Qu Yuan, whose name was Ping, was a nobleman from the Chu State. He served as the chief advisor to King Huai of Chu, was knowledgeable, determined, proficient in the art of governance, and skilled in rhetoric. In court, he would discuss state affairs and issue decrees with King Huai; outside of court, he would receive guests and meet with other nobles. King Huai trusted him greatly.
The Grand Minister Shangguan, also a close advisor to King Huai, grew jealous of Qu Yuan's success and tried to steal the draft when Qu Yuan was working on it. Qu Yuan refused to give it to him, so Shangguan went to King Huai and slandered Qu Yuan, saying, "Your Majesty, everyone knows Qu Yuan takes all the credit for every new law, acting like he's the only one who could do it!" Angered by this, King Huai began to ignore Qu Yuan.
Qu Yuan resented King Huai for believing slanderous words, being incompetent and blind to the truth, allowing wicked men to prevail, and where good people couldn't get ahead. Therefore, he felt distressed and wrote "Li Sao," which conveys the agony of exile. Heaven is the source of mankind; parents are the foundation. When things hit rock bottom, people turn to what matters most; hence, when exhausted, they cry out to the heavens, and when sick and suffering, they call out for their parents. Qu Yuan was fiercely loyal and honest, but was double-crossed by his enemies, reaching a dead end. Loyalty was doubted, integrity was slandered; how could he not feel resentful? The creation of "Li Sao" stemmed from this resentment. Love poems in the "Guo Feng" don't get sleazy, and the complaints in the "Xiao Ya" don't incite riots. "Li Sao" combines both of these qualities. It's got everyone in it, from legendary emperors to historical figures, all used to skewer the current mess. The poem elaborates on the big picture of morality and good governance, covering all aspects. The writing is sharp and understated, his ideals were lofty, and his integrity was unimpeachable. It's short, but packed with meaning, with examples close to reality yet with deep and lasting truths. Due to noble aspirations, Qu Yuan praises only the beautiful; due to clean conduct, even in death he is not accepted by the world. Like a cicada emerging from mud and water, he breaks free from filth, soaring above the dust, untainted by worldly impurities, pure as jade, flawless. With that kind of drive, he could've taken on the world!
After Qu Yuan was dismissed from his official position, the state of Qin wanted to attack the state of Qi. Qi had a close relationship with Chu, and King Huai flipped out. So, he sent Zhang Yi to Qin with a bunch of gifts to smooth things over, saying: "Qin really hated Qi. Since Qi and Chu are tight, if Chu can cut ties with Qi, Qin is willing to give the Shangyu territory (600 li) to Chu." Ambitious and naive, King Huai believed Zhang Yi and broke up with Qi, even sending envoys to Qin to accept the land. However, Zhang Yi pulled a fast one, saying: "The agreement was for six li of land; I’ve never heard of six hundred li." The envoys from Chu were furious and returned to report to King Huai.
King Huai was livid and launched an attack on Qin. Qin counterattacked, defeating the Chu army at Danxi, killing eighty thousand soldiers, capturing the Chu general Qu Gai, and seizing the territory of Hanzhong from Chu. King Huai then threw everything he had at Qin again, engaging in battle with the Qin army in Lantian. While Chu was distracted, the state of Wei attacked and reached Dengdi. Fearing defeat, the Chu army had to retreat from Qin. In the end, Qi didn’t come to rescue Chu, and Chu fell into a crisis.
The following year, Qin ceded the territory of Hanzhong to Chu as a peace offering. However, King Huai said: "I don’t want land; I only want Zhang Yi. Then I’ll be satisfied." Upon hearing this, Zhang Yi said: "I’m willing to go to Chu in exchange for Hanzhong." When he arrived in Chu, Zhang Yi bribed King Huai's favorite courtier, Jin Shang, and sweet-talked King Huai's favorite concubine, Zheng Xiu. Eventually, King Huai believed Zheng Xiu and let Zhang Yi go. By this time, Qu Yuan had been frozen out and no longer held a position in the court. When he returned from his mission to Qi, he advised King Huai, saying: "Why didn’t you just kill the guy?" King Huai regretted it, but it was too late to pursue Zhang Yi.
Later, other vassal states attacked Chu together, defeating the Chu army and killing the Chu general Tang Mei.
