The Duke of Zhou was King Wu's younger brother. Even under King Wen, their father, the Duke of Zhou was renowned for his filial piety and gentle nature, a stark contrast to his brothers. After King Wu ascended the throne, the Duke of Zhou assisted him and handled most of the political affairs. In King Wu's ninth year, they reached Mengjin on their eastern campaign, with the Duke of Zhou at his side. In the eleventh year, King Wu attacked King Zhou and reached Muye, where the Duke of Zhou assisted King Wu and wrote the "Oath of Muye." Having overthrown the Shang, they entered the Shang palace. With King Zhou dead, the Duke of Zhou (large axe in hand) and the Duke of Shao (with a smaller axe) flanked King Wu. They offered sacrifices, then proclaimed King Zhou's crimes to Heaven, Earth, and the Shang people. They freed the imprisoned Ji Zi. Wu Geng, King Zhou's son, was installed as Lu Fu, overseen by Guan Shu and Cai Shu to maintain the Shang sacrifices. King Wu also rewarded his meritorious officials and kinsmen with land. But the Duke of Zhou remained at King Wu's side, foregoing his own fiefdom to continue his service.
Two years after King Wu defeated the Shang Dynasty, the country was still not completely stable. King Wu fell seriously ill, and the situation was critical. The ministers were terrified, so Jiang Taigong and Duke of Zhou secretly consulted the oracle. Duke of Zhou said, "We cannot disappoint the deceased king now!" Taking the initiative, Duke of Zhou set up three altars, facing north, wearing a jade bi, holding a gui, and prayed to King Tai, King Ji, and King Wen. The historian prayed, "Your ancestors (King Tai, King Ji, King Wen), your great-grandson King Wu is now overworked and seriously ill. If you three departed kings have a responsibility to your descendants in the spirit world, let Duke of Zhou take on this responsibility on behalf of King Wu. Duke of Zhou is intelligent, talented, and capable of attending to the divine. King Wu is not as talented as Duke of Zhou and cannot serve the spirits. Therefore, Heaven decreed that Duke of Zhou should bless the four directions, to stabilize your descendants, and all under Heaven will revere him. Do not let the mission from Heaven be interrupted, and our late kings will always have something to rely on. Now I will consult the tortoise shell. If you agree, I will return the jade bi and gui to you, waiting for your decree. If you disagree, I will put away the jade bi and gui." Duke of Zhou had the historian report to King Tai, King Ji, and King Wen, expressing his intention to replace King Wu, and then performed divination in front of the three departed kings. All the diviners said it was an auspicious sign, and when they opened the book, it was indeed auspicious. Duke of Zhou was very happy, unsealed the bamboo slip, and saw the auspicious signs written on it. Duke of Zhou entered the palace to congratulate King Wu, saying, "Great King, you are safe now! I have just been entrusted by the three departed kings and will do my best to assist you in fulfilling the great cause. Keep this between us." Duke of Zhou hid the divination book and jade objects in a box locked with a gold lock and instructed the guards not to disclose it to anyone. The next day, King Wu's illness was cured. After King Wu died, King Cheng was still young and living in the palace. Duke of Zhou was worried that if people heard that King Wu had died, they would rebel, so he assumed the regency for King Cheng and handled state affairs.
Uncle Guan and his brothers spread rumors in the country, saying, "Duke Zhou is going to harm King Cheng!" Duke Zhou then told Taigong Wang and Duke Shou Shi, "I took over the reins of government because I was worried that the world will betray the Zhou dynasty, and I will not be able to explain to our ancestors, Kings Tai, Ji, and Wen. They toiled for generations to bring peace, and now, finally, it's here. King Wu passed away early, and King Cheng is still young; I must stabilize the Zhou dynasty, that's why I did this." In this way, Duke Zhou assisted King Cheng and sent his son Bo Qin to the state of Lu to be enfeoffed. Duke Zhou warned Bo Qin, "I am the son of King Wen, the brother of King Wu, and the uncle of King Cheng. I'm pretty high up in the world. But I comb my hair three times a day, barely keep my food down, and am constantly entertaining guests, all while worrying about losing talented people in the world. When you go to the state of Lu, do not be proud and arrogant because of the country's prosperity, and do not look down on others."
Uncle Guan, Uncle Cai, Wu Geng, and others indeed joined forces with the Huaiyi people in rebellion. Duke Zhou followed King Cheng's orders, led troops to the east to suppress the rebellion, and wrote the "Da Gao." As a result, Uncle Guan was killed, Wu Geng was killed, and Uncle Cai was exiled. Duke Zhou resettled the surviving Yin and Shang people, enfeoffed Kang Shu in the state of Wei, enfeoffed Wei Zi in the state of Song, and allowed them to continue to worship the ancestors of the Yin and Shang dynasties. Two years later, peace was restored in the east and Huaiyi. All the feudal lords submitted to the Zhou dynasty.
