The friend of Duke Huan of Zheng was the son of King Li of Zhou and the brother of King Xuan. Duke Huan was only granted the title in the state of Zheng after King Xuan had been king for twenty-two years. At the time of his appointment, Duke Huan was already thirty-three years old, and the people loved him. Later, King You appointed him as the Grand Minister, and he united the people of the Zhou dynasty. Everyone was very satisfied with him, and people along the Yellow and Luo Rivers really missed him. After serving as Grand Minister for a year, many lords started rebelling due to the chaos in court caused by King You's favoritism towards Lady Bao. Duke Huan then asked the Grand Historian, "Things are so messed up at court, how am I gonna stay alive?" The Grand Historian replied, "The only safe place to be is east of the Yellow River and south of the Ji River." Duke Huan asked, "Why is that?" The Grand Historian explained, "That area is close to the states of Guo and Kuai, whose greedy, money-grubbing rulers were hated by their people. You're the Grand Minister now, and if you go there, those greedy rulers in Guo and Kuai will see your power and just hand over land. If you truly go, the people of Guo and Kuai will become your people." Duke Huan said, "What about heading south to the Yangtze?" The Grand Historian said, "In the past, Zhu Rong was the Fire Official of the Gaoxin clan, with great achievements, but his descendants did not prosper in the Zhou dynasty; only the state of Chu thrived. Now that the Zhou dynasty is declining, Chu will certainly prosper, which is not good for the state of Zheng." Duke Huan asked again, "I want to move to the west, what do you think?" The Grand Historian replied, "The people there are greedy and love money; it is difficult to live there for a long time." Duke Huan asked, "With the decline of the Zhou dynasty, which country will prosper?" The Grand Historian answered, "Perhaps the states of Qi, Qin, Jin, and Chu? The state of Qi is of the Jiang clan, descendants of Bo Yi, who assisted Emperor Yao in establishing rituals; the state of Qin is of the Ying clan, descendants of Bo Yi, who assisted Emperor Shun in pacifying all living beings; the ancestors of Chu have all made contributions to the world. After King Wu of Zhou defeated King Zhou of Shang, King Cheng enfeoffed Shu Yu in the state of Tang, which has a strategic location, and with this advantage, its rise and fall are intertwined with the Zhou dynasty, and it will surely prosper." Duke Huan said, "Good!" So he went to inform King You and moved the people east of the Yellow River. And sure enough, Guo and Kuai handed over ten cities, and that's how Zheng was founded!
Two years later, the barbarian tribes killed King You at Li Mountain and also killed the Duke of Huan. The people of Zheng supported Duke Huan's son Jietu, who became Duke Wu of Zheng.
Duke Wu ruled for ten years and married Wu Jiang, the daughter of the ruler of the Shen state. She gave birth to the crown prince Wusheng, but the birth was difficult, and she was displeased with him. Later, she gave birth to a younger son, Shuduan, who was easier to raise, and she liked him very much. In the twenty-seventh year, Duke Wu fell ill. Wu Jiang requested Duke Wu to make Shuduan the crown prince, but Duke Wu disagreed. That year, Duke Wu passed away, and Wusheng succeeded him, becoming Duke Zhuang of Zheng.
In 706 BC, Duke Zhuang of Zheng appointed his brother Duan as Lord Tai in the capital city. Jie Zhong said, "The city of Jing is too large; it is not suitable to be given to a younger son." Duke Zhuang replied, "My mother Wu Jiang wants it this way; I dare not go against her wishes." After Duan arrived in the city of Jing, he began to repair the city walls, train the army, and conspired with his mother Wu Jiang to attack the state of Zheng.
In 704 BC, Duan indeed attacked Zheng, with Wu Jiang aiding him from within. Duke Zhuang led troops to fight against Duan, who fled. Duke Zhuang attacked the city of Jing, and the people betrayed Duan, who fled to the state of Yan. Yan was also conquered, and Duan fled to the state of Gong. Therefore, Duke Zhuang relocated his mother Wu Jiang to the city of Ying and swore, "We'll never see each other again until we meet in the afterlife!" After about a year, Duke Zhuang began to regret and miss his mother.
There was a man named Kao Shu in Ying City who brought offerings to Duke Zhuang, and Duke Zhuang rewarded him with food. Kao Shu said, "I also have a mother; please share some of the food with my mother." Duke Zhuang replied, "I miss my mother very much, but I cannot break my oath. What should I do?" Kao Shu suggested, "Let's dig a tunnel to the underworld so we can meet." So Duke Zhuang did as he was told and finally reunited with his mother.
