Tomb of Ying Bu

Tomb of Ying Bu

The Tomb of Ying Bu is a cultural heritage site protected by Lu'an City.

Ying Bu was a famous general during the reign of Emperor Gaozu of the Western Han Dynasty, Liu Bang, and was granted the title of "King of Huainan." He was buried on Huaiwang Street in present-day Lu'an City, Anhui Province.

Ying Bu assisted Emperor Gaozu in founding the empire and made many significant contributions. However, after Liu Bang became emperor, Empress Lü took control and started executing the founding heroes—first Han Xin and Kuai Tong, then Peng Yue. This led to widespread alienation. The few remaining generals felt deep sympathy for their fallen comrades and grew discontented and wary of Liu Bang.

To maintain his imperial authority and prevent dissent among his subordinates, Liu Bang ordered the body of Peng Yue to be dismembered and made into meat pies of various sizes. These were steamed, placed in brocade boxes wrapped in yellow silk, and then sent via imperial decree to his generals with instructions to eat them. Those who ate were considered loyal; those who refused would be killed, as a test of their allegiance.

When the King of Huainan, Ying Bu, received the decree and heard the eunuch read its contents, he immediately tore it up in rage. Filled with righteous indignation, he wanted to kill the eunuch, who begged repeatedly for mercy before narrowly escaping death. Ying Bu, furious, cursed Liu Bang as a yellow-faced brat and a butcher who had risen to power. He vowed to avenge Han Xin, Peng Yue, and others. He set up memorial tablets for the victims and swore to overthrow Liu Bang. Ying Bu then raised the banner of rebellion against the Han, mustering an army of 200,000 troops. They trained daily, awaiting the right moment to strike.

When the news reached Liu Bang, the court and the public were shocked. Most of the senior generals had already died, and Ying Bu was a formidable warrior, both brave and strategic, not to be underestimated. Liu Bang then ordered Fan Kuai and Cao Can to lead 600,000 troops, with Chen Ping as strategist, and personally led the campaign to attack Ying Bu at his stronghold in Jiujiang.

Meanwhile, he secretly dispatched another force to Lu'an to capture Ying Bu’s family.

The imperial forces quickly reached Jiujiang. Ying Bu gathered his troops and engaged Liu Bang in dozens of battles over two months. However, due to being outnumbered, Jiujiang eventually fell.

Ying Bu fled with just a hundred cavalry to Xiajiang, where his friend Wu Rui (later known as the monk “Liao Chen,” who secretly buried Ying Bu's remains) was stationed as a regional commander. At the time, Wu Rui was away, leaving only his nephew Wu Cheng in charge. Wu Cheng, who had once been humiliated by Ying Bu, harbored lingering resentment. Seeing Ying Bu defeated and seeking refuge, he inwardly rejoiced: “So the red-faced villain has finally fallen.” Pretending to be warm and hospitable, he repeatedly addressed Ying Bu as “uncle” and said, “Victory and defeat are common in military affairs. Although my uncle isn’t here yet, he has long resented Liu Bang. Your arrival is timely—we can raise the rebel flag together. I may have fewer than 50,000 troops, but they’re all brave and skilled fighters. Don’t worry, Uncle, Liu Bang won’t find us here. Tonight, I’ll prepare a vegetarian feast to help you relax.” Trusting the words and exhausted from days of fleeing, Ying Bu drank without suspicion. Unbeknownst to him, Wu Cheng had poisoned the wine. All of Ying Bu’s hundred soldiers fell unconscious. Wu Cheng then ordered his men to execute all of Ying Bu’s troops and cut off Ying Bu’s head. They wrapped it in yellow silk, placed it in a wooden box, and set off that night to deliver it to Liu Bang as a trophy.

Liu Bang sat in his military tent, with Fan Kuai on his left and Chen Ping on his right.

A soldier reported that Wu Cheng, the nephew of Commander Wu of Xiajiang, had arrived with Ying Bu’s head. Liu Bang was skeptical and wanted to verify its authenticity himself. Fan Kuai immediately advised, “Your Majesty, Ying Bu was a fierce general. Killing him hastily may leave his spirit unrested and bring harm to your majesty.” Liu Bang laughed and said, “Since I started my campaigns, I’ve fought hundreds of battles and seen countless heads. I don’t believe this red-faced villain is so formidable.” He then had Wu Cheng present the box. When the yellow silk was removed and Liu Bang saw the head was indeed real, he gritted his teeth and pointed, cursing, “Red-faced villain, you refused kingship to avenge Han and Peng? They’ve long been with the King of Hell. Aren’t you going to join them?” After cursing, he ordered the head to be chopped up and fed to dogs. Suddenly, Ying Bu’s eyes flew open, his yellow beard stood upright, and with a shout, a spray of blood shot directly onto Liu Bang’s face. Liu Bang screamed in terror and collapsed backward.

His generals helped him up and carried him to the rear camp, summoning the imperial physician immediately. Fan Kuai ordered Ying Bu’s head to be hung at Pukou as a warning. From then on, Liu Bang suffered from a mysterious mental illness and died a few years later.

Meanwhile, when Wu Rui returned to his post and learned that his nephew had murdered Ying Bu, he scolded Wu Cheng severely. Seeing Ying Bu’s body unburied, Wu Rui resigned from office. He had no wife or children, so he secretly took Ying Bu’s sword, wrapped the body and helmet in cloth, and loaded them onto a horse. He traveled through Hubei’s Huangmei, then to Yingshan. After more than 20 days, he arrived at Yingshanjian and buried Ying Bu’s body at “Golden Basin Stand” in Wangjiajie. Wu Rui built a small temple near Ying Bu’s tomb, shaved his head to become a monk, chanted sutras, and prayed for Ying Bu’s soul. Only when Wu Rui grew old and frail did he take on a disciple, to whom he revealed the identity of the tomb’s occupant before his death, instructing him never to forget and to conduct annual commemorations.

After Liu Bang’s death, his son ascended the throne as Emperor Huidi. During the new emperor’s honoring of founding heroes, Ying Bu’s name was included. After some investigation, it was discovered that Wu Rui, the kind-hearted commander, had buried Ying Bu’s body in Yingshanjian Mountain, where Ying Bu had once established his stronghold. Ying Bu’s tomb was not relocated, so as not to disturb the deceased. In modern times, the grave mound grew larger, taking on a large spherical shape. During the Cultural Revolution, two pottery jars, a large helmet, and a long sword were excavated from the tomb. The sword was used by local militia to ward off evil spirits at night, but its whereabouts later became unknown.

According to elderly locals, the name of Yingshan County originates from Ying Bu’s burial there.

Research confirms that Ying Bu’s cenotaph is actually located on Huaiwang Street in present-day Lu'an City, Anhui Province. The street was named after Ying Bu, the King of Huainan.