Yin Qi's mother is named Jiandi, the daughter of Aiji, and the secondary wife of Emperor Ku. While bathing, she saw a black bird drop an egg, which she picked up and swallowed. As a result, she became pregnant and gave birth to Qi. When Qi grew up, he made significant contributions to flood control under the leadership of Great Yu.
Emperor Shun ordered Qi, saying, "The people do not have close ties to the court, and the five virtues have not been taught. You will serve as Minister of Personnel and carefully implement the Five Virtues, with tolerance being the key." Therefore, Emperor Shun granted Qi the land of Shang and the surname Zi. Qi rose during the time of Tang, Yu, and Great Yu, achieving remarkable feats that led to the people living in peace and contentment.
Qi was succeeded by his son Zhaoming, then by Zhaoming's son Xiangtu, followed by Xiangtu's son Changruo, then Changruo's son Caoyu, after which Caoyu's son Ming took over, followed by Ming's son Zhen, then Zhen's son Wei, next Wei's son Baoding, then Baoding's son Baoyi, followed by Baoyi's son Baobing, then Baobing's son Zhuren, next Zhuren's son Zhugui, and finally, Zhugui's son Tianyi, who was known as King Tang.
From Qi to Tang, there were a total of eight relocations. Tang initially lived in Bo, inherited the capital of the previous king, and issued the royal decree.
Tang attacked the vassal states. Duke Ge did not worship his ancestors, so Tang first targeted him. Tang said, "As I've said, you can judge the character of water by its form, and the quality of governance by the people's well-being." Yi Yin replied, "You express it so clearly! As long as you can listen to others' opinions, morality can progress. In your country, all the good people are in your government. You must work hard, work hard!" Tang responded, "If you cannot execute orders with respect, I will punish you severely, without any pardon." And thus, he created the "Tang's Campaign."
Yi Yin's name was Aheng. Aheng wanted to assist King Tang but could not find the opportunity, so he became a servant in the household of the Youxin clan, responsible for lifting the tripod and holding the vessels used for sacrifices, currying favor with Tang through fine dining, and ultimately assisting King Tang in achieving the right way to rule. Some people also say that Yi Yin was a hermit, and Tang sent people to invite him. After five attempts, he finally agreed to serve Tang and told him about the stories of virtuous rulers of old, including nine emperors. Tang appointed Yi Yin to handle state affairs. Yi Yin left Tang for the Xia Dynasty. After being treated coldly in the Xia Dynasty, he returned to Bo, the capital of Shang. He entered from the north gate and encountered two birds—the female dove and the female cuckoo—so he created "The Female Dove and the Female Cuckoo."
Tang went out hunting and saw a net spread out in the wild, with four sides enclosed, and prayed, "Everyone in the land will fall into my net." Tang said, "This is excessive!" So he removed three sides, leaving only one side, praying, "If you want to go left, go left; if you want to go right, go right; if you don't listen, you will fall into my net." Word of this reached the vassals, who exclaimed, "King Tang's virtue was so profound, it moved even the animals."
During the reign of Xia Jie, the people were suffering due to bad rule and oppression. Xia Jie even colluded with the Kunwu clan to stir up chaos. King Tang, with Yi Yin at his side, marched to war. King Tang led the attack himself with a great axe against the Kunwu clan, and then went on to confront Xia Jie. He addressed the people, saying, "Listen up, everyone! I ain't rebelling for kicks; the Xia Dynasty's done us all wrong! I've heard what you've been saying, and it's true—the Xia Dynasty is guilty as charged. I fear the heavens and won’t act unjustly. The crimes of the Xia Dynasty are heinous, and heaven will punish them! You've said, 'Our ruler doesn't care about us, whether we live or die, and is messing up the government!' You've also asked, 'The Xia Dynasty is guilty; what do we do now?' The Xia King has crushed the people's strength and seized the resources of our kingdom. The people are exhausted, divided, and asking, 'When will this end? We're all doomed!' The Xia Dynasty's gone completely rotten, and I must act against it! If you follow me now and accept heaven's punishment, I’ll govern you well and make sure you live good lives. Trust me, I mean it! If you don’t listen to me, I’ll punish you severely, and no one will be spared!" King Tang shared these words with his soldiers, which became known as the famous "Tang's Oath." Afterwards, King Tang later took the title of 'Wu' and became known as King Wu.