In 702 BC, Duke Miao of Song died, and Prince Feng fled to Zheng. Seizing the opportunity, Zheng invaded Zhou territory and plundered the harvest. In 701 BC, the State of Wei assassinated Duke Huan of Wei and usurped the throne, joining forces with Song to attack Zheng, due to Prince Feng's presence in Zheng. In 699 BC, Duke Zhuang of Zheng finally paid his respects to King Huan of Zhou. King Huan of Zhou was angry at Zheng for raiding crops and snubbed Duke Zhuang. In 697 BC, Duke Zhuang, angry at King Huan’s disrespect, swapped land with the State of Lu. In 693 BC, Song had Kongfu executed. In 689 BC, Duke Zhuang of Zheng did not pay his respects to the Zhou emperor, so King Huan of Zhou allied with Chen, Cai, Guo, and Wei to attack Zheng. Duke Zhuang, along with Jie Zhong and Gao Qumi, fought back, defeating the Zhou army. Zhu Zhe winged the Zhou king. Zhu Zhe wanted to pursue victory, but Duke Zhuang stopped him, saying, "It is already difficult to attack the elderly and infirm, let alone insult the emperor." So the pursuit was halted. That night, Duke Zhuang sent Jie Zhong to check on the king's injuries.
In 688 BC, the Rong attacked Qi, and Qi asked Zheng for help. Zheng sent Crown Prince Hu to rescue Qi. Duke Li of Qi wanted to marry his daughter to Crown Prince Hu, but he declined, saying, "Zheng is too small to be a match for Qi." At that time, Jie Zhong also went with him and advised Crown Prince Hu to accept the marriage proposal, saying, "Your father has many favored concubines. If you do not have strong external support, it will be difficult for you to inherit the throne in the future, as your father's three sons are all vying for his throne." These three sons referred to Crown Prince Hu, his brother Tu, and another brother Zi Wei.
In the year 683 BC, Duke Zhuang of Zheng kicked the bucket. Originally, Ji Zhong was a favorite of Duke Zhuang, who appointed him as a powerful minister. Duke Zhuang also allowed Ji Zhong to marry a woman from the state of Deng, and they had a son named Prince Hu, who would later become Duke Zhao of Zheng.
Duke Zhuang of Zheng also married a lady from the state of Song named Lady Yong, and they had a son named Duke Li Tu. Lady Yong was highly favored in the state of Song. When Duke Zhuang heard that Ji Zhong planned to support Hu as the ruler, he sent people to trick Ji Zhong into a trap and captured him, threatening, "If you don't support Tu, you will face death!" He also captured Tu to pressure Ji Zhong. Ji Zhong had no choice but to ally with Song. Eventually, Song returned Tu to Zheng, and Duke Zhuang supported Tu as the ruler. When Duke Hu heard that Ji Zhong intended to support his brother Tu as the ruler with the help of Song, he fled to the state of Wei on the day of Jiuhui in the ninth month. On the day of Jihai in the ninth month, Tu arrived in Zheng and took the throne, becoming Duke Li.
Duke Li ruled for four years, while Ji Zhong ran the government in Zheng. Duke Li was nervous and secretly had his son-in-law, Yong Jiu, assassinate Ji Zhong. Yong Jiu's wife was Ji Zhong's daughter, and upon learning of the plot, she asked her mother, "Who is closer, father or husband?" Her mother replied, "A father is only one, but a husband can have many." So, the daughter informed Ji Zhong of the plot. Ji Zhong, in turn, killed Yong Jiu and had him displayed in the marketplace. Duke Li, feeling helpless, pointed at Yong Jiu's corpse and cursed, "He even dragged down his own wife; good riddance!" That summer, Duke Li, feeling cornered, moved to the border town of Liyi to live. Ji Zhong invited Duke Zhao back, and on the day of Yihai in the sixth month, Duke Zhao returned to Zheng and claimed the throne.
In autumn, Duke Li of Zheng took refuge in Liyi after the people of Liyi killed his minister Shan Bo. Upon hearing that Duke Li had fled, the other states came to attack Zheng, but they were unsuccessful and eventually withdrew. The State of Song secretly provided Duke Li with some troops to protect him in Liyi, so Zheng did not attack Liyi.
