Biography

Zang Tu was originally a military general serving under Han Guang, the king of the Yan state. Around 207 BC, when rebellions broke out all over China to overthrow the Qin dynasty, Zang Tu was sent to lead an army to assist rebel forces from the insurgent Zhao state, which were under attack by a Qin army led by Zhang Han. Following the defeat of Qin forces at the Battle of Julu, Zang Tu joined a coalition rebel army under the command of Xiang Yu of the Chu state, and followed Xiang Yu as they fought their way to the Qin capital Xianyang.

In 206 BC, after the fall of the Qin dynasty, Xiang Yu divided the former Qin Empire into the Eighteen Kingdoms and appointed Zang Tu as the King of Yan (燕王). Part of the former Yan kingdom was granted to Han Guang, who was appointed by Xiang Yu as the King of Liaodong. Zang Tu then returned to the Yan kingdom and attempted to force Han Guang to move to his allocated kingdom in the Liaodong Peninsula, but the latter refused to comply. As a result, Zang Tu attacked Han Guang and killed him at Wuzhong, thereby becoming king of a united Yan kingdom.

In 204 BC, after his victory against the Zhao kingdom at the Battle of Jingxing, Han Xin followed Li Zuoche's advice and sent a messenger to Zang Tu, asking him to pledge allegiance to Liu Bang, the King of Han. Zang Tu agreed. In 202 BC, Liu Bang defeated Xiang Yu and unified China under his rule, proclaiming himself Emperor of China and establishing the Han dynasty. Zang Tu became a vassal of the Han Empire and retained his kingly title and territories. Later that year, Zang Tu rebelled against the Han Empire, invading and capturing territory in the Dai kingdom. Liu Bang personally led an army to suppress the rebellion. Zang Tu was defeated in battle and captured. He refused to surrender and was executed by Liu Bang.

Descendants

Zang Tu had a son called Zang Yan (臧衍), who escaped to join the Xiongnu after his father died.

Zang Tu's granddaughter, Zang Er (臧兒), married Wang Zhong, and had a daughter called Wang Zhi. Wang Zhi became the second wife of Emperor Jing, the fourth emperor of the Han dynasty, and the mother of the future Emperor Wu.

生平

燕王韓廣部將，跟隨項羽援救被秦朝章邯包圍的趙國。又隨項羽入關中。漢王劉邦元年（前206年），項羽分天下為十八諸侯，立臧荼為燕王。遷燕王韓廣為遼東王。之後，臧荼攻滅韓廣，合併遼東，統一燕國。

漢王三年（前204年），井陘之戰，韓信斬殺代王陳餘。韓信聽從廣武君李左車的進言，勸臧荼歸順，於是臧荼投降劉邦。

漢王五年（前202年），劉邦打敗項羽。臧荼和楚王韓信、韓王信、淮南王英布、梁王彭越、長沙王（前衡山王）吳芮、趙王張耳共同尊奉漢王劉邦為皇帝。同年秋七月，燕王臧荼反漢，高祖劉邦親自征伐，九月，臧荼被捕殺。

後事

劉邦選有功之臣出任燕王，劉賈之臣信等十人認為太尉長安侯盧綰功最多，于是封盧綰為燕王。

家庭

臧荼育有一子臧衍，父親被平定後逃往匈奴。陳豨叛變時，燕王盧綰派張勝向匈奴散播陳豨戰敗的消息，避免匈奴派兵增援陳豨。張勝本想聯同匈奴將陳豨消滅，但遇見臧衍，他說：「您之所以得到重用，因您通曉匈奴之事。而燕所能夠長久，是因為諸侯屢屢造反。現在您為了燕，想要迅速消滅陳豨。但陳豨被消滅了以後，下一個就該輪到燕了。」張勝同意其話，遂不再返回燕地，勸說盧綰暗通匈奴。

臧荼孫女臧兒有女兒王娡、王兒姁，後改嫁田氏，生二子田蚡、田勝。王娡與王兒姁一起嫁給漢景帝劉啟，王娡生漢武帝。臧兒因而被封為平原君。