Xia Jie was defeated in the battle at Xudi and fled to Mingtiao, where the Xia Dynasty's army was completely destroyed. King Tang then attacked the Three Miao tribes, seizing their precious jade treasures. Yi Bo and Zhong Bo were responsible for managing these treasures. After defeating the Xia Dynasty, King Tang tried to relocate the ancestral shrine of the Xia Dynasty but failed, so he established a Xia shrine for worship in the same location. Yi Yin reported the battle's outcome to him. Soon after, all the vassals submitted to King Tang, who then took over, bringing peace to the land.
Shang Tang returned to Taijuan Tao and wrote the "Tang Gao." After overthrowing the Xia Dynasty, he returned to Bo and wrote the "Tang Gao" again: "In the third month, I came to the eastern suburbs and told the lords and ministers: 'You guys gotta do right by the people and work hard. If you slack, I'll come down on you hard, so don't say I didn't warn you!' I said, 'In ancient times, Yu and Gao Tao worked hard for the people, doing many good deeds, so the people could live in peace and happiness. The empire's borders were defined by the Yangtze to the east, the Ji River to the north, the Yellow River to the west, and the Huai River to the south. Only when these four great rivers are well managed can the common people have a place to live. Hou Ji taught people to sow and plant various grains. The three dukes served the people well, ensuring their legacy lived on. In the past, Chi You and his ministers rebelled, causing suffering to the people. Emperor Ku did not spare them; this is an example. We must work hard to follow the words of the former kings.' I said, 'If you can't play nice, get out of my kingdom, and don't whine when I punish you!'" Shang Tang used these words to command the lords. Yi Yin wrote "Xian You Yi De," and Jiu Dan wrote "Ming Ju."
Shang Tang also reformed the calendar, changed the color of clothing to white, and held court meetings during the day.
King Tang's death was followed by that of Crown Prince Tai Ding, leading to the ascension of Tai Ding's brother, Wai Bing (Emperor Wai Bing). Wai Bing reigned for three years, followed by his brother, Zhong Ren (Emperor Zhong Ren), whose four-year reign ended with his death. Finally, Yi Yin installed Tai Ding's son, Tai Jia (Emperor Tai Jia), the eldest grandson of Cheng Tang. In Tai Jia's first year, Yi Yin penned three advisories: "Yi Xun," "Si Ming," and "Cu Hou."
Tai Jia became emperor for three years but did not govern well, being both tyrannical and disorderly, totally ignoring King Tang's rules. Yi Yin then sent him to Tong Palace for reflection. Yi Yin himself governed for three years, summoning the regional lords to court.
After three years in Tong Palace, Tai Jia finally saw the error of his ways and changed his tune. Yi Yin brought him back, returning power to him. Tai Jia reformed himself, governed the country well, and the regional lords from all over submitted to the Yin dynasty, and everyone lived in peace and prosperity. Yi Yin was pleased and wrote three *Tai Jia Instructions* to praise Tai Jia, even calling him Tai Zong (Grand Ancestor).
Wo Ding succeeded Tai Jia, only to see Yi Yin pass away during his reign. After burying Yi Yin in Bo, Ji Dan summarized Yi Yin's achievements and wrote a piece called "Wo Ding."
After Wo Ding's death, his brother Tai Geng succeeded him, becoming Emperor Tai Geng. After Tai Geng's death, his son Xiao Jia succeeded him, becoming Emperor Xiao Jia. After Xiao Jia's death, his brother Yong Ji succeeded him, becoming Emperor Yong Ji. By this time, the Yin dynasty was weakening, and several vassal states had stopped sending tribute.
After Yǒngjǐ's death, his younger brother Tàiwǔ ascended to the throne, becoming Emperor Tàiwǔ. Tàiwǔ appointed Yīzhì as the prime minister. One day, a wondrous occurrence took place in Bó City, with mulberry trees and grains springing up together in the court, fully grown by morning. Tàiwǔ was very afraid and went to consult Yīzhì. Yīzhì replied, "I have heard that malevolent forces cannot overcome good virtues. Your Majesty, is there any negligence in your governance? You should cultivate your moral character!" After hearing Yīzhì's words, the miraculous mulberry tree withered and died. Yīzhì also informed Wū Xián about this event. Wū Xián effectively assisted Tàiwǔ in governing the country and authored "Xián Ài" and "Tàiwǔ." Tàiwǔ praised Yīzhì in the temple, stating that Yīzhì had contributed greatly to the country. Yīzhì humbly declined the praise and wrote "Yuán Mìng." The Yin Dynasty thrived once more, with all the tributary states coming to pay homage, earning Tàiwǔ the title of the Middle Ancestor.
