Wu Zixu

Wu Zixu (date of birth unknown–484 BCE), personal name Yuan, also known as Yun, courtesy name Zixu, was a native of Chu. He was a senior official, military strategist, and tactician of the State of Wu in the late Spring and Autumn period, and the son of Wu She, a senior official of Chu.

Wu Zixu was originally from Chu. His father, Wu She, was executed by King Ping of Chu for speaking frankly, and Wu Zixu fled to Wu, where he entered the service of Prince Guang and helped plot the assassination of King Liao of Wu. In 514 BCE, after the successful assassination of Qingji, the son of King Liao, Wu Zixu rose to become Grand Steward of Wu. In 512 BCE, he proposed dividing the Wu army into three groups to attack Chu in rotation. In 506 BCE, Wu Zixu and Sun Wu defeated the main Chu forces at Boju and advanced all the way to Ying, the Chu capital. In 496 BCE, the King of Wu died. When King Fuchai of Wu accepted Grand Steward Bo Pi’s proposal to release Goujian, Wu Zixu objected to the king in person, but his advice was ignored. He later urged the king not to attack Qi. After Fuchai won the Battle of Ailing, the king gradually distanced himself from Wu Zixu. In 484 BCE, King Fuchai gave him a sword and ordered him to take his own life. After his death, his body was thrown into the Qiantang River.

Wu Zixu pioneered ancient naval warfare strategy and holds an important place in the history of Chinese military thought. His works include The Art of Naval Warfare. He also made major contributions to water conservancy in Suzhou, overseeing the excavation of the Xu River, the world’s first artificial canal. It helped prevent flooding in Wu while improving local shipping and irrigation, and was of great importance to the livelihoods and prosperity of local people.