Zhao Wuxu (), also known by his
posthumous name
A posthumous name is an honorary Personal name, name given mainly to revered dead people in East Asian cultural sphere, East Asian culture. It is predominantly used in Asian countries such as China, Korea, Vietnam, Japan, Malaysia and Thailand. ...
as the Viscount Xiang of Zhao (趙襄子), was a leader of the Zhao clan in the
Jin state. During his tenure as clan leader of Zhao, he entered into an alliance with the Han (韓) and Wei (魏) clans, and annihilated the Zhi (知) clan in the
Battle of Jinyang
The Battle of Jinyang () was fought in modern-day Taiyuan between the elite families of the State of Jin, the house of Zhao and the house of Zhi (智), in the Spring and Autumn period of China. The other houses of Wei and Han first participat ...
.
Early life
Wuxu was born to a
Di (翟) slave of
Jianzi of Zhao
Jianzi (), is a traditional Chinese sport in which players aim to keep a heavily weighted shuttlecock in the air using their bodies apart from the hands, unlike in similar games such as peteca and indiaca. The primary origin of jianzi is an anc ...
(趙簡子). Despite his low status, his abilities gained the recognition of Gubu Ziqing (姑布子卿), an advisor of the house of Zhao, who recommended him to Jianzi. Gradually, Wuxu became Jianzi's favourite son. Once, Jianzi informed all his sons about a hidden treasure, a precious ''fu'' (符, a military seal) on Mount Chang (常山, modern
Mount Heng), and promised a reward for whoever recovered it first. While all others returned empty-handed, only Wuxu grasped his father's true meaning – the strategic terrains there served as a perfect basis for a military campaign against the state of
Dai, whose lands were considered the true prize. This event led Jianzi to name Wuxu as his successor, instead of the former heir, Bolu (伯魯).
In 464 BC,
Zhi Yao attacked
Zheng, and Wuxu was sent to assist him. While drunk, the Zhi leader hit Wuxu with a filled wine vessel. Wuxu's men asked to kill Zhi, to which Wuxu responded, "the reason why my father sent me is that I am capable of showing restraint".
[「君所以置毋卹，為能忍。」] Later, Zhi Yao asked Jianzi to disinherit Wuxu, but was refused.
As head of Zhao clan
Xiangzi succeeded as the head of the house of Zhao in 458 BC. Soon, he invited the ruler of Dai, who was married to Xiangzi's sister, to a banquet where he had the Dai king assassinated. The king's consort committed suicide, and Xiangzi proceeded to conquer Dai. Later, he enfeoffed the lands of Dai to Zizhou (子周), son of the now deceased Bolu.
In 454 BC, the houses of Zhi, Zhao,
Han and
Wei jointly divided the lands formerly held by the houses Fan (范) and Zhonghang (中行). This act angered
Duke Chu of Jin, who requested the states
Qi and
Lu to punish the four families. In return, the four houses attacked Duke Chu. The Duke of Jin fled to Qi and died on his way. Zhi Yao selected Jiao (驕) as the new ruler, later known as
Duke Yi of Jin. Afterwards, Zhi demanded land from Zhao, Wei and Han, among which only Zhao refused.
Zhi, along with his allies Han and Wei, declared war on Zhao and
laid siege to Jinyang (晉陽). During the battle, Xiangzi sent his prime minister Zhang Meng (張孟) to Han and Wei, who successfully persuaded the two families to switch to Zhao's side. After the war, the house of Zhi was destroyed, and Zhao became the most powerful house in Jin.
Xiangzi died after 33 years of reign. After his death, Zizhou's son Huan (浣), later known as
Marquess Xian of Zhao (趙獻侯), succeeded him.
Notes
References
*''
Records of the Grand Historian
The ''Shiji'', also known as ''Records of the Grand Historian'' or ''The Grand Scribe's Records'', is a Chinese historical text that is the first of the Twenty-Four Histories of imperial China. It was written during the late 2nd and early 1st ce ...
'', Chapter 43.
{{Monarchs of Zhao (state)
Monarchs of Zhao (state)
Zhou dynasty nobility
425 BC deaths