Lord Pingyuan 平原君 (www.chinaknowledge.de)

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Zhou Dynasty

Dec 11, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

Lord Pingyuan 平原君 (d. 251 BCE), personal name Zhao Sheng 趙勝, also called "Ducal Son" Sheng 公子勝, was a high minister in the state of Zhao 趙 during the late Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent-221 BCE).

He was a son of King Wuling 趙武靈王 (r. 325-299) and brother of king Huiwen 趙惠文王 (r. 298-266), to whom and whose successor, King Xiaocheng 趙孝成王 (r. 265-245), he served as Counsellor-in-chief. Zhao Sheng was fond of wandering philosophers, disputers and worthies of all kinds, and assembled several thousand of them at his court.

He was first made governor (taishou 太守) of Dongwu 東武. After the disastrous battle of Changping 長平, the army of Qin 秦 besieged the capital of Zhao, Handan 邯鄲. In this situation Zhao Sheng used all his fortune to bring relief for the refugees and to assemble a new army that was able to withstand the army of Qin for three years. Only then he looked for help from the state of Wei 魏. A joint army of Wei and Chu 楚 was able to liberate Handan. In later years Zhao Sheng was given the title of Lord of Pingyuan.

Sources:

Cang Xiuliang 倉修良, ed. (1991). Shiji cidian 史記辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 629.

Huang Banghe 黃邦和, Pi Mingxiu 皮明庥, ed. (1987). Zhong-wai lishi renwu cidian 中外歷史人物詞典 (Changsha: Hunan renmin chubanshe), 68.

Yi Xingguo 衣興國, ed. (1988). Shiyong Zhongguo mingren cidian 實用中國名人辭典 (Changchun: Jilin wenshi chubanshe), 94.

Zhang Ke 張克, Huang Kangbo 黃康白, Huang Fangdong 黃方東, ed. (1991). Shiji renming cidian 史記人物辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 196.

Zhuang Hanxin 莊漢新, Guo Juyuan 郭居園, ed. (1991). Zhongguo gujin renming da cidian 中國古今名人大辭典 (Beijing: Jingguan jiaoyu chubanshe), 98.