Liu Fei, Prince of Qi

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
(Redirected from Fei, Prince Daohui of Qi)
Not to be confused with Liu Fei, Prince of Jiangdu.
In this Chinese name, the family name is Liu.
Liu Fei
King/Prince of Qi
Reign201–late 190 BC
BornUnknown
Diedc.Nov 190 BC
Posthumous name
King Daohui of Qi (齊悼惠王)
FatherEmperor Gaozu of Han
MotherConsort Cao

Liu Fei (simplified Chinese: 刘肥; traditional Chinese: 劉肥), formally King Daohui of Qi (Chinese: 齊悼惠王; died c. November 190 BC[1]) was the eldest son of Liu Bang, Emperor Gaozu of Han, and Consort Cao—initially his mistress when they lived in the same village. After Liu Bang decisively defeated Xiang Yu in the Battle of Gaixia in 202 BC, he proclaimed himself the emperor of the new Han dynasty and named Liu Fei, his first son, the King of Qi.[2]

In c.December 194 BC,[3] when Liu Fei made an official visit to the capital, he and Emperor Hui of Han (his younger half-brother) both attended a feast put on by Empress Dowager Lü. Emperor Hui, honoring the prince as an older brother, asked him to take a seat at the table even more honored than his own. The empress dowager was greatly offended and instructed her servants to pour two cups of poisoned wine which were set on the table between the trio. She ordered Liu Fei to toast her, while ignoring Emperor Hui. As Liu Fei was about to drink the poisoned wine, Emperor Hui, knowing his mother's murderously jealous temperament and remembering how his other brother Liu Ruyi had died, suddenly reached for the second cup, which the Empress did not intend. (The second cup was a decoy, placed there only to suggest to Liu Fei that she would return his toast, as ritual required, although he would die immediately on drinking his, so she would not need to drink the other cup. Her resentment toward Liu Fei fully captured her attention and she did not even think of her son's presence.) Empress Dowager Lü jumped up and slapped the second cup away from Emperor Hui, spilling it. Liu Fei realized the trick and left, pretending to be already drunk. In the end, he was only able to leave the capital by offering to the Empress an entire commandery from his principality, to be the feudal estate of Princess Yuan of Lu. Empress Dowager Lü, who greatly loved her daughter as well, was pleased and let Liu Fei return to his principality.[4]

Family[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Emperor Hui's biography in Book of Han indicated that Liu Fei died on the xinchou day of the 10th month of the 6th year of Emperor Hui's reign. However, the month doesn't have a xinchou day; the month corresponds to 6 Nov to 5 Dec 190 BC in the proleptic Julian calendar.
  2. ^ Sima Qian. "齊悼惠王世家" [House of Prince Daohui of Qi]. Records of the Grand Historian (in Chinese). Vol. 52. Retrieved 12 July 2011.
  3. ^ Volume 12 of Zizhi Tongjian placed this incident in the 10th month of the 2nd year of Emperor Hui's reign, which corresponds to 20 Nov to 19 Dec 194 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar. In the modified Zhuanxu calendar used during this era, the 2nd year of Emperor Hui's reign starts from 20 Nov 194 BCE and ends on 8 Nov 193 BCE in the proleptic Julian calendar.
  4. ^ (齐悼惠王来朝，饮于太后前。帝以齐王，兄也，置之上坐。太后怒，酌鸩酒置前，赐齐王为寿。齐王起，帝亦起取卮；太后恐，自起泛帝卮。齐王怪之，因不敢饮，佯醉去；问知其鸩，大恐。齐内史士说王，使献城阳郡为鲁元公主汤沐邑。太后喜，乃罢归齐王。) Zizhi Tongjian, vol.12
Prince Daohui of Qi
 Died: 189 BC
Chinese royalty
Preceded by Prince of Qi
202 BC – 189 BC 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Liu_Fei,_Prince_of_Qi&oldid=1218129736"