Heaven smiled on them, and Tang Shu received two stalks of grain, one of which was of different varieties but the same spikelet. He presented this gift to King Cheng. King Cheng ordered Tang Shu to use these two stalks of grain to worship Duke Zhou, who pacified the east, which inspired the poem "Ghost Grain." Duke Zhou accepted these two stalks of grain, grateful for the king's gift, and wrote the poem "Jiahe." After pacifying the east, Duke Zhou returned to report to King Cheng and wrote a poem for King Cheng, titled "Chi Xiao." King Cheng wouldn't dare to scold Duke Zhou.
Seven years into King Cheng's reign, in February, King Cheng set out from Haojing to Fengyi and instructed the Duke of Shao, his chief advisor, to go to Luoyi to prepare the land. In the third month, Duke Zhou went to build the capital city of Zhou in Luoyi, chose a place to live, and divination showed it was a good spot, so he established the capital there.
As King Cheng grew up and was able to handle political affairs, Duke Zhou returned the political power to him, and King Cheng took charge of state affairs. During Duke Zhou's assistance in King Cheng's reign, when the vassal lords came to court, he sat in the south while the vassal lords respectfully stood before him. Seven years later, Duke Zhou returned the political power to King Cheng, and he himself bowed low, looking humble and afraid.
At first, when King Cheng was still young, he fell ill. Duke Zhou personally went down to the river to catch fleas and prayed, saying, "The poor kid's so vulnerable to evil spirits!" He also hid a prayer in the treasury. King Cheng later recovered from his illness. When King Cheng grew up and took the throne, someone badmouthed Duke Zhou in front of him, causing Duke Zhou to flee to the state of Chu. King Cheng opened the treasury, found the prayer that Duke Zhou had made, and cried. He summoned him back right away.
After Duke Zhou returned, he was worried that King Cheng would become arrogant and indulge in excess as he grew up, neglecting state affairs. So he wrote two articles, "Many Able Men" and "Against Indulgence," to warn King Cheng. In "Against Indulgence," it says: "Even the most successful ruler, if his descendants become arrogant and forget the contributions of their ancestors, will lead to the ruin of the family. Shouldn't sons be cautious? Consider King Zhong of the Yin Dynasty; he respected and feared the will of heaven, governed the country diligently, and never dared to slack off, reigning for 75 years. Look at King Gao; he worked hard outside for a long time, surrounded by wicked officials, and was deeply worried after taking the throne, not speaking for three years. When he did speak, it was only to sigh, never daring to relax, governing the Yin Dynasty with care, and the people were content, so he ruled for 55 years. Then there was King Zu Jia; although he was not a perfect king, he dealt with scheming courtiers for a long time, understood their thoughts, sympathized with the people, and did not oppress the widows and orphans, so he ruled for 33 years." In "Many Able Men," it states: "From King Tang to Emperor Yi, none failed to follow sacrificial rituals and show what a good ruler they were; no emperor did not fear heaven. But now, their descendant King Zhou is licentious and extravagant, ignoring the will of heaven and the people, and the people wish they could get rid of him!" "King Wen, despite ruling for fifty years with barely time to eat, still governed effectively." Duke Zhou wrote these to warn King Cheng.
When King Cheng lived in Fengyi, the world was already stable, but the Zhou Dynasty's official system and government affairs were not completely organized. So Duke Zhou established the Zhou Dynasty's official system, clarified the responsibilities of each official position, and formulated various government decrees to facilitate the lives of the people, bringing great joy to them.
When the Duke of Zhou fell ill in Fengyi, he was close to death. He said, "I must be buried in Chengzhou; otherwise, it would seem I'm abandoning King Cheng." After the Duke of Zhou passed away, although King Cheng was very sad, he still followed the Duke's wishes and buried him in Bidi, alongside King Wen, to show his respect for the Duke of Zhou's precedence. After the Duke of Zhou's death, before the autumn harvest, a sudden storm destroyed all the crops and even uprooted large trees. Everyone in the Zhou kingdom was scared stiff. King Cheng and his ministers dressed in court attire, opened the Duke's golden box containing his last will and testament, and saw the Duke's account of his assistance to King Wu and his governance of the realm. King Cheng and the two ministers asked the historiographer, who confirmed, "It is true. The Duke of Zhou instructed me not to reveal this." King Cheng wept as he held the book and said, "No more reckless fortune-telling from now on! In the past, the Duke of Zhou toiled for the royal family, and as a young king, I did not fully appreciate his hardships. Today, heaven has shown its favor, highlighting the Duke's merits. As your king, I must faithfully carry on his legacy, and our national rites should reflect this." King Cheng went outside the city walls and performed a ritual, and rain fell from the sky, the wind changed direction, and the crops were restored. The two ministers ordered the people to prop up all the fallen trees and replant them. That year, there was a bountiful harvest. King Cheng then ordered a border sacrifice in Lu to honor King Wen. Lu started using the emperor's music and rituals to extol the Duke of Zhou's merits.
