Fan Ju

Fan Ju (Chinese: 范雎; pinyin: Fàn Jū; Wade–Giles: Fan Chü),^[1][2] courtesy name Shu, was born in Ruicheng County (in present-day Shanxi Province). He was a Warring States-era politician and military strategist from the State of Wei, who later served as Chancellor of Qin under King Zhao of Qin. His fief was in Yingcheng (present-day Lushan County, Henan Province), and he was therefore also known as the Marquis of Ying (應侯).

Name

Sui (睢)

The Records of the Grand Historian refers to him as Fan Sui (范睢), using the character with the radical "目". According to the Zizhi Tongjian, in the 45th year of King Nan of Zhou: "Fan Sui was sent...". Hu Sanxing annotated: "Sui is pronounced 'sui' (suī)".

Ju (雎)

The Han Feizi, chapter "Wai Chu Shuo", refers to him as Fan Ju (范雎), pronounced like "Ju" (jū). Wang Xianshen quotes Gu Guangqi as saying: "Fan Ju and Fan Qie are the same person; the characters Ju (雎) and Qie (且) are interchangeable."

In Tongjian Notes and Corrections by Qian Daxin, it is stated: "In the Wu Liang Shrine reliefs, he is referred to as Fan Qie. Since 雎 and 且 are the same character, the use of the 'eye radical' (目) is erroneous; reading it as 'sui' is a serious mistake."

Biography

Fan Ju was a collateral member of the Wei ruling clan.^[3] Skilled in debate, he initially sought office in Wei, but due to poverty and lack of connections, he became a retainer of Xu Jia, a middle-level official. During a diplomatic mission to the State of Qi, he was falsely accused of treason. Upon return to Wei, he was nearly beaten to death by the chancellor Wei Qi, and humiliated by being thrown into a latrine. Rescued by Zheng Anping, he assumed the alias Zhang Lu and fled with the help of the Qin emissary Wang Ji (or on recommendation from Lord Mengchang).

After meeting King Zhaoxiang of Qin, Fan Ju proposed the strategy of "allying with distant states and attacking nearby ones", criticizing general Wei Ran for bypassing Han and Wei to attack Qi. Fan Ju advised Qin to focus on conquering Wei and Han while maintaining friendly ties with distant states like Qi.

Fan Ju was appointed as a guest minister and later recommended the centralization of royal power. In 266 BC, King Zhaoxiang removed the queen dowager from power and exiled the four powerful nobles — Lords of Rang, Wan, Deng, and Hua — beyond Hangu Pass, reducing their influence. Fan Ju was then promoted to Chancellor and granted a fief in Ying (modern-day southwest Baofeng County, Henan), becoming the Marquis of Ying.

Known for his intense emotions and strong sense of vengeance, Fan Ju humiliated Xu Jia upon gaining power and forced Wei Qi to commit suicide. He later appointed Zheng Anping as a general and Wang Ji as governor of Hedong as a reward for their help.

In 262 BC, Qin general Bai Qi captured Yewang County from Han, turning Shangdang Commandery into an isolated Han exclave. Under Fan Ju’s insistence, the Han king ceded Shangdang to Qin. However, the local commander Jin Dou refused to surrender and was replaced by Feng Ting, who defected to the State of Zhao instead. Furious, King Zhaoxiang ordered Bai Qi to invade Zhao. After three years of deadlock, Fan Ju’s intrigue led Zhao to replace competent general Lian Po with the inexperienced Zhao Kuo, resulting in Qin’s massive victory at the Battle of Changping.

Bai Qi urged total conquest of Zhao, but Fan Ju recommended rest for the army. King Zhaoxiang agreed, missing the best opportunity to defeat Zhao. Bai Qi, disappointed, refused further commands and was eventually exiled. On Fan Ju’s warning that Bai Qi might defect, King Zhaoxiang ordered him to commit suicide.

As Bai Qi had warned, the Qin army failed to conquer Zhao. In 259 BC, Qin besieged Zhao’s capital Handan, but was defeated by Lord Xinling of Wei. Zheng Anping surrendered to Zhao after defeat.

In 255 BC, Wang Ji was executed for treason, and Fan Ju lost the king’s favor. He resigned, recommended Cai Ze as his successor, and retired to his fief. He died shortly after — some accounts say he was executed for recommending an unsuitable official.^[4]

References

1. "Did Qin Shi Huang die at 51? Errors in the "Records of the Grand Historian"". Jiangsu News Network. 2013-11-30. Archived from the original on 2013-12-03. Retrieved 2018-06-16.
2. "Professor spent 8 years finding errors in "Records of the Grand Historian": Qin Shi Huang did not live to 51". Yangtze Evening News. 2013-11-30. Archived from the original on 2021-02-10. Retrieved 2013-11-30.
3. Strategies of the Warring States – Qin III: "He was used as a retainer of Liang."
4. The Yunmeng Qin Bamboo Slips record: "In the 52nd year of King Zhaoxiang, Wang Ji and Zhang Lu (Fan Ju) died."