Duke Zhao reigned for two years. When he was still the crown prince, his father Duke Zhuang wanted Gao Qumi to be his minister, but the crown prince couldn't stand him. Despite the crown prince's objections, Duke Zhuang made Gao Qumi his minister. When Duke Zhao became the ruler, he feared that Gao Qumi would kill him. Therefore, on the day of Xinyue in October, Duke Zhao and Gao Qumi went hunting together, and Gao Qumi ambushed and killed Duke Zhao in the wilderness. Jie Zhong and Gao Qumi weren't about to back Duke Li, so they appointed Zhao's younger brother Wei as the ruler, known as Duke Wei, no fancy title after death.
In July of 697 BC, Duke Xiang of Qi called a meeting of the other states at Shouzhi. Duke Wei of Zheng planned to attend, and Prime Minister Gao Qumi accompanied him, while Jie Zhong did not go because he faked sick. This was because when Duke Xiang was still a prince, he had conflicts with Duke Wei and they hated each other's guts. Jie Zhong advised Duke Wei not to attend the meeting of the other states. Duke Wei said, "Qi is powerful, and Duke Li is still in exile in Liyi. If I do not go, Qi could use this as an excuse to lead other states to attack us and support Duke Li's return. I'm better off going, as attending does not necessarily mean humiliation, and things might not get too bad." In the end, he still went. Jie Zhong was worried that Qi might take the opportunity to kill Duke Wei, so he pretended to be ill.
After Zheng Ziwei arrived in the state of Qi, he did not show any respect to the Marquis of Qi. The Marquis of Qi was very angry, so he had him ambushed and killed. Gao Qumi fled back to the state of Zheng, talked things over with Jizhong, and they installed Zheng Ziwei's brother, Prince Ying, from Chen, as the new ruler—Zheng Zi. In the same year, Duke Xiang of Qi sent Peng Sheng to get Duke Huan of Lu drunk and then had him killed.
Eight years into his reign, in 690 BC, Guan Zhifu and others launched a rebellion and assassinated Duke Xiang of Qi. In 688 BC, Chang Wan, a minister of Song, did away with Duke Min of Song. Jizhong died.
In 686 BC, the exiled Zheng Ligong, still in Lidi, tried to trick a Zheng official, Fuzhen, into helping him regain his throne. Fuzhen said, "Let me live, and I'll help you kill Zheng Zi. Then you can come back." Ligong swore an oath with him and let him go. In June, on the Jiazi day, Fuzhen killed Zheng Zi and his two sons, and Ligong returned to the throne. Earlier, a curious omen: two snakes fought at the south gate, and one died—six years later, Ligong returned. After returning home, Ligong said to his uncle Yuan, "I have been exiled abroad for many years, but you have never thought of supporting me. That's going too far!" Yuan replied, "A loyal subject serves his ruler without hidden agendas. I know I am guilty!" After speaking, he committed suicide. Ligong then said to Fuzhen, "You were two-faced!" and killed him. Before his death, Fuzhen said, "All my hard work, and this is how it ends!"
In the second year after Ligong ascended the throne, Duke Huan of Qi began to dominate.
In 682 BC, the states of Yan, Wei, and the younger brother of King Hui of Zhou, Prince Shao, attacked King Hui of Zhou. King Hui fled to the Wen region, and Prince Shao was made King of Zhou. In 681 BC, King Hui of Zhou sought help from the state of Zheng, and Duke Li of Zheng sent troops to attack Prince Shao of Zhou, but they did not succeed. They then fled to Lidi together. In the spring of 680 BC, Duke Li of Zheng and Guo Shu attacked and killed Prince Shao, sending King Hui of Zhou back to the capital.
Autumn arrived with the passing of Duke Li of Jin. His son, Duke Wen, ascended to the throne. Duke Li began his reign at the age of four, then fled to Lidi for seventeen years before returning to the country. In total, he ruled for twenty-eight years.
During the seventeenth year of Duke Wen's reign, Duke Huan of Qi defeated the state of Cai and then attacked the state of Chu, advancing all the way to Zhaoling.
In the twenty-fourth year of Duke Wen's reign, he had a concubine named Yan Ji who dreamed that someone from heaven gave her an orchid and said, "I am Bozhou, your ancestor. Use this orchid to have a child, as orchids symbolize national prosperity." Yan Ji told Duke Wen about the dream, and he was pleased. He showered her with affection and presented her with orchids as a token. Yan Ji indeed gave birth to a son named Lan.