After Duke Zhou kicked the bucket, his son Bo Qin had already been installed as the ruler of Lu. Three years after being appointed, Bo Qin finally reported on the state of Lu to Duke Zhou. Duke Zhou asked him, "What took you so long?" Bo Qin replied, "I spent three years reforming Lu's customs and rituals before I even started governing, so that's why I'm late." The Qi ruler, Duke Tai, only took five months to report to Duke Zhou. Duke Zhou asked him, "Why so fast?" Duke Tai said, "I just streamlined the court rituals and went with local customs." Later, Duke Zhou heard that Bo Qin reported late and sighed, saying, "Uh oh, Lu's gonna be relying on Qi from now on! Don't overcomplicate things – people won't stick around. Keep it simple and relatable, and they'll be loyal."
After Bo Qin ascended to the throne, Guan Shu, Cai Shu, and others revolted, and the Huai Yi and Xu Rong jumped on the bandwagon. Bo Qin led the army to suppress them. He issued this order from Xi, saying, "Armor up! No slackers! Do not harm the people. If horses and cattle run away, if subjects flee, do not pursue; respectfully send them back. No looting, no climbing over walls. The people of Lu must transport your forage, provisions, wood, and other materials to the camp from the three suburban areas and three tunnels—no one can be lazy. We attack the Xu Rong on Jia Xu. No one can fall behind; disobey, and face the consequences!" After issuing this military order, Bo Qin pacified the rebellion of Xu Rong and stabilized the situation in Lu.
The ruler of the State of Lu, Duke Boqin, died, and his son Duke Kao succeeded him. After reigning four years, Duke Kao died, and his brother Xi succeeded him, becoming Duke Yang of Lu. Duke Yang built a thatched gate. Six years later, Duke Yang died, and his son Duke Youzai succeeded him. Duke Youzai ruled for fourteen years. Duke Youzai's brother Fei killed him and declared himself ruler, becoming Duke Wei of Lu. After ruling for fifty years, Duke Wei died, and his son Duke Li Zhu succeeded him. After reigning thirty-seven years, the people of Lu made his brother Ju ruler, who became Duke Xiang of Lu. Duke Xiang ruled for thirty-two years before dying, and his son Duke Zhen succeeded him. Duke Zhen reigned for fourteen years. During this time, King Li of Zhou went all tyrannical, so Duke Zhen scarpered to Zhi and set up a republic. After twenty-nine years, King Xuan of Zhou ascended the throne. Thirty years later, Duke Zhen died, and his brother Ao succeeded him, becoming Duke Wu of Lu. In the spring of the ninth year of Duke Wu's reign, he took his eldest son Kuo and youngest son Xi to meet King Xuan of Zhou. King Xuan favored Xi and wanted to appoint him as the crown prince of Lu. However, the senior minister Fan Zhongshan advised King Xuan against it, saying, "Look, mate, ditching the eldest for the youngest ain't right. It's against the rules, and if it's against the rules, you'll be in the soup. You can't just ignore orders, right? If you don't follow orders, you can't run the country. If you follow orders that break the rules, people will ditch you. It's only right that a son serves his older brother, and a subject serves his king. You're telling people to ignore the rules by picking the younger son. If Lu does it, everyone else will copy, and your orders will be a joke. And if you punish him for not doing it, you're punishing your own orders! You'll fail either way, so think about it." Despite the advice, King Xuan eventually appointed Xi as the crown prince of Lu. In the summer, after Duke Wu returned to his country, he died, and Xi succeeded him, becoming Duke Yi of Lu, and so began his reign.
Yi Gong served as the duke for nine years. Yi Gong's brother's son, Bo Yu, teamed up with Lu forces to attack and kill Yi Gong, then put Bo Yu on the throne. Bo Yu reigned for eleven years. King Xuan of Zhou attacked the state of Lu, killed Bo Yu, and then asked the sons of the Lu nobles who could govern the country well and get along with the other states to become the ruler of Lu. Fan Muzhong said, "The younger brother of Lu Yi Gong is respectful, cautious, intelligent, and wise, showing respect to elders. When handling political affairs and executing punishments, he always followed the advice of his elders and advisors." King Xuan of Zhou said, "Yes, he can lead the people well." So King Xuan of Zhou established him as the duke of Lu in the Yi Palace, who became known as Duke Xiao of Lu. After this incident, many lords started rebelling against the Zhou dynasty.
Duke Xiao ruled for twenty-five years. Many lords began to rebel against the Zhou dynasty, and the Quanrong killed King You of Zhou. The state of Qin became a vassal state. Twenty-seven years later, Duke Xiao died, and his son, Fu Huang, succeeded him, becoming Duke Hui of Lu. In 697 BC, the state of Jin killed their ruler, Duke Zhao. In 672 BC, the state of Jin killed their ruler, Duke Xiao.
In 671 BC, Duke Hui of Lu died. His son born out of wedlock, Xi, temporarily took over the reins of government and handled the duke's political affairs, becoming Duke Yin of Lu. Initially, Duke Hui's legitimate wife had no children, so one of his concubines, Shengzi, gave birth to a son named Xi. When Xi grew up, Duke Hui married him to a woman from the state of Song. This woman was beautiful, and Duke Hui actually took her as his own wife and had a son named Yun with her. Later, Duke Hui made the woman from the state of Song his official wife and made Yun the crown prince. When Duke Hui died, Yun was still young, so the ministers of Lu allowed Xi to serve as regent instead of letting him directly succeed to the throne.
