King Cheng of Chu
{{Short description|Ruler of Chu state from 671–626 BC}}
{{Infobox royalty
|image = File:Zheng Mao.png
|caption = Qing dynasty woodblock print showing King Cheng with Zheng Mao.
|name = King Cheng of Chu
楚成王
|full name = {{plainlist|
- Ancestral name: Mǐ (羋)
- Lineage name: Xióng (熊)
- Given name: Yùn (惲)}}
|title =
|succession = King of Chu
|predecessor = Du'ao
|successor = King Mu
|reign = 671–626 BC
|death_date = 626 BC
|posthumous name = King Cheng (成王)
|father = King Wen
|mother = Xi Gui (息媯)
|consort = Zheng Mao
|issue = King Mu
Xiong Zhi (熊職)
|house = Mi
|dynasty = Chu
}}
King Cheng of Chu ({{zh|c=楚成王|p=Chǔ Chéng Wáng}}), personal name Xiong Yun, was a ruler of the Chu state, ruling from 671 BC to 626 BC.{{Cite Shiji |40| zhu=y | chapter= 楚世家 | chapter-url=http://www.guoxue123.com/shibu/0101/00sj/040.htm }}
In 672 BC, King Cheng's older brother, Du'ao, attempted to have him killed. King Cheng escaped to the Sui state. He then attacked and killed Du'ao with the help of Sui, and succeeded Du'ao as king of Chu.
Life
In the summer of 648 BC, the State of Huang was annexed by the state of Chu.{{cite book|editor3-last= Schaberg | editor3-first= David | editor2-last= Li | editor2-first=Wai-yee | editor1-last= Durrant | editor1-first= Stephen | editor1-link= Stephen Durrant | editor3-link= David Schaberg | publisher= University of Washington Press | title= Zuo Tradition. Zuozhuan. 左傳: Commentary on the "Spring and Autumn Annals" | isbn = 978-0-295-999159 | date= 2016 | chapter = Lord Xi 12 (648 BCE) | pages= 304–307 |quote=黃人恃諸侯之睦于齊也，不共楚職，曰，自郢及我，九百里，焉能害我。夏，楚滅黃。 | trans-quote= The Huang leaders, counting on the fact that the princes were on friendly terms with Qi, did not present tribute to Chu, saying "It is nine hundred {{lang|zh|li}} from Ying to our domain. How can they harm us?" In summer, Chu extinguished Huang. }}
See also [http://www2.iath.virginia.edu/saxon/servlet/SaxonServlet?source=xwomen/texts/chunqiu.xml&style=xwomen/xsl/dynaxml.xsl&chunk.id=d2.11&toc.depth=1&toc.id=0&doc.lang=bilingual Legge translation] (with modifications from Andrew Miller).
King Cheng's wife was Zheng Mao.{{cite book | title=Biographical dictionary of Chinese women: antiquity through Sui, 1600 B.C.E.–618 C.E |author1=Lily Xiao Hong Lee |author2=A.D. Stefanowska | year=2007 | publisher=M.E. Sharpe, Inc }} Their son was possibly King Mu of Chu.
The Shiji gives a detailed account of the events surrounding King Cheng's succession and untimely end. In the forty-sixth year of his reign (626 BC), Cheng wanted to make Shangchen (商臣), the future King Mu, his crown prince. Lingyin (title for prime minister of Chu) Zishang (子上) advised against this, fearing that there were many contenders for the position and that, if the king were to change his mind and act to replace the crown prince, a disturbance would ensue. He also warned the king that Shangchen was a cruel and fierce man who was unsuitable for the position. Not heeding the advice, King Cheng made Shangchen his crown prince.
Soon, the king did indeed change his mind, and rumors spread that the crown prince was about to be deposed, and another son Zhi (職) was going to be made the new crown prince. The crown prince was unsure whether to believe the rumors. His tutor advised him to throw a banquet for the king's favorite concubine but to treat her disrespectfully during the banquet. The prince did what was suggested, and the concubine, angered by her poor treatment, told the crown prince, "It is suitable that the king wants to kill you and make Zhi his crown prince!" Now sure of the king's intentions, the prince's tutor asked him, "Are you able to serve under Zhi?" "No," he answered. "Are you able to go into exile?" "No," he answered. Finally, he asked, "Are you able to do something big?" "Yes," the prince replied.
During the tenth month, Shangchen led palace troops to surround King Cheng and force him to commit suicide. King Cheng asked to eat a bear paw before dying, but he was rebuffed. On day dingwei, King Cheng hanged himself, and Shangchen ascended the throne.
References
{{Reflist}}
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{{s-hou|House of Mi||||626 BC||name=King Cheng of Chu}}
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{{s-bef|before=Du'ao}}
{{s-ttl|title=King of Chu|years=671–626 BC}}
{{s-aft|after=King Mu of Chu}}
{{end}}
{{Monarchs of Chu (state)}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheng of Chu, King}}
Category:Monarchs of Chu (state)
Category:7th-century BC Chinese monarchs
Category:Year of birth unknown
Category:Suicides by hanging in China
Category:Forced suicides of Chinese people
Category:7th-century BC murdered monarchs
Category:Assassinated Chinese politicians
Category:Suicides in the Spring and Autumn period
Category:Assassinated Chinese heads of state
Category:Heads of state who died by suicide