At this time, King Zhaoxiang of Qin married into the Chu royal family and wanted to meet with King Huai of Chu. King Huai of Chu wanted to go to the state of Qin, but Qu Yuan advised, "Qin is a tiger and wolf state; do not trust them, it's best not to go." However, King Huai of Chu's young son Zilan urged him to go to Qin: "What's wrong with staying friendly with Qin?" King Huai of Chu eventually went. When they reached Wuguan, a Qin ambush cut off the retreat of the Chu army, detained King Huai of Chu, and demanded that Chu hand over land. King Huai of Chu was angry and refused, fleeing to the state of Zhao, but Zhao did not accept him. He returned to Qin and died there, and was later transported back to Chu for burial. His eldest son, King Xiang of Chu, succeeded him and appointed his brother Zilan as chief minister. The people of Chu blamed Zilan for advising King Huai to go to Qin, which led to his death.
Qu Yuan was disgusted by the corruption around him. Even though he was exiled, he still thought about Chu State and King Huai of Chu. He yearned to return, hoped that King Huai would awaken, and wished for the world to change. He expressed this desire three times in a memorial, wanting to restore the country's fortunes. But in the end, he couldn't go back, proving that King Huai never awakened. No matter how smart or dumb, good or bad a ruler is, they all hope to find loyal ministers to assist them. But countries and families keep falling apart, while a wise ruler governing the country for several generations is rarely seen. The problem is, so-called loyal and wise ministers often aren't. King Huai did not know how to distinguish loyal ministers, so he was manipulated by Zheng Xiu and Zhang Yi, distanced himself from Qu Yuan, but trusted Grand Master Shangguan and Minister Yin Zilan. This led to Chu's defeat, the loss of six counties, and King Huai's ignominious death abroad, making him a laughingstock. This is the calamity brought about by not knowing how to judge people! The Book of Changes says, "A dry well shows the value of water; a hurting heart makes you seek it. A wise ruler shares his blessings." If the ruler is not wise, where will the blessings come from! Enraged by this, Zilan had Shangguan slander Qu Yuan to King Qingxiang, who, in a fit of rage, demoted him.
Qu Yuan arrived at the riverside, disheveled, reciting poetry by the water. His face was haggard, his body emaciated. A fisherman saw him and asked, "Hey, aren't you Minister Qu? What happened to you?" Qu Yuan replied, "Everyone else is so messed up, but I'm the only one who sees things clearly. That's why they kicked me out." The fisherman said, "Look, wise guy, don't get so hung up on things. You gotta roll with the punches. If everyone's confused, why not just go with the flow? If everyone's drunk, why not have some cheap wine and a simple meal? Why cling to your high ideals and get yourself exiled?" Qu Yuan said, "Look, if you just washed your hair, you'd brush the dust off, right? If you just took a shower, you'd shake off the water. Who can keep themselves spotless in a dirty world? I'd rather drown than compromise my principles!" Then Qu Yuan wrote 'Encountering Sand,' a poem that went something like this: "Man, this summer heat is brutal! Everywhere you look, it's just thick jungle. I'm so miserable, I had to escape to the south. This place is dark and quiet, nice and peaceful. But I'm still so stressed out, I just gotta keep it inside and deal with it."
If something's square, why force it to be round? You can't just change the standards, can you? Originally simple things, why make them complicated? A gentleman wouldn't do that. My writing style has never changed; it's always been honest and solid, which people appreciate. If even skilled craftsmen don't touch it, how can anyone know its value? People who don't get it say it's bad; those with sharp eyes can't see it. They're twisting things around, calling black white and up down! A phoenix in a chicken coop—that's what it's like. You can't just lump jade and rocks together, can you? Jealous people with no understanding—they don't get it.
I've got a big responsibility, but things keep getting in the way; I've got good intentions, but nobody gets it. Country dogs bark at anything strange. It's small-minded to badmouth good people. My writing's good, but nobody appreciates it. My talent's wasted. I'm honest and careful, but who really knows me? The ancients stuck with it, but we don't know why. Yu the Great? That's ancient history. I try to fix my mistakes, keep my cool, and get stronger. Even when things are tough, I won't give up on my dreams. I'm heading north, and the sun's setting. I'm worried and sad, stuck in this mess.
Let me just ramble a bit: the mighty Yuan and Xiang Rivers flowed on, their waters parting ways; the quiet path stretches on, making one feel lost. I am always sad, sighing deeply. No one understands me in this world; the world's ways are inscrutable! I carry my ambitions and virtues, but I am alone, without companions. With Bole gone, what's a steed to do? The fate of life is different, each with its own experiences. I've made up my mind, and what's there to fear? I have been sad, sighing deeply; this turbid world does not understand me; people are so unpredictable! I know that death is inevitable, and I am willing to give up everything! I want to tell these things to the gentlemen, hoping they can understand me.
And so, Huai Shi cast himself into the Miluo River.
After Qu Yuan's death, in Chu, there appeared some literati like Song Yu, Tang Le, and Jing Chai who were good at writing poetry. They all learned Qu Yuan's literary style, writing articles that were elegant and subtle, but in the end, no one dared to directly remonstrate like Qu Yuan. As a result, Chu steadily weakened, falling to Qin within decades.
