Biography

Jī Jié was born into the large royal Jī family that ruled China since 1046 BC, though by his time the dynasty had become effectively powerless. Their remaining crown land was embroiled in infighting and succession disputes, so that it was split into two factions, led by rival nobles: Western Zhou and Eastern Zhou. Jié, as Duke Wen, ruled over the East from Chengzhou, and largely ignored the authority of King Nan of Zhou who resided in Wangcheng and was supported by the western nobles. In 256 BC, however, war broke out between West Zhou under Nan and the state of Qin under King Zhaoxiang of Qin. Qin annexed the West, deposed King Nan and forcibly ended the Zhou dynasty. Many citizens and members of the royal family then fled to East Zhou, where they proclaimed Wen as the King of China (Son of Heaven) in 255 BC.

Allied with Ji Zhao, son of King Nan, Wen organized a resistance against Qin, and managed to preserve the last Zhou holdouts for six years. Ji Zhao's forces were defeated in 251 BC, and two years later the army of Qin took Chengzhou. Wen was executed, and the city given to Lü Buwei for his services to King Zhuangxiang of Qin. The remaining Jī family members fled to the State of Wey.

稱呼

爵位

東周君是周赧王時代的東周國君主。小說《東周列國志》稱他為公後貶號為君。雖然公也是當時國君的通稱，但史書均稱他為君。

地位問題

周赧王駕崩後，東周國又存在了七年，但自周成王以來一直保存在畿內的九鼎（九鼎為天下共主的象徵），卻在周赧王崩後被秦昭襄王取走了，因此周朝于前256年滅亡。

結局

據《秦本紀》及《秦始皇本紀》附錄《秦記》記載，周赧王駕崩後七年，東周君聯合諸侯伐秦，失敗，統治地區併入秦國。被呂不韋弒殺。後人的去往有兩種說法：一說被其遷居陽人聚，為周先王守祀；又一說，秦國將其弒殺之後，立其後為東周君，遷之于陽人聚，以延周祀。