Wu Rui

Wu Rui (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; died ), King Wen of Changsha, was an ancient Chinese general and rebel leader who helped Liu Bang establish the Han dynasty. A Baiyue magistrate of Po County under the Qin dynasty, he rose to become King of Hengshan during the collapse of Qin and was enfeoffed as King of Changsha during the early Han dynasty.

Life An ethnic Yue, Wu Rui was the son of Wu Shen Wú Shēn), formerly grand marshal dà sīmǎ, the highest military office) of the Chu state. During the Qin dynasty, Wu Rui was the magistrate of Po County, which had not yet flooded. He enjoyed high popularity and prestige among the local Baiyue people and was known as "Lord of the Po" After Chen Sheng and Wu Guang launched the Dazexiang Uprising against the Qin, Wu Rui organized a Baiyue army and joined the rebellion. Wu Rui's followers included Mei Xuan Méi Xuān) and his son-in-law Ying Bu, both of whom assisted Liu Bang and played a major role in his victory against Qin and Xiang Yu. His line was the only one among non-Liu family kings to survive past Liu Bang's reign.

In the early Three Kingdoms period, Wu Rui's tomb was demolished to provide the source of wood for a new temple for Sun Jian. The body was so well preserved that one of the participants later commented to Wu Gang Wú Gāng), then "colonel of the Nanman" Nánmán xiàowèi) and a living descendant of Wu Rui, that he looked particularly similar to his ancestor.