During the thirty-sixth year of Duke Wen's reign, Prince Chong'er, a Jin prince, passed through Jin territory, but Duke Wen did not show him much hospitality. Duke Wen's brother, Shu Zhan, said, "Chong'er is an outstanding person and our relative. When he is down and passes through here, we should show courtesy." Duke Wen replied, "There are many exiled princes passing through; how can I possibly show hospitality to them all?" Shu Zhan said, "If you neglect him and he becomes a king when he returns, it will be dangerous for the state of Zheng." But Duke Wen ignored his brother's warning.
In the spring of the thirty-seventh year of Duke Wen's reign, Chong'er, the heir to the Jin throne, finally returned to his home country and became the ruler, later known as Duke Wen of Jin. In the autumn, the state of Zheng attacked the state of Huan, which surrendered. However, later Huan formed an alliance with the state of Wei, so Zheng attacked Huan again. King Xiang of Zhou sent Bo Ji to demand Huan's surrender. Duke Wen of Zheng had a grudge against King Hui for fleeing to Lidi in the past, and his father Duke Li had given Lidi to King Hui, but King Hui did not grant Duke Li a title or salary. He resented King Xiang not only for his alliance with Wei and Huan, but also for continuing the perceived slight against his family stemming from King Hui's actions and his father's generosity. Therefore, he did not listen to King Xiang's request and even arrested Bo Ji. King Xiang of Zhou was very angry, so he allied with the Di to attack the state of Zheng, but was unsuccessful. In the winter, the Di attacked King Xiang again, forcing him to flee to the state of Zheng, where Duke Wen of Zheng settled him in Fandi. In the thirty-eighth year of Duke Wen's reign, Duke Wen of Jin escorted King Xiang back to Chengzhou. In 631 BC, Zheng allied with Chu against Jin, motivated by a perceived earlier slight from Duke Wen of Jin.
In 629 BC, Duke Wen of Jin and Duke Mu of Qin besieged Zheng to punish it for aiding Chu in its attack on Jin and to retaliate for past offenses. Duke Wen of Zheng had three wives and five beloved sons, but all of these sons died early due to a series of offenses. Duke Wen of Zheng was angry and banished the other princes. One of the sons, named Zilan, escaped to Jin and joined Duke Wen in besieging Zheng. Zilan was very respectful to Duke Wen and won his favor. He secretly discussed with Duke Wen about returning to Zheng as the crown prince. Jin demanded Zhan's death to secure Zheng's surrender. Duke Wen of Zheng was afraid to tell Zhan about this. When Zhan found out, he said to Duke Wen, "If you don't listen to me, the Jin army will come. Jin is surrounding Zheng because of me. If I die, Zheng will be spared from disaster, which is my wish." After speaking, Zhan took his own life. Zheng sent Zhan's body to Jin. Duke Wen of Jin said, "I must see the ruler of Zheng to humiliate him before leaving." Panic gripped Zheng, so they secretly sent someone to Qin saying, "Conquering Zheng benefits Jin, but not Qin." The Qin army withdrew. Duke Wen of Jin wanted Zilan to be the crown prince, so he informed Zheng. Duke Guai, a minister of Zheng, said, "The Ji clan, I understand, are descended from Hou Ji's queen. Their descendants are destined for greatness. Zilan's mother is of Ji lineage. Also, all the sons born to Duke Wen's wife have died, and there is no one better than Zilan among the remaining sons. Now that Zheng is besieged and Jin has made this request, what harm is there for us?" So Zheng allied with Jin, and finally made Zilan the crown prince, after which the Jin army withdrew. Duke Wen of Zheng died in 627 BC, and Zilan succeeded him as Duke Miao.
In the first spring of Zheng Miaogong's reign, Qin Mugong sent three generals with troops to ambush Zhengguo. The army arrived at Huadi (a location in present-day China) and encountered Zhengguo's merchant Xiangao. Xiangao bribed the Qin army with twelve cows, so they did not continue to advance and returned instead. Jin crushed the Qin army at Mount Xiao. Previously, when Zheng Wengong died, Zhengguo's Sicheng (a high-ranking official) Zenghe informed Qin of the situation in Zhengguo, prompting the Qin army's attack. Three years later, Zhengguo sent troops to help Jin defeat Qin at Wangdi (another location in present-day China).