Over a hundred years later, the Han dynasty produced Jia Yi, who became the tutor of the King of Changsha. Once, he passed by the Xiang River and wrote an article to mourn Qu Yuan.
Jia Yi was from Luoyang. At the age of eighteen, he gained renown throughout the counties for his mastery of poetry and calligraphy. At that time, Wu Tingwei served as the governor of Henan County. Hearing that Jia Yi was talented, he recruited him and highly valued him. When Emperor Wen of Han just ascended the throne, he heard that Wu Tingwei's governance of Henan County was outstanding, the best in the world. He also learned that Wu was from the same hometown as Li Si and often sought knowledge from him, so he summoned Wu to the court as Tingwei. Wu Tingwei recommended Jia Yi to Emperor Wen, saying that although he was young, he was well-versed in the classics. So Emperor Wen summoned Jia Yi and appointed him as a doctor.
At that time, Jia Yi was in his twenties, considered very young. Whenever there was a need for discussion of imperial decrees in court, the elder statesmen couldn't come up with answers, but Jia Yi could respond to each one, always nailing it and satisfying everyone. Other scholars then realized that their abilities were no match for Jia Yi's. Emperor Wen of Han appreciated him and promoted him all the way to Grand Master within a year.
Jia Yi believed that since the establishment of the Han Dynasty, during the more than twenty years of Emperor Xiao Wen's reign, the world was peaceful, making it the perfect time to reform the calendar, change clothing colors, modify legal systems, determine official titles, and promote ritual music. He drafted a comprehensive plan, suggesting yellow as the main color, using five as the base number, renaming official titles, and completely changing the old system of the Qin Dynasty. However, Emperor Wen was busy dealing with the initial courtesies of his reign and had no time for these matters. Later reforms, including the creation of marquisates, were all proposed by Jia Yi. Consequently, the Emperor wanted Jia Yi to hold high office.
However, those guys—Marquis Jiang, Guan Ying, Marquis Dongyang, and Feng Jing—were green with envy. They whispered behind his back, saying, "This kid from Luoyang, barely out of his teens, thinks he can run the whole show!" As a result, Emperor Wen later distanced himself from Jia Yi, not accepting his suggestions, and demoting him to the king's personal advisor in Changsha.
Before resigning his post and heading to Changsha, Jia Yi heard that the terrain in Changsha was low-lying and damp, fearing he wouldn't live long. Feeling uncomfortable about his banishment, he wrote a poem mourning Qu Yuan as he crossed the Xiang River. The poem goes like this:
Man, the Emperor's grace sends me to this forsaken place. They say Qu Yuan drowned himself in the Miluo. I'm here at the Xiang River, paying my respects. This rotten world…it killed a good man. What a tragedy! Born at the wrong time, I guess.
The phoenixes are all in hiding; the owls, however, are soaring freely. The villains are running the show, the yes-men are strutting around, while the good guys are pushed aside – the world's gone mad. People actually call Boyi greedy and Duzhi honest; they say the Moye sword's dull and a lead knife's sharp! What's the point, eh? It's enough to make you want to give up. Trading the Zhou dynasty's precious tripod for a broken gourd, strong oxen for scrawny donkeys, and a thoroughbred for a salt-cart nag… These roughspun shoes and this old hat aren't going to cut it for long! Poor chap, you've been done wrong!
I ask myself: Forget it. No one gets me. Who can I even talk to? A phoenix flies high, keeps itself above the muck. The dragon in the Nine Abyss keeps to itself, safe in the depths. Why would it hang out with ants and leeches? A sage's virtue keeps them apart from all this mess, hidden away. Once a thoroughbred's harnessed, it's just another dog or sheep. I bolted, and it's your fault, sir! I'm supposed to be advising the Emperor, touring the whole empire – why am I stuck here in Changsha? A phoenix soars high, landing only for the good, taking flight from the bad. You can't keep a whale in a puddle, can you? Even a big fish gets eaten by minnows eventually.
Jia Yi served as a tutor in Changsha for three years. One day, an owl (called a "fu" in Chu) flew into his room and perched next to his seat. Jia Yi felt sad because he had been demoted to Changsha, which was swampy and damp, and he thought he wouldn't live long. To express his emotions, he wrote an article. The content of the article is as follows:
Man, it was early April in the fourth year of Dan'ao, on the day of Gengzi. I had a pile of clothes stacked in my room, all piled up in the corner, looking pretty idle. Suddenly, a few strange birds flew in, and I was puzzled. I flipped open my fortune-telling book, which said: "When wild birds enter the house, the master is about to leave." I quickly asked the pile of clothes (referring to the divination results): "Where am I going? Is it good or bad? Tell me quickly. If it's bad, also mention what disasters might occur, and roughly when they might happen." The answer seemed to sigh, its 'wings' (the way the clothes fell) fluttering as if to emphasize its point.
