Duke Shi of the Zhou dynasty and the Zhou dynasty share the same surname, both surnamed Ji. After King Wu of Zhou defeated King Zhou of Shang, Duke Shi was enfeoffed in Northern Yan. At that time, King Cheng of Zhou was still young, and the Duke of Zhou was regent, holding the reins of power and poised to inherit the throne. Duke Shi was a bit suspicious of the Duke of Zhou, so he wrote a piece called "Jun Shi" to express his concerns, not entirely agreeing with the Duke of Zhou's actions. The Duke of Zhou said, "During the time of King Tang of Shang, Yi Yin assisted, with Heaven's mandate; during the time of King Tai Wu, Yi Zhi and Chen Hu assisted, with Heaven's mandate, and Wu Xian managed the royal family; during the time of King Zu Yi, there was Wu Xian; during the time of King Wu Ding, there was Gan Pan; these loyal ministers all served the country faithfully, preserving the Yin and Shang dynasties." After hearing this, Duke Shi was finally relieved.
Duke Shi governed the western region and was very popular among the people. Once, while touring the countryside, Duke Shi saw a tang tree and handled cases under it. From nobles to common people, everyone got a fair shake, and no one felt wronged or falsely accused. After Duke Shi passed away, the common people remembered his good governance and were reluctant to cut down the tang tree. They even composed songs to praise him, which is the origin of the poem "Gan Tang."
Counting nine generations down from Duke Shi, it came to Marquis Hui of Yan. Marquis Hui governed during the time when King Li of Zhou fled to Zhi, and during the republican period.
After Marquis Hui passed away, his son succeeded him as Marquis Li. In that year, King Xuan of Zhou had just ascended the throne. Marquis Li ruled for twenty-one years, and Duke Huan of Zheng was enfeoffed in the Zheng region. After ruling for thirty-six years, Marquis Li passed away, and his son succeeded him as Marquis Qing.
Marquis Qing ruled for twenty years, during which King You of Zhou was corrupt and eventually killed by the Quanrong. The state of Qin was also listed as a vassal state. After ruling for twenty-four years, Marquis Qing passed away, and his son succeeded him as Marquis Ai. Marquis Ai ruled for two years before passing away, and his son succeeded him as Marquis Zheng. Marquis Zheng ruled for thirty-six years before passing away, and his son succeeded him as Marquis Miao. Thus, the line of Marquis of Yan continued, their history intertwined with the rise and fall of the Zhou dynasty itself.
Miao Hou's reign lasted seven years, which was also the first year of Duke Yin of Lu. After reigning for eighteen years, Miao Hou died and was succeeded by his son Xuan Hou. Xuan Hou died after thirteen years of reign, and his son Huan Hou succeeded him. Huan Hou died after seven years of reign, and his son Zhuang Gong succeeded him.
In 694 BC, Duke Huan of Qi became the leading power among the vassal states. The year 688 BC witnessed Duke Huan going to war with King Hui of Zhou, who fled to Wendao. Duke Huan installed Hui's brother, Tuo, as the new king of Zhou. In 687 BC, the state of Zheng captured Zhongfu of Yan and sent King Hui back to the Zhou dynasty. In 676 BC, the Shan Rong invaded Yan. Duke Huan rescued Yan and then launched a northern campaign against the Shan Rong before returning triumphantly. When the ruler of Yan escorted Duke Huan out, he returned the recovered land to Yan and allowed Yan to pay tribute to the Zhou dynasty as was customary in the Zhou dynasty, restoring the system of the period of Duke of Zhou. In 670 BC, Duke Huan died and was succeeded by his son Xiang Gong.
In 664 BC, Duke Wen of Jin convened a meeting of the vassal states at Jiandu and began to dominate the vassal states. In 659 BC, the Qin army was defeated in the Battle of Yao. In 653 BC, Duke Mu of Qin died. In 650 BC, Duke Xiang died and was succeeded by Duke Huan. In 644 BC, Duke Huan died and was succeeded by Duke Xuan. In 629 BC, Duke Xuan died and was succeeded by Duke Zhao. In 620 BC, Duke Zhao died and was succeeded by Duke Wu. That year, the state of Jin annihilated the three Xishi clans.