Earlier, Chu's Crown Prince Shangchen killed his father, King Cheng, and proclaimed himself king. In 614 BC, Shangchen and Hua Yuan of Song attacked Zhengguo together. Hua Yuan killed sheep to reward the soldiers but did not give any to his attendant Yang Zhen, who was very angry and fled to Zhengguo. Zhengguo captured Hua Yuan. Song ransomed Hua Yuan, who then escaped. Jin sent Zhao Chuan to attack Zhengguo.
In 613 BC, Zheng Miaogong died, and his son Yi succeeded him, becoming Zheng Linggong.
In the spring of 571 BC, Chu presented a big ol' turtle to Zheng Linggong as a gift. On that day, Zijia and Zigong were preparing to visit Zheng Linggong. Zigong suddenly felt a weird tingle in his index finger and said to Zijia, "Whenever my index finger itches, I always end up eating something good that I don't usually have."
When they entered the palace, they saw that Linggong had prepared turtle soup. Zigong laughed and said, "Just as I expected!" Linggong asked why he was laughing, and Zigong told him about the itching of his index finger. Linggong deliberately served himself a bowl of soup but did not give any to Zigong. Zigong, angry, just dipped his finger in and slurped some up before leaving. Enraged, Linggong wanted to kill Zigong. Zigong quickly discussed a plan with Zijia and took action first. And so, that summer, they killed Zheng Linggong.
The people of Zheng wanted to make Lord Qudi, the younger half-brother of Ling Gong, the ruler of the country, but Qudi politely refused, saying, "If merit were the criterion, I would be unsuitable; if seniority, Lord Jian is the more appropriate choice." Lord Jian is Ling Gong's older half-brother. So in the end, everyone chose Lord Jian as the ruler, and he became Zheng Xiang Gong.
After becoming the ruler, Zheng Xiang Gong wanted to wipe out the entire Mi clan because they were involved in the killing of Ling Gong and Zigong. However, Qudi said, "If their punishment is unavoidable, I will take responsibility!" So in the end, the Mi clan was spared and continued their service as officials.
In 570 BC, the state of Chu attacked Zheng because they were furious that Zheng took bribes from Song and shielded Hua Yuan. From then on, Zheng defected to Jin, breaking its alliance with Chu. Five years later, Chu attacked Zheng again, and Jin sent troops to help. Six years later, Zijia died, and the people of Zheng began to investigate Zijia's relatives because they were involved in the murder of Ling Gong.
The alliance between Zheng and Jin at Yanling in 607 BC was widely known.
In the second year, King Zhuang of Chu heard that the states of Zheng and Jin were in cahoots, so he brought his troops to attack Zheng and besieged it for three months. Desperate, Zheng opened its gates and surrendered. King Zhuang of Chu entered the city through the main gate of the palace, while Duke Xiang of Zheng, bare-chested and holding a sheep to welcome him, showed a humble attitude. He said, "I messed up as the ruler of a small state. I failed to manage the border affairs, causing your anger and bringing trouble to Zheng. It's all my fault! Please, Your Majesty, whatever you ask me to do, I will do. If you want to move me to Jiangnan or give me away as a gift to other vassals, I will obey your orders! If you could be merciful like King Li, King Xuan, Duke Huan, and Duke Wu, and out of consideration for Zheng's ancestors, pity us and grant us a piece of wasteland to become your subjects again, that would be great, but I dare not hope for it! In short, I'll do anything you want!" After hearing this, King Zhuang of Chu retreated thirty miles before setting up camp. Chu's guys said, "From the capital of Ying in Chu to here, the soldiers have been slogging it out for a long time. Now that we've won, what's the point of staying?" King Zhuang of Chu said, "I fought to punish those who disobeyed my country. Now that Zheng has surrendered, what else is there to gain?" And so the troops were withdrawn. When the state of Jin heard that Chu was attacking Zheng, they sent troops to rescue Zheng. However, they couldn't make up their minds, dilly-dallying, and when they reached the Yellow River, the Chu army had already left. Some Jin generals wanted to cross the Yellow River, some wanted to withdraw, but in the end, they crossed the river. King Zhuang of Chu heard that the Jin army had crossed the river, so he turned back to fight them. To everyone's surprise, Zheng sided with Chu and ended up defeating the Jin army by the banks of the Yellow River. Ten years later, Jin came to attack Zheng again because Zheng had betrayed Jin and buddied up with Chu.