During the five years that Duke Yin was in power, he went to the Tang region to watch people fish. Eight years later, he exchanged the imperial estates near Mount Tai with the state of Zheng, which made many officials and nobles very unhappy, leading to various accusations against him.
In the winter of 678 BC, a courtier flattered Duke Yin, saying, "Everyone loves you; why don't you just ascend to the throne yourself? I can help you kill Yun, and then you can make me the prime minister." Duke Yin replied, "Dad left me instructions. Yun is still young, so I’m just holding the fort until he's ready. Now that Yun has grown up, I plan to step down and let Yun take over." The courtier feared that Yun would kill him if he found out, so he slandered Duke Yin to Yun, saying, "Duke Yin wants to become the ruler himself; he wants to get rid of you! You need to do something! Let me help you kill Duke Yin!" Yun agreed. In November, Duke Yin went to perform rituals at Zhongwu and Shepu, staying at the home of the Shi family. The courtier sent people to kill Duke Yin at the Shi family's home and then put Yun on the throne; this is Lu Huan Gong.
In the first year of Huan Gong's reign, the state of Zheng exchanged jade bi for the land of the Son of Heaven in Xutian. In the second year, Zheng placed the tripod for sacrificial use sent by the state of Song in the ancestral temple, which caused quite a stir among the gentlemen. In the third year, Huan Gong sent the courtier to Qi to marry a wife, and later married her. In the sixth year, Huan Gong's wife gave birth to a son who happened to share a birthday with Huan Gong, so he was named Tong. Tong grew up and was made the crown prince.
In 670 BC, the vassals gathered in Cao Di for a covenant, and the state of Lu participated in the war against Zheng, attacking Zheng's capital and capturing Duke Li of Zheng. Eighteen years later, in the spring, Duke Zhuang of Lu planned to go out, taking his wife to the state of Qi. Shen Xu advised him not to go, but Duke Zhuang did not listen and went to Qi anyway. As a result, Duke Xiang of Qi had an affair with Duke Zhuang's wife! Duke Zhuang was furious, and his wife told Duke Xiang about it. On the day of Bingzi in the fourth month of summer, Duke Xiang of Qi hosted a banquet for Duke Zhuang of Lu. Drunk, Duke Zhuang ordered Pengsheng to hold his father's corpse. Then he ordered Pengsheng to break his father's ribs. And so, Duke Huan Gong died in the state of Qi.
Lu envoys went to the State of Qi to complain, saying, "Our ruler is afraid of your might and doesn’t dare to stay quietly in our own state. We’ve come to smooth things over. Although the gifts have been exchanged, before we could return, all this went down. We’ve got nowhere to turn, so we request that you let us have Pengsheng to deal with, so that we can explain to the other states." To appease Lu, the people of Qi killed Pengsheng. Then, the State of Lu made a prince their new ruler, who became Duke Zhuang of Lu. Duke Zhuang's mother stayed in Qi and did not dare to return to Lu because of this incident.
Five years later, in winter, Duke Zhuang led troops to attack the State of Wei and imprisoned Duke Hui of Wei. In the eighth year, Jiu fled to Lu for refuge. In the ninth year, the State of Lu wanted to send Jiu back to Qi, so he could become the ruler of Qi instead of Duke Huan. So, Duke Huan of Qi led troops to attack Lu. Having no choice, they killed Jiu, and Shao Hu also died. Qi demanded Guan Zhong. Minister Shi Bo of Lu said, "Qi wants Guan Zhong not to kill him, but to reappoint him! If Guan Zhong is reappointed, it will be a big problem for Lu. Better to kill him and send his body to Qi." However, Duke Zhuang did not listen, and Guan Zhong was imprisoned in Lu. All of Qi missed Guan Zhong terribly.
In the thirteenth year, Duke Zhuang and Cao Ye met with Duke Huan of Qi in Ke. Cao Ye pulled off a daring kidnapping of Duke Huan, forcing him to return the land that had been invaded by Qi to Lu. Once the deal was done, Cao Ye released Duke Huan. Duke Huan tried to weasel out of it, but Guan Zhong persuaded him, and in the end, the land invaded by Qi was returned to Lu. In the fifteenth year, Duke Huan began to dominate the other states. In the twenty-third year, Duke Zhuang went to Qi to observe the annual sacrifice.
