Nie Zheng (4th c. BCE) is particularly associated with a melody called 聶政刺韓王 Nie Zheng Stabs the Han King. First mentioned in Qin Cao (#19 of the Hejian Zage), it is often said to be the origin of the famous melody, which still survives, Guangling San.

Another source for Nie Zheng is Shi Ji, Chapter 86, Assassin-Retainers.³ However, the details there are quite different. According to that and similar accounts Nie Zheng, from Zhi in modern Henan,⁴ killed a man and had to flee for fear of revenge. Some time in the early fourth century BCE he went to the Han capital (then at Yangzhai, today's Yuxian in central Henan⁵), killed the Han minister Jia Lei on behalf of a man who had befriended him, then committed suicide so no revenge would be taken on his family. However, his sister claimed the body an herself died on the spot. There is no mention of the qin or any other music instrument.

The original biography in Qin Shi, as appended to that of another man who sought revenge, Shuli Mugong, is as follows.

Further details on this version of the story can be found in the comments on >Guangling San.6

 
Footnotes (Shorthand references are explained on a separate page)

1 29829.20 聶政 Nie Zheng (Return)

2 (Return)

3 Part of #86, Assassin Retainers. See GSR VII, p.323ff. (Return)

4 軹 Zhi was north of modern 濟源 Jiyuan in Henan, north of the Yellow River, above Luoyang. At the time it belonged to the 魏 Wei kingdom. (Return)

5 陽翟 Yangzhai (Yangdi?); 禹縣 Yu Xian. (Return)

6 (Return)

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