In 601 BC, Duke Wu of Qi died, and Duke Wen succeeded to the throne. In 595 BC, Duke Wen of Qi died, and Duke Yi took over. In 589 BC, the first year of Duke Yi's reign, the Qi noble Cui Zhu assassinated Duke Zhuang of Qi. In 585 BC, Duke Yi of Qi died, and Duke Hui succeeded to the throne. That same year, the Qi noble Gao Zhi fled from the state of Lu to Qi. In 581 BC, Duke Hui of Qi was excessively fond of Lady Song and sought to depose the other nobles to make her his queen. The nobles conspired to murder Lady Song, and fearing for his life, Duke Hui fled to Qi. Four years later, the Qi noble Gao Yan went to the state of Jin, requesting their assistance to attack the state of Yan and to return Duke Hui of Qi to Yan. Duke Ping of Jin agreed, leading to a joint attack on Yan. Duke Hui of Qi was sent back to Yan, where he died. Duke Dao was then enthroned as the ruler of Yan.
In 574 BC, Duke Dao of Yan died, and Duke Gong succeeded to the throne. In 569 BC, Duke Gong of Yan died, and Duke Ping took over. At this time, the Jin royal family was weakening, and the six ministers began to rise in power. In 542 BC, King Helu of Wu broke through the state of Chu and entered the Chu capital, Ying. In 541 BC, Duke Ping of Yan died, and Duke Jian succeeded to the throne. In 530 BC, Duke Jian of Yan died, and Duke Xian took over. The Jin noble Zhao Yang besieged the armies of the Fan and Zhongxing clans in Chaoge. In 528 BC, the Qi noble Tian Chang assassinated Duke Xian of Qi. In 526 BC, Confucius died. In 502 BC, Duke Xian of Yan died, and Duke Xiao succeeded to the throne.
In 498 BC, the states of Han, Wei, and Zhao destroyed Lord Zhi, dividing his territory, and the three Jin states consolidated their power. In 497 BC, Duke Xiao of Yan died, and Duke Cheng took over. In 484 BC, Duke Cheng of Yan died, and Duke Min succeeded to the throne. In 454 BC, Duke Min of Yan died, and Duke Li took over. That year, the three Jin states were officially recognized as princely states.
In 370 BC, Duke Li of Yan reigned for thirty years and defeated the state of Qi at Linying. After Duke Li's death, Duke Huan succeeded him. Duke Huan ruled for eleven years before his death, and Duke Wen succeeded him. In the same year, Duke Xian of Qin also passed away, making Qin even stronger.
Nineteen years into Duke Wen's reign, King Wei of Qi died. In Duke Wen's twenty-eighth year, Su Qin visited him for the first time, persuading him. Duke Wen loaded Su Qin up with chariots, horses, gold, and silver, sending him off to Zhao. Marquis Su of Zhao took Su Qin's advice, and soon Su Qin had six states eating out of his hand. King Hui of Qin married his daughter to the Yan crown prince.
In the twenty-ninth year, Duke Wen of Yan passed away, and the crown prince succeeded him, becoming King Yi of Yan.
Right after King Yi took the throne, King Xuan of Qi used Yan's mourning period to attack, capturing ten cities. Su Qin talked King Xuan into giving the ten cities back to Yan. Ten years later, Yan's ruler became king. Su Qin was sleeping with Duke Wen's widow, and fearing for his life, convinced King Yi to trick Qi into a mess. After reigning for twelve years, King Yi of Yan passed away, and his son, King Kuai of Yan, succeeded him.
After Yan Kuai ascended the throne, Su Qin was assassinated by the people of Qi. When Su Qin was in the Yan state, he'd become related to the Prime Minister Zi Zhi, and Su Qin's younger brother Su Dai also had a good relationship with Zi Zhi. After Su Qin's death, King Xuan of Qi rehired Su Dai. During his three-year reign, he, along with the Chu and Three Jin armies, attacked the Qin state but were defeated. Zi Zhi served as the Prime Minister of the Yan state and held great power, with the Yan king taking his advice. When Su Dai, as a Qi envoy, arrived in the Yan state, the Yan king asked him, "How is the King of Qi?" Su Dai replied, "King Qi won't be seeking hegemony." The Yan king asked, "Why?" Su Dai answered, "He doesn't trust his ministers." Su Dai intended to use a bit of reverse psychology to make the Yan king value Zi Zhi more. So the king really trusted Zi Zhi. Zi Zhi then gave Su Dai a hundred gold and told him to do as he saw fit.
Lu Maoshou said to the Yan king, "Why not just give the country to Zi Zhi? People say that Yao was known for his wisdom because he offered the throne to Xu You, who refused, thus earning Yao the reputation of being willing to give up the world, without actually losing it. Now, if you hand over the country to Zi Zhi, he definitely will not accept, and you'll be just like Yao." The Yan king then gave the country to Zi Zhi, causing Zi Zhi's status to rise immediately.