In his thirty-second year, Duke Zhuang built a high platform next to the Dang family and saw Meng Nv. He was smitten, promised to make her his wife, and even swore an oath, cutting his arm to seal the deal. Meng Nv later gave birth to a son named Ban (斑). When Ban grew up, he fell in love with the daughter of the Liang family and went to see her. A stablehand named Luo was canoodling with Liang's daughter right outside her window. Ban was furious and whipped Luo. Duke Zhuang heard about it and said, "Luo's a strong one! You killed him? The lad should've been locked up, not flogged!" Therefore, Ban was not allowed to kill Luo. Not long after, Duke Zhuang fell ill. He had three younger brothers: the eldest called Qingfu, the second called Shuya, and the third called Jiyou. Duke Zhuang married a woman from the Qi state named Ai Jiang, who had no sons. Ai Jiang's younger sister, Shujiang, gave birth to a son named Kai. Duke Zhuang had no legitimate son, so he favored Meng Nv and wanted to appoint her son Ban as his heir. When Duke Zhuang fell ill, he asked his brother Shuya who should be the heir. Shuya said, "That's how things are done in Lu—the throne goes to the eldest brother. Qingfu is still alive; he can inherit the throne, so what are you worried about?" Duke Zhuang was worried that Shuya wanted to appoint Qingfu as the ruler, so he asked Jiyou. Jiyou replied, "I'd die for Ban to be ruler!" Duke Zhuang said, "Shuya wanted to appoint Qingfu just now, what should we do?" Following Duke Zhuang's orders, Jiyou sent Shuya to the Zhenwu family and had Zhenji poison him with a concoction of henbane, telling Shuya, "Drink this, and you'll still have offerings made to you in death; refuse, and you'll be forgotten." Shuya drank the poisoned wine and died, and Lu appointed his son as the Shusun family. In August, Duke Zhuang died. True to his word, Jiyou then installed Ban as ruler. Jiyou stayed with the Dang family throughout the mourning period for Duke Zhuang.
Before Qingfu and Aijiang were having an affair, they planned to make Aijiang's sister's son, Kai, the ruler. After Duke Zhuang died and Jiyou established Prince Ban of Lu as the ruler, Qingfu ordered his driver, Luo, to kill Prince Ban in Dangshi on the day Jiwei of the tenth month. Jiyou escaped to the state of Chen. Qingfu then installed Duke Zhuang's son, Kai, as Duke Min.
In 690 BC, in the second year of Duke Min's reign, Qingfu and Aijiang's affair became increasingly brazen. Aijiang and Qingfu conspired to kill Duke Min to enthrone Qingfu. Qingfu sent Bu Yi to assassinate Duke Min at the palace gate (Wǔ Wéi).
After hearing the news, Jiyou quickly took Duke Min's younger brother, Shen, to the state of Lu, requesting that Shen be made the ruler. The people of Lu clamored for Qingfu's death. Qingfu, in fear for his life, fled to the state of Ju. Jiyou then installed Shen as Duke Li. Li was also Duke Zhuang's son. Fearing retribution, Aijiang fled to Zhu. Jiyou went to Ju bearing gifts to plead for Qingfu's return. When Qingfu returned, Jiyou sent people to kill him. Qingfu begged to escape, but Jiyou did not agree. Instead, he sent the official Xisi to meet Qingfu with a show of grief. Upon hearing Xisi's voice, Qingfu committed suicide. Hearing of Aijiang and Qingfu's incest and its threat to Lu, Duke Huan of Qi had Aijiang brought back from Zhu, executed her, and had her body displayed in Lu before ordering her burial at the request of Duke Li.
Ji You's mother was from the Chen state, so after she passed away, the Chen state sent people to see Ji You and Zi Shen back to the Lu state. Before Ji You was born, his father, Duke Huan of Lu, had someone consult the oracles, and the prophecy was: "If it is a boy, name him 'You.' He'll be a pillar of the Lu state, bridging the two clans. If Ji You dies, the Lu state will not prosper." Lo and behold, he was born with the character 'You' on his palm, so he was named "You" and given the honorific title Cheng Ji. Later, Ji You's descendants became the Ji clan, while the descendants of Qing Fu became the Meng clan.
In the first year of Duke Li of Lu, Ji You was granted land in Wen Yang Yu, and he became the chief minister of the Lu state.
In the ninth year of Duke Li, Li Ke of Jin killed his ruler Xi Qi and Zhuo Zi. Duke Huan of Qi led Duke Li to quell the rebellion in Jin, but the army returned once they reached Gao Liang, and eventually, Duke Huan supported Jin Hui Gong to take the throne. In the seventeenth year, Duke Huan passed away. In the twenty-fourth year, Duke Wen of Jin took the throne.
In the thirty-third year of Duke Li, he passed away, and his son Xing succeeded him, becoming Duke Wen of Lu.
In the first year of Duke Wen, the Crown Prince of Chu, Shang Chen, killed his father, King Cheng of Chu, and declared himself king. In the third year, Duke Wen went to see Duke Xiang of Jin to pay his respects.
On the first day of the fifth month, according to the Chinese calendar, in the eleventh year of Duke Wen, the Lu state defeated the Zhai state in Xian Di, capturing the Zhai state's general Qiao Ru. Fu Fu's nephew grabbed Qiao Ru by the throat and finished him off with a halberd, burying his head at the gate of the Zi Ju family to let Xuan Bo know they'd won.
