ChinaKnowledge.de -
An Encyclopaedia on Chinese History, Literature and Art

Yu Qing 虞卿

Dec 2, 2010 © Ulrich Theobald

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 made governor (?) of the land of 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 desired to create a marriage alliance (meng 盟) 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, barring some fragments collected by the Qing period 清 (1644-1911) scholar Ma Guohan 馬國翰.

Sources:
Cang Xiuliang 倉修良, ed. (1991). Shiji cidian 史記辭典 (Jinan: Shandong jiaoyu chubanshe), 600.
Huang Huixian 黃惠賢, ed. (1997). Ershiwushi renming cidian 二十五史人名大辭典 (Zhengzhou: Zhongzhou guji chubanshe), Vol. 1, 27.
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), 454.