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Persons in Chinese History - Yu Qing 虞卿

Yu Qing 虞卿 (literally "The Minister of Yu") was a minister of the state of Zhao 趙 during the Warring States period 戰國 (5th cent-221 BCE). He served King Xiaocheng 趙孝成王 (r. 265-245) as senior minister (shangqing 上卿) and was enfeoffed with Yu 虞 (modern Pinglu 平陸, Shanxi). His personal name is not known. When the imminent war with Qin 秦 was apparent Yu Qing suggested calling for help to the states of Chu 楚 and Wei 魏, but King Xiaocheng refused. The effect was that the army of Qin crushed that of Zhao and besieged the capital of Zhao, Handan 邯鄲. The siege was only relieved with the help of Chu and Wei. The king of Zhao thereupon wanted to create a marriage alliance with Qin, for which reason some territory of Zhao would be ceded. Yu Qing warned the king not to do this. The king dispatched him to the state of Qi 齊 to establish an alliance against Qin. Later on Yu Qing gave up his post in Zhao to serve the king of Wei.
The imperial bibliography Yiwenzhi 藝文志 in the official dynastic history Hanshu 漢書 lists a 15 chapters long book Yushi chunqiu 虞氏春秋, which is unfortunately lost, except some fragments collected by the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Ma Guohan 馬國翰.


Source: Cang Xiuliang 倉修良 (ed. 1991). Shiji cidian 史記辭典, p. 600. Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe.

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December 2, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald · Mail