Everything is changing; nothing ever rests. Like flowing water, always shifting, sometimes even reversing course. Our bodies and minds are the same, constantly changing and alternating, endlessly transforming—who can say for sure! Fortune and misfortune are intertwined; they're two sides of the same coin. Sorrow and joy always come together, and auspiciousness and danger often appear in the same place. Look at Wu, so powerful, and yet Fuchai still failed; the Yue country was once trapped in Mount Kuaiji, but Goujian ended up ruling the roost. Wu Zixu helped Wu to greatness, only to meet a terrible end; while Fu Shuo, who was just a laborer at first, eventually became the prime minister of King Wu. Fortune and misfortune are like two strands of rope, all tangled up. Who knows what fate holds? You need the flow to get the drought, and a hard pull to get a good shot. Everything affects everything else, keeping things in motion. Clouds rise, rain falls—it's all a complex, ever-shifting dance. The universe is just too vast to comprehend. We can't figure out what the gods are up to, or how nature works. Our lifespan is set, but who knows when our number's up?
The world is like a big melting pot, and creation is like a clever craftsman; Yin and Yang are the fuel, and all things are the materials. With all this constant change and flux, is there any real pattern? Change without end, possibilities without limit. So what if you become human? So what if you become something else? Short-sighted people are selfish and self-serving, looking down on others to make themselves feel better; those with broad knowledge have an open heart, accepting everything. Greedy people chase after wealth, while ambitious people pursue fame; those who flaunt their power often come to a bad end, while common people can live long lives. Cowards run scared; those with an open mind can face all changes with calmness. Those trapped by worldly concerns are like prisoners; those who truly transcend are only accompanied by the Tao. Most people are ruled by their emotions; those who truly transcend are calm inside, breathing with the Tao. Let go of your attachments, forget your body, transcend the material world—and enlightenment follows. With an open heart, freely soaring with the Tao. Go with the flow, stopping when you reach dry land; adapt to circumstances without forcing yourself. Life's a drift, death's a rest; inner peace is deep as a still pond, freedom as boundless as an unmoored boat. Don't cling to life; be light and free; virtuous people have no worries, understanding their destiny and not feeling anxious. Don't sweat the small stuff!
After a few years, Jia Yi was summoned by the court. Emperor Wen of Han was receiving sacrifices, sitting in the Xuan Room. The Emperor, raising the subject of ghosts and spirits, inquired about the fundamental reasons for their existence. Jia Yi explained in detail the reasons for the existence of ghosts and spirits. They talked until midnight, at which point the Emperor rose to see him out. After the conversation, Emperor Wen said, "I thought I had surpassed Jia Yi, but I was wrong." Not long after, Jia Yi was appointed as the tutor of Prince Huai of Liang. Prince Huai was Emperor Wen's young son, whom the Emperor cherished, and Prince Huai loved studying, so Jia Yi was appointed to teach him.
Emperor Wen also made the four sons of the Prince of Huainan marquises. Jia Yi advised against it, foreseeing disaster. He repeatedly petitioned the Emperor, stating that some feudal lords governed several commanderies, which was contrary to ancient precedent, and their power should be weakened. Emperor Wen did not listen to him.
After a few years, Prince Huai fell from his horse and died, heirless. Jia Yi blamed himself for not fulfilling his responsibilities as a teacher, cried for over a year, and died as well. Jia Yi died at the age of thirty-three. When Emperor Wen of Han died and Emperor Wu of Han ascended the throne, Jia Yi's two grandsons were promoted to be governors, with Jia Jia being particularly studious, inheriting the Jia family business, and corresponding with me. During the reign of Emperor Zhao of Han, Jia Jia was appointed as one of the Nine Ministers.
Sima Qian stated: I read works such as "Li Sao," "Tian Wen," "Zhao Hun," and "Ai Ying," feeling very sorrowful for Qu Yuan's fate and aspirations. When I arrived in Changsha, I saw with my own eyes the place where Qu Yuan drowned himself. Every time I passed by there, tears would inevitably flow, as if I could sense Qu Yuan's spirit. Later, when I read Jia Yi's "Elegy for Qu Yuan," I became even more puzzled. Such a talented man, traveling to persuade the princes—why would no state accept him? What drove him to such despair?
After reading "The Fu of the Alula" again, I feel even more that Qu Yuan takes life and death lightly, isn't bothered by the twists and turns of court life, and this kind of easygoing attitude really blew me away; it's on a whole different plane.
