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Xi Xianzi 郤獻子 Xi Ke 郤克

Nov 2, 2012 © Ulrich Theobald

Xi Ke 郤克 (died 587 BCE), also called Ju Bo 駒伯 or Xi Bo 郤伯 "the Earl of Xi", posthumous title Xi Xianzi 郤獻子, was a nobleman of the house of Xi 郤 in the state of Jin 晉 during the Spring and Autumn period 春秋 (770-5th cent. BCE).

He was a son of Xi Que 郤缺 and served Duke Jing of Jin 晉景公 (r. 600-581) as a minister. During the reign of Duke Cheng 晉成公 (r. 600-581), he was made grand master (dafu 大夫).

In 592, he was sent out to the court of the duke of Qi 齊 in order to prepare a general covenant (meng 盟) of the regional rulers (zhuhou 諸侯). At that time, Jisun Xingfu 季孫行父 (Ji Wenzi 季文子) of Lu 魯 and Weisun Liangfu 衛孫良夫 of Wei 衛 dwelled at the court of Duke Qing of Qi 齊頃公 (r. 599-582). These noble guests, as well as Duke Qing's mother laughed at the hunchback of Xi Ke. Highly enraged, he immediately left Qi and asked Duke Jing to attack Qi, but the Duke refused to risk a war.

In 589, Xi Ke was appointed counsellor, as successor of Shi Hui 士會 (Fan Wuzi 范武子). In the same year Qi attacked the state of Lu. Lu and Wei both asked the duke of Jin for support, and in spite of their former behaviour, Xi Ke was sent with 800 chariots to bring help. In the battle of An 鞍 (near modern Jinan 濟南, Shandong), the army of Qi was defeated.

In 588, Xi Ke conducted a campaign against the Red Di tribes 赤狄 of Qiangjiuru 廧咎如 (near modern Anyang 安陽, Hebei).

Sources:
Cang Xiuliang 倉修良, ed. (1991). Shiji cidian 史記辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 242.
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), 401.
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), 97.