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Xi Zhaozi 郤昭子 Xi Zhi 郤至

Nov 6, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Xi Zhi 郤至 (died 574 BCE), also called Wen Ji 溫季 (because his territory was called Wen) or Jizi 季子, posthumous title Xi Zhaozi 郤昭子, was a nobleman in the state of Jin 晉 during the Spring and Autumn period 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE), and a member of the house of Xi 郤.

He was a son of Xi Ju 郤居 of Pucheng 蒲城, a descendant of Xi Bao 郤豹, and a nephew of Xi Chou 郤犨. He served the dukes Jing 晉景公 (r. 600-581) and Li 晉厲公 (r. 581-573) as a minister.

During the battle of Yanling 鄢陵 against Chu 楚, Xi Zhi was assistant commander of the new army (xinjun zuo 新軍佐). The Duke preferred his tactical plan to attack instantly instead that of Luan Shu 欒書 who preferred feigning a withdrawal. The Duke was so able to defeat Chu. Luan Shu from then on hated the victorious commander.

Xi Zhi and his relatives Xi Chou and Xi Qi 郤錡 became ever more arrogant, so that Duke Li ordered Xu Tong 胥童 and Yiyang Wu 夷陽五 to kill the "Three Xi" 三郤 (Xi Zhi, Xi Chou and Xi Qi).

Another relative, Xi Gou 郤鉤, was early informed about the planned assassination, yet he ordered his family not to rebel against the Duke because it would be better to express trustworthiness, wisdom and bravery. Xu Gou was later secretly killed by Xu Tong.

Sources:
Cang Xiuliang 倉修良, ed. (1991). Shiji cidian 史記辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 424.
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, 1756.
Zhang Ke 張克, Huang Kangbo 黃康白, Huang Fangdong 黃方東, ed. (1991). Shiji renwu cidian 史記人物辭典 (Nanning: Guangxi renmin chubanshe), 103.