King Xi of Yan

Xi, King of Yan (燕王喜) (?–?) (ruled 255–222 BC) was the last sovereign of the state of

Yan Yan may refer to: Chinese states * Yan (state) (11th century – 222 BC), a major state in northern China during the Zhou dynasty * Yan (Han dynasty kingdom), first appearing in 206 BC * Yan (Three Kingdoms kingdom), officially claimed indepe ...

in the last days

Warring States period The Warring States period () was an era in History of China#Ancient China, ancient Chinese history characterized by warfare, as well as bureaucratic and military reforms and consolidation. It followed the Spring and Autumn period and concluded ...

Chinese history The earliest known written records of the history of China date from as early as 1250 BC, from the Shang dynasty (c. 1600–1046 BC), during the reign of king Wu Ding. Ancient historical texts such as the ''Book of Documents'' (early chapter ...

. He was the son of

King Xiao of Yan King Xiao of Yan (, died 255 BC), ancestral name Jī (姬), clan name Yān (燕), personal name unknown, was the seventh king of the state of Yan in Warring States period of Chinese history. He ruled the kingdom between 257 BC until his death in ...

(燕孝王). He was born as Ji Xi (姬喜), the same name of

King Lie of Zhou King Lie of Zhou (), personal name Ji Xi, was the thirty-fourth king of the Chinese Zhou dynasty and the twenty-second of Eastern Zhou. He reigned from 375 BC to his death in 369 BC. His father was King An of Zhou King An of Zhou (), personal ...

(周烈王) and Count Yi of Cao (曹夷伯). In the 28th year of his reign (227 BC), the

State of Qin Qin () was an ancient Chinese state during the Zhou dynasty. Traditionally dated to 897 BC, it took its origin in a reconquest of western lands previously lost to the Rong; its position at the western edge of Chinese civilization permitted ex ...

began its conquest of Yan, and its army approached Yishui (易水), modern-day

Yi County, Hebei Yi County or Yixian () is a county in Hebei province of China, administratively under the jurisdiction of the prefecture-level city of Baoding. It has an area of . History This is the site where the assassin Jing Ke set off on his final journey ...

. Seeing the threatening situation in which the State of Yan was in,

Crown Prince Dan Crown Prince Dan () was a crown prince of the State of Yan during the Warring States period of ancient China. He was also called Yan Dan (). He lived in the State of Qin as a hostage, but returned to Yan in 232 BC. He sent Jing Ke to assassina ...

, King Xi's son, sent assassins

Jing Ke Jing Ke (died 227 BC) was a ''youxia'' during the late Warring States period of Ancient China. As a retainer of Crown Prince Dan of the Yan state, he was infamous for his failed assassination attempt on King Zheng of the Qin state, who later beca ...

Qin Wuyang Qin Wuyang (秦舞陽) was a young man who followed Jing Ke when the latter went on the mission to assassinate Ying Zheng, the king of Qin. Both Jing and Qin were first disguised as envoys from Yan and were there to present the severed head of "Fan ...

and others to kill the Qin king

Ying Zheng Qin Shi Huang (, ; 259–210 BC) was the founder of the Qin dynasty and the first emperor of a unified China. Rather than maintain the title of "king" ( ''wáng'') borne by the previous Shang and Zhou rulers, he ruled as the First Emperor ( ...

, under the guise of presenting him with a map of Dukang (督亢) and the severed head of the Qin general

Huan Yi Huan Yi was a general of the state of Qin in the late Warring States period (5th century – 221 BCE). Background General Pang Nuan of Zhao occupied several towns of the state of Yan in 236 BCE, whereupon Yan asked the state of Qin for help. Hu ...

. As Jingke unrolled the map in front of the king, the dagger was revealed, and the assassination failed. This failure only helped to fuel the rage and determination of the Qin king. He increased the number of troops sent to conquer the state of Yan and ordered Wang Jian to destroy Yan. The bulk of the Yan army was at the frozen Yishui River. The Yan army was defeated in 226 BC and the Yan ruler, King Xi, fled to the Liaodong Commandery. To appease the King of Qin, King Xi had his own son executed by decapitation, and his head presented to the king. In 222 BC Liaodong fell as well, and Yan was totally conquered by Qin under the general

Wang Ben Wang Ben 王賁, was a Chinese general of the state of Qin during the Warring States period. He was a son of the better known general Wang Jian. He played a key role in the Qin's wars of unification. Life In 225 BCE, a 600,000 strong Qin army ...

(王賁), the son of Wang Jian. King Xi of Yan was captured alive, and his fate is not known. Yan was the third last state to fall, and with its destruction the fate of the remaining two Chinese kingdoms was sealed. Monarchs of Yan (state) 222 BC deaths Chinese kings Yan (state) Zhou dynasty nobility Year of birth unknown 3rd-century BC Chinese monarchs {{China-royal-stub