- Wu Zixu
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Names Style Name: Wŭ Zĭxū Chinese: 伍子胥 Family name: Wu Chinese: 伍 Given name: Yun[1] Traditional Chinese: 員 Simplified Chinese: 员 Wu 吳 Kingdom title: Shenxu Chinese: 申胥 Tang 唐 Dynasty title: Heroic and Upright King Hanyu Pinyin: Yingliewang Chinese: 英烈王 As river god: "God of Waves" Chinese: 濤神 
Statue of Wu Zixu in Suzhou
- Note: names are in simplified characters followed by traditional and Pinyin transliteration.
Wu Yun[1] (simplified Chinese: 伍员; traditional Chinese: 伍員; ?–484 BCE), better known by his style name Zixu (Chinese: 子胥), is the most famous ancestor of people with the surname of Wu (伍). All branches of the Wu clans claim him as their "first ancestor". He lived in the Spring and Autumn era (722–481 BCE) of Chinese history.
Contents
Classical sources
The historical records of Wu are found in the famous Chinese classics: Historical Records (史記; Shǐjì) by Sima Qian, The Art of War by Sun Tzu and The Annals of Lü Buwei. He is also mentioned in Guliang Zhuan and Gongyang Zhuan[2]. The accounts differ, showing the high level of folklorization of the character.
Biography
Wu Zixu was a famous Chinese scholar and military general who fought for the state of Wu during the Spring and Autumn Period in China. Since his death, Wu Zixu has evolved into a model of loyalty in the culture of China.
Early life
Wu Zixu was the second son of Wu She (伍奢), the royal tutor of the crown prince Jian of the state of Chu (楚). In 522 BCE, Fei Wuji a corrupt official was sent to Qin to select a bride for the prince. The King Ping of Chu (楚) received a princess from Qin (秦) as a bride for his son, but decided to keep her for himself upon seeing her beauty. Fei Wuji, having gained favor from the King, convinced King Ping that Wu She, the prince's Grand Tutor, and the crown prince himself would start a rebellion due to the bride from Qin. Fei Wuji persuaded the monarch to execute him. Before his death, Wu She was forced under duress to send a letter to his sons, Wu Shang (伍尚) and Wu Zixu, that asked them to join him in capital. While both realized that this was a trap, Wu Shang decided to go to the capital to die with his father. Wu Zixu, promising revenge, fled the country.
Escape
Wu Zixu, along with Prince Jian's surviving son, Wu Sheng, hoped to flee to the ste of Wu. Wu Zixu, however, was a wanted man. He and the young prince were constantly pursued by soldiers. King Ping also ordered a very tight border control in hopes of catching Wu Zixu. As Wu Zixu approached Zhaoguan (昭关), the last pass to state of Wu (吳), he sought the help of the physician Donggao Gong (东皋公), who recognized him as Wu She's son. Donggao Gong felt deep sympathy for Wu Zixu's plight and offered his help in escaping across the border.
According to legend, Donggao Gong gave refuge to Wu Zixu in his home for a week. Under enormous stress, Wu Zixu's hair turned completely white and his facial features aged greatly. The change was a blessing in disguise and Wu Zixu was able to escape and head to the state of Wu (吳).
Campaign Against the State of Chu
Main article: Battle of BojuIn the state of Wu (吳), Wu Zixu found favor with crown prince Guang (光) and served him until the prince ascended the throne as King Helü (闔閭). Wu Zixu was appointed to a high ranking government position and led the design and building of a "Great City" that evolved into present-day Suzhou. His city planning was said to have incorporated the environmental harmony between earth and water and the cosmic balance between celestial and terrestrial forces.
At the same time, Wu Zixu also assisted the King in his military campaign. In 506 BCE, King Helü appointed Sun Tzu (of The Art of War fame) as chief commander and Wu Zixu and Bo Pi as vice-commanders of the Wu army. With these appointments, King Helu dispatched an army to attack the State of Chu. Although Chu had a strong army led by Nang Wa and Shen Yinshu, it suffered a heavy defeat at the Battle of Boju. The king of Chu fled to Sui and the Wu army captured Ying, Chu's capital.
After entering the city of Yingdu, Wu Zixu sought out King Ping's grave. The last surviving tomb builder (the rest were supposedly killed after the tomb's construction so the location would remain a secret) reached out to Wu Zixu and revealed to him that the tomb was at the bottom of a lake. Wu Zixu ordered the draining of the lake, exhumed the King's corpse, and gave it to 300 lashes to exact vengeance.
The military victory led to Wu Zixu's elevation to Duke of Shen (申). subsequently, he was known by the name of Shen Xu (申胥).
Death
Bo Pi, whose grandfather had also been unjustly killed in state of Chu (楚), came to the state of Wu. Against warnings about Bo Pi's character, Wu Zixu recommended him to the king of Wu, who made Bo Pi a minister.
After the passing of King Helü, Wu Zixu did not earn the trust of Fuchai (夫差), the new monarch of Wu. Wu Zixu saw the long-term danger of King Goujian (勾踐) of Yue (越) and advised the king to conquer that state. The King, however, listened instead to Bo Pi, who had been bribed by the Yue state. Concerned with the safety of the kingdom, Wu Zixu pleaded with the king to take action against Yue but was ignored. The King gave Wu Zixu a a sword and ordered him to commit suicide under the pretext of sabotage. Before he committed suicide, Wu Zixu asked King Fuchai to remove his eyes after his death and hang them on the city gate so that he could watch the capture of the Wu capital by the Yue army.
Ten years after Wu Zixu's death, as Wu Zixu had predicted, King Goujian (勾踐) of Yue (越) conquered the state of Wu. Faced with the demise of his state, King Fuchai committed suicide. He lamented that he did not heed the counsel of Wu Zixu and covered his face as he died because he dared not face Wu in the afterlife.
Cultural impact
Some Chinese believe that the Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and usually associated with the poet Qu Yuan (屈原), actually commemorates the death of Wu Zixu, whose body was thrown into the river near Suzhou after his forced suicide.
After Wu She's imprisonment, the king ordered the executions of both Wu She and his eldest son, Wu Shang (伍尚). Although Wu Zixu's desire to avenge his father has often caused him to be seen as a filial son, his action was in fact ambiguous according to the morality of the times, as can be seen by the choice of his brother to accept his father's will and go to his death. This is an ambiguity that is used by Sima Qian in the Shi Ji in order to reflect on Sima Qian's own choice to accept castration for the sake of a greater goal rather than take the honorable path of suicide.
In some parts of China, Wu Zixu is worshiped as a river god, with the title of "God of Waves" (濤神).
A Memorial in honor of Wu Zixu was recently built in Suzhou.[3]
Various plays exist in Peking Opera and other local operas based on Wu Zixu's story, among them Wen Zhaoguan (文昭关).
Footnotes
- ^ a b Yún is the correct pronunciation of Wu Zixu's given name (), not Yuán. See [1] and [2].
- ^ Durrant, The Cloudy Mirror, p.182 n.35
- ^ http://www.engfamily.org/wu-zixu-memorial-suzhou
See also
External links
Media related to Wu Zixu at Wikimedia Commons- The Story of Ng Gee Sui
- Biography of Wu Zixu, Shiji Vol. 66, in Chinese (Wikisource)
Categories:- Chinese people
- Chinese politicians
- Zhou Dynasty people
- 526 BC births
- 484 BC deaths
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