田婴 / Tian Ying
田婴 / Tian Ying appears in 《资治通鉴·周纪》19丨马陵之战 as one of the 齐国 commanders sent after 韩国 has been worn down by 魏国. The episode identifies him as 齐威王’s younger son and notes that his son later becomes the famous Mengchang Jun.
In this source, Tian Ying is less developed than 田忌 or 孙膑. His wiki role is to mark that Qi’s intervention is a formal state campaign with multiple commanders, while Sun Bin remains the military adviser shaping the plan.
《资治通鉴·周纪》27丨围观魏惠王和齐威王是咋商业互捧 makes Tian Ying a diplomatic promoter after 马陵之战. The episode says he replaces 成侯邹忌 as Qi’s chief minister and tries to turn Qi’s victory prestige into a new order in which 魏国 and 韩国 defer to 齐国.
The same source preserves a genealogy caution. It follows 《史记》 in calling Tian Ying 齐威王’s younger son, but notes Yang Kuan’s suspicion that he may have been Qi Wei Wang’s younger brother instead.
《资治通鉴·周纪》28丨韩昭侯的快乐你想象不到 shows the risk in Tian Ying’s title strategy. 张丑 warns him not to accept 魏国’s royal recognition because it will make Qi look arrogant before powers such as Qin and Chu. Tian Ying ignores the warning, and the later attack on Qi and siege of 徐州 become the source’s proof of 名分秩序反弹.
《资治通鉴·周纪》29丨苏秦励志爽文：知识改变命运 gives the sequel to that risk. After 楚威王 defeats Qi, he demands that 齐威王 expel Tian Ying because Tian Ying had been a major Qi-side mover in the Xuzhou title affair. Zhang Chou then saves him by arguing that replacing Tian Ying could let 田斑 or another stronger figure reorganize Qi’s forces against Chu.
《资治通鉴·周纪》40丨5月出生的孩子惹谁啦？ returns to Tian Ying near the end of 周显王’s reign. The episode says he is enfeoffed at 薛地, called Jingguo Jun, and becomes powerful in 齐国 after the Qi ruler delegates affairs to him. His plan to fortify Xue is stopped by a retainer’s large-fish analogy: Qi is the sea that protects him, so Xue’s walls become a fief security illusion if he loses the state platform.
The same source introduces Tian Ying as the father of 孟尝君 / 田文. It says he has more than forty sons, but tries to exclude Tian Wen because the child’s mother has low concubine status and because Tian Wen is born on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. This makes Tian Ying a household gatekeeper as well as a Qi power-holder.
《资治通鉴·周纪》41丨孟尝君：我是如何打败这40多位哥哥的 shows Tian Ying being moved by Tian Wen’s heaven-versus-door reply, then gradually trusting him with household affairs and guest reception. Tian Ying’s wealth at 薛地 becomes the resource Tian Wen spends into reputation, and the outside praise for Tian Wen eventually pushes Tian Ying to make him heir.
Connections
- 齐国 and 齐威王 - state and royal-family context.
- 田忌 and 孙膑 - fellow commander and adviser in the rescue campaign.
- 韩国, 魏国, and 马陵之战 - crisis and campaign setting.
- 徐州相王, 惠施, and 低姿态权宜 - post-Maling diplomatic branch in Zhouji 27.
- 张丑 and 名分秩序反弹 - Zhouji 28 warning against accepting the title bargain.
- 楚威王 and 田斑 - Zhouji 29 expulsion demand and replacement-risk argument.
- 薛地, 封地筑城安全幻觉, 孟尝君 / 田文, 出生日禁忌与继承排斥, and 战国养士 - Zhouji 40-41 fief-security, household-exclusion, heir-making, and patronage branch.