At the beginning, when Duke Wu of Song was in power, Xúmán (place name) attacked the Song state. Huangfu, the Song minister, led the troops to resist and defeated Xúmán at Changqiu, capturing their leader, Zhang Dizhai Yuan Si. Later, the Jin state destroyed the Lu state and captured Qiao Ru's brother, Fen Ru. Two years later, during the reign of Qi's Duke Hui, Xúmán attacked again. The Prince of Qi, Chengfu, captured Xúmán's brother, Rong Ru, and put his head on display at the north gate. The people of the Wei state captured Xúmán's other brother, Jian Ru. Thus, Xúmán was destroyed.
In the fifteenth year, Ji Wenzi went on a mission to Jin.
In February, in the eighteenth year of his reign, Duke Wen of Lu passed away. Duke Wen had two wives: his chief wife, Princess Ai Jiang of Qi, who gave birth to a son named E Jishi; and his second wife, Jing Ying, whom Duke Wen loved dearly, and she gave birth to a son named Tuó (jiǎo). Tuó secretly plotted with Xiang Zhong. Xiang Zhong wanted to make Tuó the ruler, but Shu Zhong disagreed. Xiang Zhong went to ask Duke Hui of Qi for help. Newly installed, Duke Hui of Qi, eager to cultivate ties with Lu, agreed. In October of that year, Xiang Zhong killed Wen's heir, E Jishi, and installed Tuó as Duke Xuan.
Returning to Qi, Ai Jiang wailed through the marketplace, crying, "Oh, heavens! That Xiang Zhong—killing the rightful heir and putting that bastard on the throne!" People in the market followed suit and cried, and that's how the "Ai Jiang's Market Lament" got its name. Since then, Lu's rulers weakened, while the Three Huan families grew ever stronger.
Duke Xuan reigned for twelve years. Chu's mighty King Zhuang laid siege to Zheng, only to reinstate its ruler after his surrender.
Eighteen years later, Duke Xuan passed away, and his son Black Ridge succeeded him, becoming Duke Cheng of Lu. Ji Wenzi said, "I sure wish Xiang Zhong hadn't killed the rightful heir and put the wrong one on the throne—we lost a powerful ally because of it!" Xiang Zhong initially supported Duke Xuan, and Duke Xuan's grandson, Guifu, was a favorite. Duke Xuan wanted to weaken the power of the three Huan families and plotted with Jin to take them down. However, Duke Xuan died, and Ji Wenzi was furious about this. Guifu fled to the state of Qi.
In Cheng Gong's second year, the state of Qi attacked Lu and occupied Longdi. In the summer, Duke Cheng of Lu and Xi Ke of Jin defeated Duke Qing of Qi together, and Qi returned the occupied land to Lu. In the fourth year, Duke Cheng went to Jin, and Duke Jing of Jin barely showed Lu any respect. Lu tried to ditch Jin and side with Chu, but others talked them out of it. In the tenth year, Duke Cheng went to Jin again. Duke Jing of Jin died, and Duke Cheng stayed in Jin for the funeral. Lu kept it quiet. In the fifteenth year, Lu finally got together with King Shoumeng of Wu in Zhongli.
In the sixteenth year, Duke Xuan ratted on Ji Wenzi to Jin, wanting to get rid of him. Ji Wenzi was an upright person, and the people of Jin did not agree to Duke Xuan's request.
In the eighteenth year, Duke Cheng passed away, and his son Wu succeeded him, becoming Duke Xiang of Lu. At that time, Duke Xiang was just three.
In the first year of Duke Xiang's reign, Jin put Duke Dao on the throne. The previous winter, Luan Shu of Jin killed their ruler, Duke Li. In the fourth year, Duke Xiang went to Jin to pay respects to Duke Dao.
Five years later, Ji Wenzi passed away. He had no silk-clad concubines, no pampered horses, and no treasure in his vaults. He served three rulers with complete honesty and integrity. Everyone said, "Now *that's* what I call honest!"
In the ninth year, Lu and Jin teamed up to attack Zheng. Duke Dao of Jin put the crown on Duke Xiang of Wei, and Ji Wuzi was there to help with the ceremony. In the eleventh year, Lu's three big families each raised their own private armies. In the twelfth year, Duke Xiang of Lu went to Jin to pay his respects. In the sixteenth year, Duke Ping of Jin took the throne. In the twenty-first year, Duke Xiang of Lu again went to Jin to pay his respects to Duke Ping of Jin.
In the twenty-second year, Confucius was born. In the twenty-fifth year, in Qi, Cui Zhu offed Duke Zhuang and put his brother, Duke Jing, on the throne. In the twenty-ninth year, Yanling Jizi from Wu went to Lu to check out Zhou dynasty music. He got it, and the people of Lu were really impressed.
In June of the thirty-first year, Duke Xiang of Lu kicked the bucket. In September, the crown prince also died. The people of Lu then enthroned Gongzi Dao, who'd just come back from Qi, as the new ruler, who became Duke Zhao of Lu. Duke Zhao was nineteen years old and was still a kid. Musu disagreed with his enthronement, saying, "The crown prince is dead, so there are his brothers. Why not pick the oldest? If they're equally good, go with the older one. If they're close in age, we should do a divination. This Gongzi Dao isn't even the right heir, and he's acting all happy while still in mourning! Putting him on the throne will only cause problems for the Ji clan." However, Ji Wuzi did not listen to him and still enthroned Duke Zhao. When Duke Zhao was buried, he changed his mourning attire three times. Everyone said, "This shows that he's all talk and no action!"
