Wu Zixu

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Names
Portrait of Wu Zixü
Style Name:	Wu Zixu
Chinese:	伍子胥
Cantonese:	Ng Gee-sui
Family name:	Wu
Chinese:	伍
Cantonese:	Ng
Given name:	Yuan
Traditional Chinese:	員
Simplified Chinese:	员
Cantonese:	Yuen
As Duke of Shen:	Shenxü
Chinese:	申胥
Cantonese:	Sun-sui
Tang 唐 Dynasty title:	Heroic and Upright King
Hanyu Pinyin:	Yingliewang
Chinese:	英烈王
Cantonese:	Ying Lit Wong
As river god:	"God of Waves"
Chinese:	濤神

Wu Zixü/Ng Gee-sui (Chinese: 伍子胥;? - 484 BC) , also known as Wu Yuan/Ng Yuen (Simplified Chinese: 伍员; Traditional Chinese: 伍員), is the most famous ancestor of the Wu/Ng clan. (All transliteration of names is in the format Pinyin/Cantonese, e.g., Wu Yuan/Ng Yuen.) All branches of the Wu/Ng clan claim him as their "first ancestor." He lived in the Spring and Autumn era (722 BC - 481 BC) of Chinese history. The historical records of Wu/Ng are found in two famous Chinese classics: Historical Records (Shiji)/See-gei (Simplified Chinese: 史记; Traditional Chinese: 史記; pinyin: Shǐjì) by Sima Qian/See-ma Chin (Simplified Chinese: 司马迁; Traditional Chinese: 司馬遷) and The Art of War by Sun-tzu/Suen Gee (Simplified Chinese: 孙子; Traditional Chinese: 孫子; pinyin: Sūnzǐ) or (Simplified Chinese: 孙武; Traditional Chinese: 孫武; pinyin: Sūnwǔ).

1 Biography of Wu Zixü
2 Wu Zixü as a historical figure
3 See also
4 External links

[edit] Biography of Wu Zixü

Wu/Ng was born the second son of Wu She/Ng Che (Chinese: 伍奢), who was the royal tutor in the state of Chu/Choh (Chinese: 楚). Unfortunately, the king, misled by false reports of rebellion plots, ordered the execution of Wu She/Ng Che. Wu Zixü/Ng Gee-sui fled to the state of Wu/Ng (Simplified Chinese: 吴; Traditional Chinese: 吳). (Note: this name is a homonym, different from the surname of Wu Zixü/Ng Gee-sui.) He found favor with Prince Guang/Gwong (Chinese: 光). After the prince ascended the throne of Wu/Ng and became King Helü/Hup-lui (Simplified Chinese: 阖闾; Traditional Chinese: 闔閭), he began to use Wu Zixü/Ng Gee-sui in great projects. The king assigned him to lead the design and building of the "great city," which evolved into the Suzhou/So-jau (Simplified Chinese: 苏州; Traditional Chinese: 蘇州) of today. His design was said to have incorporated the environmental harmony between earth and water and the cosmic balance between celestial and terrestrial forces. At the same time, he also assisted the king in building up military might. In 506 BC he and Sun-tzu/Suen Gee helped the king to launch major offensives against the state of Chu/Choh. They prevailed in five battles and conquered the capital of Ying/Ying (Chinese: 郢). This victory led to Wu's/Ng's elevation to Duke of Shen/Sun (Chinese: 申); subsequently, he was known by the name of Shenxü/Sun-sui (Chinese: 申胥).

After the passing of King Helü/Hup-lui, Wu/Ng did not earn the trust of Fuchai/Foo-chai (Chinese: 夫差), the new king of Wu/Ng. In particular, he saw the long-term danger of King Goujian/Ngau-chin (Simplified Chinese: 句践; Traditional Chinese: 句踐) of Yue/Yuet (Chinese: 越) and advised the king to conquer that state. But the king listened instead to Bo Pi, an imperial minister who was bribed by the state of Yue/Yuet, and he gave a sword to Wu/Ng to commit suicide on the alleged ground of sabotage. In a short ten years after his death, all his advice turned out to be prophetic: the state of Wu/Ng was conquered by King Goujian/Ngau-chin. At the demise of his state, before King Fuchai/Foo-Chai committed suicide, he lamented that his did not heed the wise counsel of Wu/Ng.

[edit] Wu Zixü as a historical figure

Some Chinese believe that the Dragon Boat Festival, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month and usually associated with the poet Qu Yuan /Wut Yuen(Chinese: 屈原), actually commemorates the death of Wu Zixü, whose body was thrown into the river near Suzhou after his forced suicide.

After Wu She's imprisonment, the king ordered the executions of both Wu She and his eldest son, Wu Shang/Ng Seung (Chinese: 伍尚). Because of Wu Zixu's constant desire to avenge the unjust deaths of his father and brother, he is considered an example of filial piety.

In some parts of China, Wu Zixü is worshiped as a river god, with the title of "God of Waves", (Chinese: 濤神).