Someone said, "Yu recommended Yi, but then appointed Qi. When Yu got old and saw Qi wasn't up to the job, he passed the world to Yi. As a result, Qi and his cronies attacked Yi and took over. Everyone says Yu passed the throne to Yi, but really Qi grabbed it. Now, you say you are handing over the country to Zi Zhi, but all the officials are supporters of the Crown Prince. It looks like you're giving it to Zi Zhi, but really the crown prince's still running things!" The Yan king then took back the seal, and all officials ranked 300 stones and up obeyed Zi Zhi's orders. Zi Zhi began to handle state affairs, while the old king ignored politics and acted like a regular citizen, with Zi Zhi making all the important decisions.
Three years later, Yan was in utter chaos, and the people were terrified. General Shi and the Crown Prince secretly plotted to attack Zhi Zhi. Some generals said to King Qi Min, "Let's hit Yan now; we'll win easy!" King Qi sent someone to tell the Crown Prince of Yan, "I hear you're a real stickler for justice, Prince, all about fairness and righting wrongs, setting things straight between ruler and ruled, father and son. My country is relatively small and cannot offer much help. However, if you have any orders, please feel free to say." The Crown Prince rallied his men, surrounded Shi's palace, and went after Zhi. Their attack on Zhi failed. But the people turned on the Crown Prince, attacking him. Shi was killed and his body was put on public display as a warning. The rebellion raged for months, killing tens of thousands and terrifying everyone; loyalty evaporated. Mencius said to King Qi, "Now's our chance, just like Wen and Wu! We gotta strike!" King Qi sent Zhang Zi with his Five Capitals and northern armies to attack Yan. The Yan army barely fought back – the gates were wide open, and King Hui was dead. Qi won big time. Two years later, Zhi Zhi was gone, and the people made the Crown Prince King Zhao of Yan.
King Zhao of Yan took the throne after Yan's defeat by Qi. He swallowed his pride and offered big bucks to attract talent. He said to Guo Kui, "Qi took advantage of the chaos in our Yan state to defeat us. I understand that Yan is small and weak, and it is not easy to seek revenge. However, if we can find capable talents to govern the country and seek revenge for the late king, that is my wish! Think you can pull this off? Will you help me?" Guo Kui replied, "Your Majesty, if you truly want to recruit talents, then start with me. If I'm in, surely others will follow, right?" So King Zhao fixed up Guo Kui's palace and made him his teacher. Yue Yi came from the state of Wei, Zou Yan from Qi, Ju Xin from Zhao, and many others were eager to serve in Yan. King Zhao of Yan personally comforted the families of the deceased, cared for the elderly and widows, and shared the ups and downs with his people.
After twenty-eight years, Yan was booming, its people rich, its soldiers fired up and ready to fight. King Zhao made Yue Yi his top general and, together with Qin, Chu, and the Three Jin states (Han, Zhao, and Wei), attacked Qi. The Qi army was routed, and King Min ran. The Yan army pursued them all the way, entered the capital city of Linzi in Qi, grabbed tons of loot, and torched their palaces and temples. Only Liaocheng, Jucheng, and Jimo held out; the rest of Qi was Yan's for six years.
King Zhao died after reigning for thirty-three years, and his son King Hui succeeded him. When Hui was the Crown Prince, he had a bad relationship with Le Yi; after becoming king, he suspected Le Yi and replaced him with Qi Jie. Le Yi fled to Zhao. Then, Tian Dan, a Qi general, crushed the Yan army in Jimo, where Qi Jie died in battle, causing the Yan army to retreat and Qi to regain lost territories. King Min of Qi died in Ju, and his son succeeded him, becoming King Xiang.
King Hui died after seven years on the throne. Following this, Han, Wei, and Chu united to attack Yan. King Wu Cheng ascended the throne. In the seventh year of King Wu Cheng's reign, Tian Dan attacked Yan and captured Zhongyang. In the thirteenth year, Qin defeated Zhao in the Battle of Changping, leading to the loss of more than four hundred thousand troops. In the fourteenth year, King Wu Cheng of Yan died, and his son King Xiao took over.
In the first year of King Xiao's reign, the Qin army withdrew from the siege of Handan. Three years later, King Xiao died, and his son King Xi succeeded him.