Upon the Middle Ancestor's death, his son Emperor Zhōngdīng inherited the throne. Emperor Zhōngdīng moved the capital to Áo. Hédànjiǎ became the prime minister. Zǔyǐ later relocated the capital to Xíng. After Emperor Zhōngdīng's death, his younger brother Wàirén ascended, becoming Emperor Wàirén. The historical record of Zhōngdīng's reign is fragmentary.
Following Emperor Wàirén's death, his younger brother Hédànjiǎ took the throne, becoming Emperor Hédànjiǎ. During his reign, the Yin Dynasty weakened again.
After Emperor Hédànjiǎ's death, his son Zǔyǐ ascended to the throne. The Yin Dynasty experienced a period of renewed growth under Emperor Zǔyǐ's rule, with Wū Xián being reinstated in a significant position.
Emperor Zǔyǐ died, and his son Zǔxīn inherited the throne. After Zǔxīn's death, his younger brother Wòjiǎ ascended, becoming Emperor Wòjiǎ. Following Emperor Wòjiǎ's death, Zǔxīn's son Zǔdīng was installed as Emperor Zǔdīng. After Emperor Zǔdīng's death, Wòjiǎ's son Nángēng succeeded to the throne, becoming Emperor Nángēng. Following Emperor Nángēng's death, Zǔdīng's son Yángjiǎ was installed as Emperor Yángjiǎ. During Emperor Yángjiǎ's reign, the Yin Dynasty weakened once more.
From the reign of Emperor Zhongding, the system of primogeniture was abolished, and other sons were chosen as successors. Nine generations of brothers fought over the throne, plunging the dynasty into chaos, and the vassal states stopped paying their respects.
When Emperor Yangjia died, his brother Pan Geng succeeded him, becoming Emperor Pan Geng. During Emperor Pan Geng's reign, the capital of the Yin Dynasty had already moved to the north, but he relocated it south, to Henan, returning to the old location from the time of King Cheng Tang. As a result, the capital of the Yin Dynasty was moved a total of five times, with no fixed location. The Yin people were fed up with the constant moving. Emperor Pan Geng announced to the vassals and ministers, "Look, our ancestors, King Gao and King Cheng Tang, they teamed up and conquered the whole country, and they set down laws we should all follow. If we just throw those laws away, how can we expect to be good rulers?" Therefore, he led everyone across the Yellow River, built a capital in Bo, and followed Cheng Tang's policies, which stabilized the people and restored the prosperity of the Yin Dynasty. The vassal states came back to pay their respects because he ruled wisely, just like Cheng Tang.
Emperor Pan Geng passed away, and his brother Xiao Xin took over but the Yin Dynasty weakened once again. The people missed Pan Geng, so they composed three songs about him. Emperor Xiao Xin died, and his brother Xiao Yi succeeded him, becoming Emperor Xiao Yi.
Emperor Xiaoyi kicked the bucket, and his son, Wuding, took over. After Wuding became emperor, he was dead set on bringing the Shang Dynasty back to its glory days, but he couldn't find a suitable assistant. He clammed up for three years, leaving the day-to-day stuff to the Prime Minister, keeping a close eye on the people. One night, Wuding dreamt up a sage named Fushuo. Wuding searched for him based on his dream but couldn't find him among the court officials. So he sent his guys out to scour the countryside and finally found Fushuo in a place called Fuxian. Fushuo was just some poor schmuck doing hard labor. When Wuding saw Fushuo, he knew instantly he'd found his man, and a few words confirmed Fushuo was the real deal. So he made him Prime Minister on the spot, and things started looking up for the Shang Dynasty. Later, people just started calling him Fushuo, using Fuxian as his family name.
