Marriage with Chu

In 523 BC, Duke Ai betrothed his daughter Bo Ying to Crown Prince Jian of the State of Chu, Qin's ally. Prince Jian's father, King Ping of Chu, sent the minister Fei Wuji to escort the princess to Chu. However, Fei Wuji saw that the princess was beautiful and persuaded King Ping to take her as his own wife. Prince Jian fled abroad and was later killed. Bo Ying later bore King Ping a son, who in 515 BC ascended the Chu throne, to be known as King Zhao of Chu.

Fighting Wu to help Chu

In 506 BC, King Helü of the State of Wu invaded Chu, decisively defeated the Chu army at the Battle of Boju, and captured the Chu capital Ying. King Zhao of Chu escaped to the State of Sui. Chu minister Shen Baoxu went to Qin to plead for assistance. It is said that Duke Ai originally rejected the request, but finally agreed to help after Shen Baoxu wailed for seven days outside the Qin palace without eating.

Duke Ai sent generals Zipu (子蒲) and Zihu (子虎) with 500 chariots to Chu. In 505 BC the joint Qin-Chu forces defeated Wu in a series of battles, and King Helü was forced to retreat to Wu, and King Zhao returned to Chu.

Death and succession

In 501 BC Duke Ai died after 36 years of reign. His son predeceased him and was given the posthumous title Duke Yi (秦夷公). Duke Ai was succeeded by Duke Yi's son, his grandson Duke Hui I of Qin.

生平

繼位

前537年，秦景公去世，其子秦哀公繼位。

同年，于前541年出奔晉國的秦景公同母弟後子鍼回到秦國。

援楚複國

楚平王在位期間，寵信奸佞，致使國內政治更加腐敗。前523年，楚平王為長子太子建迎娶秦哀公之女伯嬴作為妻子，太子少傅費無忌為獲得楚平王的信任，說秦國女子漂亮，平王可自納伯嬴，另為太子建選妻。正月，伯嬴到達楚國，楚平王聽費無極之言，自娶伯嬴，後生下楚昭王。同年，楚平王派令尹子瑕到秦國聘問，感謝秦哀公將女兒嫁給楚國。費無忌又讒言陷害太子建及太子太傅伍奢，致使太子建先被調往城父（今河南省寶豐縣東）防守邊關，後出奔宋國；伍奢及其長子伍尚被殺，伍奢次子伍子胥出奔吳國。當時，晉國國內六卿勢力強大而國君的勢力衰弱，六卿之間想相互吞併，所以秦晉兩國很久也沒有發生戰爭。

楚平王死後，楚昭王繼位。前506年，吳王闔閭聯合唐、蔡兩國，與伍子胥、孫武、伯嚭率軍伐楚。吳軍五戰五勝，攻陷楚國國都郢（今湖北省江陵市西北），楚昭王被迫出奔至雲夢（今湖北省雲夢縣），又逃往鄖國，最後逃到隨國才安定下來。伍子胥沒有找到楚昭王，于是掘開楚平王之墓，鞭尸三百。伍子胥的好友申包胥認為伍子胥倒行逆施，于是向秦國求援。秦哀公認為楚王無道，不應救援，于是敷衍申包胥。申包胥在秦國宮門外水食不進，痛哭七天七夜，秦哀公大為感動，為申包胥賦《秦風·無衣》，派子蒲、子虎帥兵車五百輛救楚，申包胥向秦哀公叩頭九次表示感謝。

前505年，子蒲、子虎率軍至楚，在稷地與楚軍會合，在沂（今河南省正陽縣）擊敗夫概所率領的吳軍，子西也率領楚國殘軍在軍祥擊敗吳軍。七月，子期、子蒲率領的楚秦聯軍攻滅唐國。吳軍在雍澨（即司馬河，位于湖北省荊門市京山縣石龍鎮境內）擊敗楚軍，但又被秦軍擊敗。楚軍又在麇地（今湖北省十堰市鄖縣境內）和公婿之溪（位于漢水江畔）擊敗吳軍，吳國被迫撤軍，楚昭王得以回國複位。

去世

前501年，秦哀公去世，葬于車裡北。其子秦夷公早死，秦夷公之子秦惠公繼位。

其他形象

在長篇歷史小說《東周列國志》中，秦哀公于第七十七回《泣秦庭申包胥借兵 退吳師楚昭王返國》中短暫登場，除了其沉湎于酒，不問政事之外，其餘與《左傳·定公四年》記載基本相同。此外，秦哀公還出現在京劇名段《哭秦庭》中，漢劇、滇劇、秦腔也有此劇目。

注釋