It is said that in 251 BC, King Zhao of Qin kicked the bucket. The King of Yan sent his prime minister Li Fu to make nice with the State of Zhao, presenting the Zhao King with a gift of 500 gold pieces. Li Fu returned to report to the King of Yan, saying, "All the grown men in Zhao have died, leaving only kids. We can attack them!" The King of Yan then summoned Lord Changguo Le Jian to discuss this matter. Le Jian said, "Zhao is a country that has fought four major battles. The people are all tough hombres, not easy to provoke!" The King of Yan said, "If five countries gang up on one, what is there to fear?" Le Jian still disagreed: "No way!" The King of Yan became angry, but his ministers all believed it could be done. As a result, two armies were raised, with two thousand chariots. Li Fu led one army to attack Haicheng (Hǎichéng), while Qing Qin led the other to attack Daijun (Dàijùn). Only a man named Jiang Qu advised the King of Yan, saying, "It's better to negotiate and discuss with others. Sending a gift of 500 gold pieces and then attacking them upon the return of the envoy is asking for trouble! We will definitely not win!" The King of Yan did not listen and personally led the troops. Jiang Qu grabbed the King's belt and pleaded, "Your Majesty, please do not go personally. It'll end badly if you go!" The King of Yan kicked him away. Jiang Qu cried, saying, "I am not doing this for myself, but for Your Majesty!"
When the Yan army reached Songzi (Sòngzǐ), the Zhao general Lian Po led his troops to battle. Li Fu was defeated by Lian Po at Haicheng. Le Cheng was also defeated by Le Jian in Daijun, and Le Jian fled to Zhao. Lian Po pursued him for over five hundred miles and surrounded Changguo. Yan sought peace, but Zhao refused, insisting that Jiang Qu must come forward to negotiate. The Prime Minister of Yan, Jiang Qu, then went to negotiate with Zhao on behalf of Yan. They lifted the siege on Yan's territory because of Jiang Qu.
In the sixth year, the state of Qin destroyed the Eastern Zhou Dynasty and established Sanchuan County. In the seventh year, Qin also captured thirty-seven cities of the state of Zhao in Yuci, establishing Dayuan County. By the ninth year, King Zheng of Qin had just become king. In the tenth year, Zhao sent General Lian Po to attack Fanyang and captured it. At this time, King Xiaocheng of Zhao died, and was succeeded by King Daoxiang. King Zhao made Le Cheng replace Lian Po, but Lian Po refused and instead attacked Le Cheng. Le Cheng fled, and Lian Po escaped to Daliang.
In the twelfth year, Zhao sent Li Mu to attack the state of Yan, capturing Wusui and Fangcheng. There was a man named Juxin, who used to live in Zhao and was buddies with Pang Nuan. He later fled to Yan. Seeing that Zhao had been defeated by Qin multiple times and that Lian Po had escaped, Yan appointed Pang Nuan as a general to take advantage of Zhao's weakness. The King of Yan asked Juxin, who said, "Pang Nuan is a pushover." So Yan sent Juxin to lead troops to attack Zhao, and Zhao sent Pang Nuan to meet them in battle. The result was a defeat for the Yan army, capturing two thousand soldiers and killing Juxin. Meanwhile, Qin captured twenty cities of Wei, establishing Dong County. In the nineteenth year, Qin also captured nine cities of Zhao in Ye. King Daoxiang of Zhao also died.
In 223 BC, Prince Dan of Yan was sent to Qin as a hostage, but later escaped back to Yan. In 225 BC, Qin conquered Han and killed King An, establishing Yingchuan County. In 227 BC, Qin captured Zhao's King Qian and destroyed Zhao. Zhao's Prince Jia established himself as the King of Dai. Yan knew Qin was on the verge of conquering the other six states, with Qin's army already approaching the Yi River; disaster loomed. Prince Dan secretly trained twenty warriors and sent Jing Ke to assassinate the King of Qin with a map of Dukang, hoping to attack Qin. However, King Zheng discovered the plot, executed Jing Ke, and dispatched General Wang Jian against Yan. In 229 BC, Qin conquered Ji, and King Yan fled to Liaodong, offering Prince Dan's head to Qin as a peace offering. In 230 BC, Qin destroyed the state of Wei. In 233 BC, Qin captured Liaodong, captured King Xi of Yan, and completely destroyed Yan. That year, General Wang Ben of Qin also captured King Jia of Dai. Sima Qian wrote: Duke Zhao was truly benevolent and righteous! Even the sweet-osmanthus tree was fondly remembered; how much more so, then, Duke Zhao? Hemmed in by barbarian tribes and squeezed between Qi and Jin, weak Yan was repeatedly on the brink of annihilation. However, Yan's dynasty lasted eight or nine hundred years, the last of the Ji states to fall. Wasn't this all due to Duke Zhao's legacy?