Wuding was offering sacrifices to Cheng Tang, the Shang Dynasty's founder. The next day, a wild chicken landed on the sacrificial tripod, squawking its head off, and scared the daylights out of Wuding. Zují, Wuding's senior minister, said, "Your Majesty, don't sweat it; just keep things running smoothly." Zují then explained, "Only the heavens know what's right and wrong, and how long anyone's gonna live. It's not that heaven intentionally shortens lives; it's because people commit sins themselves, leading to their own demise. If the people are bad eggs and won't listen, the heavens will step in and sort them out. So, Your Majesty, take care of your people, don't tick off the heavens, keep up the sacrifices, and stay on the straight and narrow." Wuding listened to Zují's words, governed the country seriously, implemented benevolent policies, and the people of the world were all joyful. And the Shang Dynasty was back in business!
King Wuding died, and his son Zugen became king. Zujin believed that the wild chicken flying onto the tripod was an auspicious sign, a symbol of King Wuding's virtue. Therefore, he built a temple for King Wuding, honored him as Gaozong, and wrote two sacrificial texts, "Gaozong Rong Ri" and "Zuji Xun."
Zugen died, and his brother Zujia took over, known as Emperor Jia. Emperor Jia was a wild man who ran the kingdom into the ground, and things started going downhill for the Shang Dynasty again.
Emperor Jia died, and his son Lixin became king. After Lixin died, his brother Gengding took over, known as Emperor Gengding. After Gengding died, his son Wuyi became king. The Shang Dynasty moved its capital again, from Bo (today's Shangqiu, Henan) to Hebei.
Wuyi was a tyrant. He made a puppet, which he called a god, and played chess with it, getting his underlings to make the moves for the "god." If the "god" lost, he would abuse it. He also made a leather bag, filled it with blood, lifted it up, and shot arrows at it, calling it "shooting the heavens." Once, while hunting between the Wei and Yellow Rivers, Wuyi got struck by lightning and died. His son Taiding became king. Taiding died, and his son Diyi took over. After Diyi became king, the Shang Dynasty declined even further.
Emperor Diyi's eldest son was named Weizi Qi, but because Qi's mother wasn't from the right family, he could not inherit the throne. Emperor Diyi's youngest son was named Xin, and since Xin's mother was his main wife, he inherited the throne. After Emperor Diyi died, Xin became king, and everyone just called him King Zhou.
So, King Zhou of Shang was wicked smart and quick as a whip, strong enough to wrestle a bear! Unfortunately, he was arrogant and didn't listen to anyone's advice, always making excuses to cover up his mistakes. He thought he was the bee's knees, always showing off and looking down on everyone else. He especially enjoyed drinking and partying, indulging in women, and particularly favoring Daji, who he listened to without question. So, he had Shi Juan create new lewd music, like the Bei Li dance, with some real snooze-fest tunes. To satisfy his pleasures, he jacked up the taxes, piling Lu Tai high with cash and Ju Qiao overflowing with grain. He also collected various rare dogs, horses, and treasures, filling the palace to the brim. He expanded the Sand Hill Garden, capturing all sorts of wild animals and birds to put inside. He didn't give a damn about ghosts or gods.
Once, he held a grand banquet at Sand Hill, using wine as a pool and meat as trees, having naked men and women running around, partying all night long. The common people complained, and many vassals began to rebel. King Zhou, furious and humiliated, increased punishments and even invented a cruel punishment called "pao luo." He named Xi Bo Chang, Jiu Hou, and E Hou as his top three guys. Jiu Hou had a beautiful daughter who caught King Zhou's eye. When she refused his advances, he flew into a rage, killed her, and then had Jiu Hou ground up into hamburger. E Hou protested for Jiu Hou, but was also killed by King Zhou. When Xi Bo Chang heard about this, he just shook his head. Chong Hou Hu told King Zhou about this, and King Zhou tossed Xi Bo Chang in the clink at You Li.
Xibo Chang's ministers Hongyao and others went all out to bribe King Zhou with beautiful women, rare jewels, and good horses, and only then did King Zhou pardon Xibo Chang. After Xibo Chang was released, he offered the Luoxi region to King Zhou and requested the abolition of the punishment of branding. King Zhou agreed and also gave him bows, arrows, axes, and adzes so that he could go to war, essentially making him a vassal. However, King Zhou favored Fei Zhong as his prime minister. Fei Zhong only knew how to flatter, was greedy, and was disliked by the people of the Shang Dynasty. King Zhou also favored E Lai, who was skilled at slandering and framing others, causing the vassal lords to become even more estranged from King Zhou.