In the third year of Duke Zhao of Lu, he paid his respects to the Jin court but was turned away by Duke Ping of Jin when he reached the Yellow River, bringing shame upon Lu. In the fourth year, King Ling of Chu summoned the feudal lords to hold a meeting in Shen, but Duke Zhao did not attend due to illness. In the seventh year, Jiwuzi died. In the eighth year, King Ling of Chu summoned Duke Zhao at Zhanghuatai and rewarded him with many precious items, but later regretted it and tricked him out of them. In the twelfth year, Duke Zhao made a courtesy call to the Jin court again, but was turned away by Duke Ping of Jin at the Yellow River. In the thirteenth year, the prince of Chu killed his ruler, King Ling, and declared himself king. In the fifteenth year, Duke Zhao of Lu visited the Jin court again and remained for the funeral of Duke Zhao of Jin, which humiliated the people of Lu. In the twentieth year, Duke Jing of Qi and Yanzi went hunting and sought guidance on matters of ritual in Lu. In the twenty-first year, Duke Zhao of Lu again paid his respects to the Jin court, but was sent back by Duke Ping of Jin at the Yellow River.
In the spring of the twenty-fifth year, the kingfisher birds came to build nests. Shi Ji said, "The nursery rhyme passed down from the Wen Cheng era goes: 'When the kingfisher comes to nest, the lord is in the Qian Marquis. When the kingfisher enters, the lord is in the wild.'" The Jishi and Zhi clans quarreled over a cockfighting match. Jishi boasted a magnificent rooster, while Zhi's bird sported golden spurs. This angered Jipingzi, who led troops to attack the Zhi clan. Zhaobo Zhi was also furious and confronted Jipingzi. To make matters worse, Zhaobo Zhi's younger brother spread rumors and framed the Zang clan, hiding with the Jishi clan. This led Zhaobo Zhi to arrest members of the Jishi clan. Jipingzi became even angrier and arrested the elders of the Zang clan. With no other choice, the Zang and Zhi clans complained to Duke Zhao.
In the ninth month, on the day Wuxu, Duke Zhao stormed the Jishi compound! Jipingzi climbed up to the high platform and begged for mercy, saying, "Your Majesty, you've been misled! You don't see my crime. Kill me if you must, but let me move to the Yishui River." Duke Zhao refused. Jipingzi begged again, saying, "Imprison me in the remote areas!" He wouldn't hear of it. He then said, "Let me escape with five chariots!" Still, Duke Zhao refused. At this time, Zijiaju came out to persuade Duke Zhao: "Your Majesty, you should agree to his request! The Jishi clan has been in power for a long time, and they have many followers. If they join forces to rebel, it will be troublesome." Duke Zhao still did not listen. Meanwhile, the Gu clan were shouting for his blood!
A minister of the Shusun clan named Li said to his followers, "What's in it for us, with or without the Jishi?" Everyone replied, "No Jishi, no Shusun!" Li said, "Right! Let's help the Jishi clan!" So, the forces of the Shusun clan defeated Duke Zhao's army. Meng Yizi heard that the Shusun clan had won, so he seized the opportunity to get rid of Duke Zhao Bo of the Gu clan. Since Duke Zhao Bo was an envoy sent by Duke Zhao, the Meng clan used this to get even. Now, the three families joined forces to attack Duke Zhao of Lu, who was forced to flee. On the day of Jihai, Duke Zhao fled to the state of Qi. Duke Jing of Qi said, "I'll give you a thousand households' worth of land." Zijia said, "Giving up everything Duke Zhou built to become a Qi lackey? Seriously?" So, Duke Jing dispelled this idea. Zijia said again, "Duke Jing's a flake. Better to head to Jin." Duke Zhao did not listen. When the Shusun clan saw Duke Zhao return to his country, they also went to see Jipingzi, who repeatedly kowtowed and apologized. They'd planned to welcome him back, but the Meng and Jisun clans had second thoughts.
In the spring of the twenty-sixth year, the state of Qi attacked the state of Lu, occupied the Yundi region, and placed Duke Zhao there. In the summer, Duke Jing of Qi planned to bring Duke Zhao back to Qi and ordered not to accept bribes from the state of Lu. However, Shen Feng and Ru Jia secretly gave a hefty bribe of 5,000 stones of grain to Qi's officials, Gao He and Zi Jiang. Zi Jiang said to Duke Jing of Qi, "Something fishy's going on with those ministers who serve Duke Zhao – they're clearly not doing a good job. Song Yuangong died on his way to Jin seeking help for Lu, and Shusun Zhaizi died mysteriously while trying to get Duke Zhao back. Is this some kind of divine curse on Lu? Did the Duke do something to tick off the gods? Your Majesty, it is better to wait and see." Duke Jing of Qi listened to his words and temporarily dismissed the idea.