So, the story goes, in the eleventh year, King Zhuang of Chu led troops to attack Song, and Song quickly sought help from Jin. Duke Jing of Jin wanted to send troops to rescue Song, but his minister Bo Zong advised him, "Heaven's on Chu's side; it's not the time to fight them." Bo Zong then found a formidable man, Jie Yang from the Huo tribe, styled Zi Hu, and sent him to Chu to stir things up and stop Song from surrendering. Jie Yang passed through Zheng, which had good relations with Chu, and was captured by Zheng and presented to Chu. The Chu king showered him with gifts and made an agreement with him to go back and persuade Song to surrender, but he only let him go after a lot of pleading.
The Chu army put Jie Yang on a high platform and allowed him to shout loudly for Song to hear. However, Jie Yang went against his agreement with the Chu king and conveyed the order from Jin: "Jin's bringing the whole army to rescue Song. Even if things are desperate, don't surrender! Jin's army's almost here!" When King Zhuang heard this, he hit the roof and wanted to kill him. Jie Yang said, "Your Majesty can give orders, that's your job; I can carry them out, that's mine. I came here on my master's orders, and I'll die before I betray him!" King Zhuang asked, "You promised me, then went back on it. Where's your word?" Jie Yang replied, "I promised you to do my master's bidding!" Before they killed him, Jie Yang shouted to the Chu army, "Remember, lads: loyalty to your country is worth dying for!" King Zhuang's brothers begged him to spare Jie Yang, and in the end, he did. Jin made him a top official.
In the eighteenth year, Duke Xiang of Jin passed away, and his son Duke Dao succeeded him.
In the first year of Duke Dao's reign, the states of Xian and Chu clashed over a matter involving the state of Zheng. Zheng offended Chu, so Duke Dao of Xian sent his younger brother, Xian, to Chu to explain. However, his explanation fell flat, and Jin was captured by Chu. Later, Duke Dao of Xian reconciled with Zheng, and their relationship became close again. While imprisoned in Chu, Xian secretly conspired with Prince Zi Fan, who subsequently arranged for his return to Zheng.
In the second year, Chu attacked Zheng, and Xian sent troops to rescue them. That year, Duke Dao of Xian passed away, and his brother, Xian, succeeded him, becoming Duke Cheng of Xian. In the third year of Duke Cheng's reign, King Gong of Chu declared, "Duke Cheng's been good to Chu!" and sent envoys to form an alliance with Zheng. Duke Cheng secretly formed an alliance with Chu. In the autumn, Duke Cheng went to pay respects to Xian, and Xian found out about the secret alliance between Duke Cheng and Chu, so they captured Duke Cheng and sent Luan Shu to attack Zheng with troops. By the spring of the fourth year, Xian had Zheng surrounded, and Duke Cheng's son, Ru, installed his half-uncle Xiu as ruler. In April, Xian heard that Zheng had appointed a new ruler, so they sent Duke Cheng back. Upon hearing of Duke Cheng's return, the people of Zheng killed Xiu and welcomed Duke Cheng back. Only then did Xian's army withdraw.
Ten years earlier, Zheng betrayed its alliance with Xian and formed an alliance with Chu instead. Hearing this, Duke Li of Xian blew his top and marched on Zheng. To save Zheng, King Gong of Chu also sent troops. The two armies fought a major battle in Yanling, where Chu got absolutely crushed; King Gong of Chu even lost an eye to Xian's army. Both sides then ceased fighting and made peace. Three years later, Duke Dao of Xian launched another attack on Zheng, setting up camp near the Wei River. Zheng defended their city, and Xian's army gained nothing and pulled back.
Two years later, Zheng Chenggong died, and his son Yun took over, becoming Duke Ligong of Zheng. Ligong ruled for five years, during which a Zheng minister, Zi Si, went to see him, but Ligong was rude to him. Angered, Zi Si had the chef poison his food, killing him. Zi Si then said Ligong died of a sudden illness. He then supported Ligong's five-year-old son Jia as the new ruler, known in history as Duke Jian of Zheng.
