reached Liang, word came that the Han court had dispatched General Guan Ying to garrison Xingyang. Liu Ze sent his troops back to guard the western frontier and rode hard for Chang'an. The King of Dai had also arrived from his domain. The generals and ministers, together with the King of Langya, jointly enthroned the King of Dai as the new Son of Heaven. The new emperor then transferred Liu Ze to become the King of Yan and restored Langya to the kingdom of Qi, returning it to its former territory.
9
澤王燕二年，薨，謚為敬王。 傳子嘉，為康王。
After ruling Yan for two years, Liu Ze passed away and was posthumously titled King Jing, the Reverent. The throne passed to his son Jia, who became King Kang, the Tranquil.
10
至孫定國，與父康王姬姦，生子男一人。 奪弟妻為姬。 與子女三人姦。 定國有所欲誅殺臣肥如令郢人，郢人等告定國，定國使謁者以他法劾捕格殺郢人以滅口。 至元朔元年，郢人昆弟復上書具言定國陰事，以此發覺。 詔下公卿，皆議曰：「定國禽獸行，亂人倫，逆天，當誅。」 上許之。 定國自殺，國除為郡。
In the time of his grandson Dingguo, the prince committed adultery with his father King Kang's concubine, by whom he fathered a son. He also seized his younger brother's wife and took her as a concubine. He also committed incest with three of his own daughters. Dingguo wished to have a certain official killed, the magistrate of Feiru, a man from Ying. When this man and others reported Dingguo's crimes, Dingguo had the court usher bring trumped-up charges against them, arresting and killing the man from Ying to silence him. In the first year of the Yuanshuo era, the brothers of the man from Ying submitted another memorial laying out all of Dingguo's secret crimes, and the matter was at last brought to light. The case was referred to the high ministers, who all concluded: 'Dingguo's conduct is that of a beast. He has violated the bonds of human morality and defied the will of Heaven. He deserves execution.' The emperor gave his assent. Dingguo took his own life, and the kingdom was abolished and converted into a commandery.
11
太史公曰：荊王王也，由漢初定，天下未集，故劉賈雖屬疏，然以策為王，填江淮之閒。 劉澤之王，權激呂氏，然劉澤卒南面稱孤者三世。 事發相重，豈不為偉乎！
The Grand Historian remarks: The King of Jing owed his throne to the early days of the Han dynasty, when the realm had not yet been consolidated. Although Liu Jia was only distantly related to the imperial line, he was nonetheless made king as a matter of strategy, to anchor the region between the Yangtze and the Huai. Liu Ze's kingship arose from a stratagem that exploited the power of the Lü clan, yet his line ultimately sat upon the throne, facing south as sovereign, for three generations. That events unfolded in such momentous succession — is this not truly remarkable!