After Marquis Xibo Chang was released, he quietly focused on improving his image and doing good. Many vassal lords betrayed King Zhou of Shang and rallied to his banner. Marquis Xibo Chang's power grew stronger, gradually weakening King Zhou's authority. Prince Bi Gan advised King Zhou, but he did not listen at all. Shang Rong was a virtuous man deeply loved by the people, but King Zhou dismissed him from his position. Later, Marquis Xibo Chang attacked and destroyed the Ji State. Upon hearing this, Zuyi, a minister of King Zhou of Shang, became extremely worried about the growing power of the Zhou Dynasty and hurried to inform King Zhou, saying, "Heaven's about to bring the Shang down. Even if we use divination, we cannot guarantee good fortune. It's not that the former kings were bad, but you live a life of luxury and cruelty, angering Heaven, so Heaven has abandoned us. You do not care about the people's well-being, do not understand the will of Heaven, and do not follow the ancestral rules. Now everyone's hoping Heaven will strike you down, asking 'When will Heaven's might descend, when will the great destiny arrive?' What's your plan?" King Zhou said, "I was born to rule!" Zuyi helplessly shook his head and said, "You can't reason with him."
After the death of the Marquis of Xi, King Wu of Zhou launched an eastern expedition and arrived at Mengjin. Eight hundred vassal lords betrayed the Shang Dynasty and came to join forces with the Zhou Dynasty. The vassal lords all said, "Let's take down King Zhou!" King Wu replied, "You still do not understand what the mandate of Heaven is." So he returned. King Zhou of Shang became even more wild and decadent. Weizi advised him several times, but King Zhou did not listen, so Weizi secretly left the capital. Bigan said, "As a subject, I should give my life for the kingdom!" So he resolutely advised King Zhou. King Zhou was furious, "I heard that sages have seven holes in their hearts!" So he cut open Bigan's chest to check his heart. Jizi was extremely afraid, so he feigned madness to become a slave, and King Zhou imprisoned him. The top ministers of Shang brought sacrificial musical instruments and fled to the Zhou Dynasty. King Wu of Zhou then led the vassal lords to attack King Zhou of Shang. King Zhou also led his troops to confront the Zhou army at Muye. On the day of Jiazi, King Zhou of Shang's army was defeated. King Zhou fled back to the capital, climbed the Lu Terrace, put on precious jade clothes, and burned himself to death. King Wu of Zhou displayed King Zhou's severed head on a white flag for all to see. He also killed Daji, released the imprisoned Jizi, sealed off Bigan's tomb, commended Shang Rong's merit, and appointed King Zhou's son Wugeng as the Duke of Lu, allowing him to continue the Shang ancestor rites and ordered him to implement the political system of the Pan Geng period. The Shang people rejoiced. So King Wu of Zhou became the emperor. Later, King Wu of Zhou downgraded his title from emperor to king, and the descendants of the Shang Dynasty were enfeoffed as vassal lords under the jurisdiction of the Zhou Dynasty. After the death of King Wu of Zhou, Wugeng, Guanshu, and Caishu rebelled. King Cheng ordered Duke Dan of Zhou to suppress the rebellion and appointed Weizi as king in the Song State to preserve the Shang Dynasty's legacy.
Sima Qian said: To celebrate Qi's accomplishments, I have collected records from various books and poems starting from Cheng Tang. Qi's clan name was Zi, and his descendants were enfeoffed in various places, taking the country as their surname, such as Yin, Lai, Song, Kongtong, Zhi, Bei Yin, Mu Yi, and so on. Confucius himself said, "Yin chariots were superbly crafted, and they favored white."
As everyone knows, Confucius said the craftsmanship of Yin's chariots was exquisite, and they had a preference for white. Sima Qian is telling us he based this on information sourced from various ancient texts and poems, not just pulled out of thin air. Furthermore, he specifically mentioned how Qi's descendants were enfeoffed and their surnames, which shows how much he cared about getting the details right. And he even quotes Confucius! That shows how serious he was about his work.