In the first year of Jian's reign, some nobles plotted to kill Zi Si to avenge Ligong. Zi Si discovered the plot and killed them all. In the second year, Jin attacked Zheng again, but Zheng and Jin made peace, and the Jin army left. In winter, Zheng formed an alliance with Chu. Zi Si, scared of revenge, played both sides. In the third year, Zi Si tried to make himself king, but was killed by Zikong's men, who sought to take power. However, Zichan said, "Zi Si got what he deserved. You want to do the same? You'll never have any peace!" Zikong heeded Zichan's advice and eventually assisted Jian.
In the fourth year, Jin became angry with Zheng for allying with Chu and attacked again. Zheng sought peace by forming an alliance with Jin once more. King Gong of Chu came to rescue Zheng and defeated the Jin army. Duke Jian wanted to make peace with Jin, but Chu grabbed Zheng's envoys.
Eight years later, Duke Jian became angry with his son Kong Zhuang for hogging all the power and killed him, then appointed Zi Chan as the top dog. In the nineteenth year, Duke Jian went to the state of Jin to request the return of the ruler of the state of Wei, and Jin rewarded Zi Chan with six cities. Zi Chan just took three. In the twenty-second year, the state of Wu sent Yan Ling Jizi as an envoy to the state of Zheng. Knowing they were old pals, he warned Zi Chan, "The rulers of Zheng are living the high life and ignoring the consequences; a great disaster is imminent, and it will soon fall on you. You must rule by the book, otherwise Zheng will be doomed!" Zi Chan rolled out the red carpet for Jizi. In the twenty-third year, the sons of the ruler of Zheng were vying for power and even tried to off Zi Chan. One of the sons persuaded everyone, saying, "Zi Chan is a good and honest man. The preservation of Zheng depends on him. Do not kill him!" So they backed down.
In the year 525 BC, Lord Zichan of the state of Zheng visited the state of Jin to check on Duke Ping's health. Duke Ping said, "My divinations suggest Shi Shen and Tai Dai are behind this. Even the court historians are stumped, so I wanted to ask you." Zichan replied, "Way back when, the Gaoxin clan had two sons. The elder brother was named Ebo, and the younger brother was named Shi Shen. They lived in the wilderness and had a bad relationship, constantly fighting and killing each other. Later, the heavens could not bear it and moved Ebo to Shangqiu, where his role led to the rise of the Shang. Therefore, the Morning Star is the star of the Shang dynasty. Shi Shen was moved to Daxia, where his role led to the Tang dynasty. The Tang, descended from Xia and Shang, eventually produced Tang Shuyu. During the time of the Duke of Zhou, his wife Yijiang became pregnant. The Duke of Zhou had a dream in which the heavens told him, 'I command your son to be named Yu, give him the land of Tang, put him in charge of the Can Star, and let his descendants prosper and thrive.' Yijiang gave birth to a son with the character 'Yu' on his hand, hence the name. Later, King Cheng destroyed the state of Tang and gave the land to Shuyu. Therefore, the Can Star is the star of the state of Jin. From this, it can be seen that Shi Shen is the god of the Can Star. The descendant of the Jintian clan, Mei, was a priest of Xuanming and had sons named Yunge and Tai Dai. Tai Dai was capable of his duties, managing the Fen River and Tao River, building a great dike, and overseeing the great marsh of Taiyuan. The heavens were pleased and allowed him to govern the Fenchuan region. The clans of Shen, Si, Ru, and Huang have always worshiped him. Now, the state of Jin rules the Fenchuan region but has extinguished them. Therefore, Tai Dai is the god of the Fen River and Tao River. However, these two gods will not harm your body. Mountain and river gods bring floods and droughts; sun, moon, and star gods bring freak weather. Your illness might stem from diet, stress, joy, or...well, the ladies." Duke Ping and Shuxiang said, "Wow, you're quite the smart cookie!" They treated Zichan with the utmost respect.
In the summer of 527 BC, Duke Jian of Zheng went to Jin to pay his respects. In the winter, fearing the power of King Ling of Chu, he went to Chu to see the ruler, with Zi Chan following. In 528 BC, the Duke of Zheng fell ill and sent Zi Chan to attend the lords' conference, forming an alliance with King Ling of Chu in Shen and together they attacked Qi's general Qingfeng.
In 516 BC, Duke Jian died and was succeeded by Duke Ding. In the autumn, Duke Ding went to Jin to visit Duke Zhao of Jin.
In the first year of Duke Ding's reign, the son of the ruler of Chu killed King Ling of Chu and declared himself King Ping of Chu. He wanted to establish a good image among the princes, so he returned the land of Zheng that King Ling of Chu had occupied to Zheng.
