Fei Yi 肥義 (www.chinaknowledge.de)

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Zhou Dynasty

Jul 22, 2019 © Ulrich Theobald

Fei Yi 肥義 (d. 295) was a high minister in the regional state of Zhao 趙 during the Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent.-221 BCE). He belonged to a group of minister recommending to King Wuling 趙武靈王 (r. 326-299) to introduce mounted archery (qishe 騎射) and the use of "barbarian" short jackets (hufu 胡服) in order to fight the wild tribes on the norther border.

King Wuling decided to retire and had a younger son of his enthroned, King Huiwen 趙惠文王 (r. 299-266). Fei Yi was appointed Counsellor-in-chief (xiangguo 相國). The new king's older brother Prince Zhang 公子章 was invested a Lord of Anyang 安陽君 and should be controlled by his counsellor Tian Buli 田不禮.

Disappointed about this humiliation, Prince Zhang decided to take against against his younger brother, the King, and attempted to pursuasd Fei Yi to abdicate, but the latter refused. In 295, Prince Zhang rose in rebellion. He forged a royal edict by the "Sovereign's Father" (zhufu 主父) King Wuling to call King Huiwen to a conversation. Guessing that this might be a trap, Fei Yi decided to enter the chamber first, before the King, and was stabbed to death.

The rebellion of Prince Zhang was suppressed by Li Dui 李兌 and Prince Cheng 公子成.

Sources:

Huang Huixian 黃惠賢, ed. (1994). Ershiwushi renming da cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 2, 19.

Xiong Tieji 熊鐵基, Yang Youli 楊有禮, ed. (1994). Zhongguo diwang zaixiang cidian 中國帝王宰相辭典 (Wuhan: Hubei jiaoyu chubanshe), 452.

Zhang Jianhua 張建華, ed. (1996). Handan cidian 邯鄲辭典 (Beijing: Kexue puji chubanshe), 77.

Zhang Huizhi 張撝之, Shen Qiwei 沈起煒, Liu Dezhong 劉德重, ed (1999). Zhongguo lidai renming da cidian 中國歷代人名大辭典 (Shanghai: Shanghai guji chubanshe), Vol. 2, 1514.

Zhang Ke 張克, Huang Kangbai 黃康白, Huang Fangdong 黃方東, ed. (1991). Shiji renwu cidian 史記人物辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 180.