楚元王世家

Prince Yuan of Chu, Liu Jiao, was the youngest full brother of Emperor Gaozu. His courtesy name was You.

Emperor Gaozu had four brothers. The eldest, Bo, died young. In the early days, when the future emperor was still a commoner, he would often evade his labor duties and bring guests to his eldest sister-in-law's house to eat. The sister-in-law resented her brother-in-law. Whenever he arrived with guests, she would pretend the soup was finished and scrape the pot, so the guests would leave. But afterward, when they looked in the pot, there was still soup. From then on, Gaozu bore a grudge against her. When Gaozu became emperor and enfeoffed his brothers, Bo's son alone received no fief. The Grand Supreme Emperor raised the matter, and Gaozu said: "It is not that I forgot to enfeoff him — it is because his mother was not a person of good character." He then enfeoffed Bo's son Xin as Marquis of Gengjie — "Soup-Scraping" Marquis. He made his next eldest brother Zhong king of Dai.

In the sixth year of Gaozu's reign, having captured the King of Chu, Han Xin, at Chen, he made his younger brother Jiao King of Chu, with his capital at Pengcheng. Jiao reigned twenty-three years and died. His son, King Yi, Ying, succeeded him.

In the twentieth year of King Wu's reign, in winter, he was found guilty of conducting an illicit affair during the mourning period for Empress Dowager Bo, and his Donghai commandery was stripped away. In spring, Wu conspired with the King of Wu to rebel. His chancellor Zhang Shang and Grand Tutor Zhao Yiwu remonstrated, but he refused to listen. Wu killed Zhang Shang and Zhao Yiwu, raised troops, and joined Wu in attacking westward against Liang, breaking through the Jubi fortifications. They reached the area south of Changyi and engaged the Han general Zhou Yafu. The Han cut the Wu-Chu supply lines. The soldiers starved. The King of Wu fled; King Wu of Chu killed himself, and his army surrendered to the Han.

After the Han had pacified Wu and Chu, Emperor Jing wished to install the son of the Marquis of De to continue Wu's line, and a son of Prince Yuan named Li to continue Chu's line. Empress Dowager Dou said: "The King of Wu was an old man who should have been a loyal pillar of the imperial house. Instead he led the Seven Kingdoms into rebellion and threw All-Under-Heaven into chaos — how can we continue his line!" She forbade the continuation of Wu but permitted the restoration of Chu. At that time, Li was serving as Director of the Imperial Clan. He was appointed King of Chu and charged with maintaining Prince Yuan's ancestral temple — this was King Wen of Chu.

King Wen reigned three years and died. His son King An, Dao, succeeded. King An reigned twenty-two years and died. His son King Xiang, Zhu, succeeded. King Xiang reigned fourteen years and died. His son King Chun succeeded. In the second year of the Dijie era, a palace attendant submitted a memorial accusing King Chun of plotting rebellion. The king killed himself, the state was abolished, and it was incorporated into the Han as Pengcheng commandery.

King Sui of Zhao — his father was Gaozu's middle son, named You, posthumously titled "the Dark." King You died of grief, hence the posthumous name "Dark." Empress Dowager Lü made Lü Lu king of Zhao. After one year, the empress dowager died. The great ministers put Lü Lu and the other Lü clan members to death, and installed King You's son Sui as King of Zhao.

In the second year after Emperor Wen took the throne, he enfeoffed Sui's younger brother Biqiang, carving out Zhao's Hejian commandery for him as King of Hejian — he became King Wen. He reigned thirteen years and died. His son King Ai, Fu, succeeded. Fu reigned one year and died without an heir. The line was cut off, the state was abolished, and it reverted to the Han.

Sui had been king of Zhao for twenty-six years when, during Emperor Jing's reign, Chao Cuo's policy of territorial reduction was applied to strip Zhao of its Changshan commandery. When Wu and Chu rebelled, King Sui of Zhao joined the conspiracy and raised troops. His chancellor Jiande and Prefect of the Capital Wang Han remonstrated, but he would not listen. Sui burned Jiande and Wang Han alive, mobilized his forces, and stationed them on his western border, intending to wait for the armies of Wu before advancing west together. He sent envoys north to the Xiongnu, seeking an alliance to attack the Han. The Han dispatched the Marquis of Quzhou, Li Ji, to strike him. King Sui of Zhao fell back and defended Handan behind its walls. The standoff lasted seven months. Wu and Chu were defeated in Liang and could not advance west. When the Xiongnu heard this, they too halted and refused to cross the Han frontier. Luan Bu returned from crushing Qi, combined his forces, and diverted a river to flood Zhao's walls. The walls collapsed. The King of Zhao killed himself, and Handan surrendered. The line of King You of Zhao was extinguished.

The Grand Historian remarks: When a state is about to rise, there are always auspicious signs — worthy men are employed and petty men withdraw. When a state is about to perish, the wise go into hiding and treacherous ministers are honored. Had King Wu of Chu not punished Master Shen, had he heeded his counsel — had Zhao employed Fang and the Elder — would there have been plots of usurpation and murder, bringing disgrace upon them before All-Under-Heaven? Worthy men, worthy men! Without the right substance within, how can one employ them? How profoundly true: "Security and peril lie in the edicts one issues; survival and ruin lie in those one appoints." These words are truly so!

The Han enfeoffed its kinsmen; Chu earned a fine name. After Han Xin was eliminated, they ruled at Pengcheng. Master Mu set out sweet wine; Wei Meng composed his admonitions. King Wu abandoned virtue and joined arms with Wu. The Empress Dowager appointed Li, for Chu's guilt was light. Wen and Xiang succeeded in turn, an age of talent. But how did Sui of Zhao come to destroy his own reputation! The signs of rise and fall — whom one appoints must be clear.