In 513 BC, Duke Zhao of Jin passed away, and Jin's six hegemons held sway, while the position of the ruler was weak. Zi Chan said to Han Xuanzi, "Running a country needs good governance and remembering its founding principles."
In 511 BC, a fire broke out in Zheng, and the Duke wanted to hold sacrifices to dispel the disaster. Zi Chan said, "Better to focus on good governance."
In the 5th century BC, a series of major events occurred in Zheng. Eight years later, the Crown Prince of Chu, Jian, fled to Zheng seeking refuge—a big deal! Ten years later, Crown Prince Jian actually colluded with Jin and planned to attack Zheng, but he was killed by Zheng, and his son Sheng fled to Wu.
A year later, Duke Ding of Zheng went to Jin for a visit, and Jin and Zheng worked together to get rid of some Zhou officials who were causing trouble and protect King Jing of Zhou. Thirteen years later, Duke Ding died, and his son Duke Xian succeeded him. After thirteen years in power, Duke Xian also died, and his son Duke Sheng succeeded him. At that time, with the six powerful ministers calling the shots, Zheng was constantly bullied, causing it to become weaker and weaker.
When Duke Sheng of Zheng had been in power for five years, the prime minister of Zheng, Zichan, died. The people of Zheng wailed as if their own flesh and blood had died. Zichan was the son of Duke Sheng of Zheng, known for his benevolence and loyalty to the ruler. Confucius had visited Zheng and had a close relationship with Zichan, as close as brothers. When Confucius heard of Zichan's death, he wept and said, "This is the legacy of ancient benevolence!"
Later, the Fan and Zhonghang families of Jin rebelled and sought help from Zheng. Zheng came to their aid, but Jin ended up attacking Zheng and defeating their army in a place known as the Iron Field. In the years that followed—specifically, the years 36 to 39—Duke Jing of Song destroyed the Cao state, Tian Chang of Qi killed Duke Jian of Qi and became the prime minister himself, King Hui of Chu destroyed the Chen state, and the renowned Confucius passed away.
In the 36th year, the Duke of Jin attacked Zheng and captured nine cities. In the 37th year, Duke Sheng died, and his son Duke Ai succeeded him. Duke Ai ruled for eight years before being killed by the people of Zheng, who then installed Duke Sheng's brother Chou, known as Duke Gong. Duke Gong ruled for three years before the three states—Han, Zhao, and Wei—destroyed the Duke of Zhi. After Duke Gong's death, his son Duke You succeeded him. In Duke You's first year, Han Wuzi attacked Zheng and killed Duke You. The people of Zheng then installed Duke You's brother Dai, known as Duke Xu.
Duke Xu ruled for fifteen years before Han Jinghou attacked Zheng and captured Yongqiu, forcing Zheng to strengthen their defenses in the capital. In the sixteenth year, Zheng retaliated and defeated the Han army at Fushu. In the twentieth year, Han, Zhao, and Wei became vassal states. In the twenty-third year, Zheng surrounded the Han city of Yangdi.
In the twenty-fifth year, Duke Ai of Zheng killed his prime minister Ziyang. In the twenty-seventh year, Ziyang's allies killed Duke Xu and installed Duke You's brother Yi as the ruler, known as Duke Yi of Zheng. Duke Yi ruled for two years before facing another rebellion in Fushu, which later fell under Han control. Eleven years later, Han attacked Zheng again and captured Yangcheng.
Finally, in the year 453 BC, Duke Ai of Han destroyed Zheng, and that was the end of Zheng.
Sima Qian said: They say, "When power and self-interest are all that binds people, the bond breaks when those things are gone." Fu Xia is a perfect example of this. Although he seized and murdered Li Gong, the ruler of Zheng, Li Gong eventually turned around and killed him. What's the difference between that and the case of Li Ke in Jin? Even loyal and righteous officials like Xun Xi ended up dying trying to save Xi Qi. Things change, and there are always a lot of reasons why! Look, Fu Xia relied on power and was tied to Li Gong. Once Li Gong was no longer useful, he immediately turned against him and had him killed. It's the same story as with Li Ke in Jin! Even loyal and righteous officials like Xun Xi sacrificed their lives to protect Xi Qi. Life's full of surprises, and there's always more to the story than meets the eye.