In 502 BC, Duke Zhao of Lu went to the state of Jin for help, wanting to return to Lu as the Lord. Jipingzi secretly bribed Jin's six ministers, who then advised their ruler against returning Duke Zhao. The Lord of Jin followed their advice and let Duke Zhao continue to stay in Qianhou (a place name). The following year, Duke Zhao went to Yundi. Duke Jing sent a letter calling himself Duke Zhao's "master," which really rubbed him the wrong way. Zhao was furious and left Qianhou. In 499 BC, the state of Jin wanted to send Duke Zhao back to Lu and summoned Jipingzi. Jipingzi showed up in Jin, barefoot and in rags, groveling to the six ministers. The six ministers told the Jin court that the Lu people wouldn't accept Zhao back, so Jin dropped the idea. In 498 BC, Duke Zhao died in Qianhou. So the Lu people put Duke Zhao's brother, Song, on the throne – he became Duke Ding of Lu.
After Duke Ding of Lu ascended the throne, Zhao Jianzi asked Shi Mo, "Will the Ji family be destroyed?" Shi Mo replied, "No. Ji You made great contributions to the state of Lu and was given lands in You, becoming a top official. In the generations of Wenzi and Wuzi, the family's power grew stronger. After Duke Wengong of Lu died, the Dongmen clan killed the heir son and installed a bastard son as ruler, causing Lu to lose control of its own government. The Ji family has held political power in Lu for four generations now. Nobody knew who was really in charge – so how did the Ji family get away with it? Therefore, rulers must be careful with power and their image, and not easily hand it over to others."
In 495 BC, Ji Pingzi died. Yang Hu was furious; he arrested Ji Huanzi and made him swear an oath before releasing him. In 493 BC, the state of Qi defeated Lu, occupied the Yun region, and enfeoffed Yang Hu of Lu with the Yun region to run Lu for Qi. In 492 BC, Yang Hu wanted to kill all the heir sons of the three Huan families and support some illegitimate sons he liked to replace them. He arrested Ji Huanzi and tried to kill him, but Ji Huanzi played dumb and managed to escape. The three Huan families teamed up against Yang Hu, who fled to Yangguan. In 491 BC, the Lu army attacked Yang Hu, who fled to Qi and later to the Zhao clan in the state of Jin.
In 490 BC, Duke Ding of Lu and Duke Jingong of Qi met in Jiagu, with Confucius serving as the envoy of Lu. Qi wanted to take advantage of the meeting to attack Duke Ding of Lu, but Confucius used rituals and diplomatic means to refute Qi's outrageous demands. Duke Jingong became afraid and backed down, returning the occupied land of Lu and apologizing. In 488 BC, Lu sent Zhongyou to dismantle the city walls of the three Huan families and seize their weapons. The Meng clan refused, so Lu attacked, but it was no use and they had to call it off. Ji Huanzi accepted musicians sent by Qi, causing Confucius to leave Lu.
Back in 485 BC, Duke Ding of Lu died, and his son succeeded him, becoming Duke Ai of Lu. In 480 BC, Duke Jing of Qi died. In 479 BC, Tian Qi of Qi killed Duke Jing's son and seized power in Qi. In 506 BC, King Fuchai of Wu insisted on attacking Qi, reaching Zengdi (modern-day Cao County in Shandong), and even forced Lu to provide a large number of livestock. Jikangzi sent Zigong to negotiate with King Fuchai and Grand Preceptor Pi, persuading them to retreat with rituals. King Fuchai said, "I'm covered in tattoos! What do I care about rituals?" Upon hearing this, King Fuchai stopped the war. In 505 BC, Wu helped the state of Zou attack Lu, reaching the city of Lu before finally swearing an alliance and stopping the war. Then, bam! Qi attacked and took three of our cities. In 503 BC, Wu attacked the southern part of Qi. In 502 BC, Qi attacked Lu again. Because Ran Qiu did so well, the Jis remembered Confucius and got him back from Wei. In 498 BC, Tian Chang of Qi killed Duke Jian of Qi in Xuzhou (modern-day Linzi County, Shandong Province). Confucius suggested that Duke Ai of Lu send troops to avenge the murder, but Duke Ai did not agree. In 497 BC, Duke Ai of Lu sent Zifu Jingbo and Zigong to negotiate with Qi, and Qi eventually returned the land they had taken from Lu. Tian Chang, the new prime minister, decided to make friends with the other states.
In 496 BC, Confucius died. In 482 BC, King Goujian of Yue defeated King Fuchai of Wu. In the spring of 475 BC, Duke Kang of Ji died. In the summer, Duke Ai of Lu was worried about the growing power of the Three Huan families, powerful clans who held significant sway in Lu, and wanted to use other vassal states to suppress them. The Three Huan families were also worried that Duke Ai would take action against them, causing serious friction between the ruler and the powerful families. While strolling in Lingban, Duke Ai met Meng Wubo on the street and asked him, "How long can I live?" Meng Wubo replied, "I couldn't say." Duke Ai wanted to use the state of Yue to counter the Three Huan families. In August, Duke Ai went to Xingshi. The Three Huan families attacked Duke Ai, forcing him to flee to Wei, then Zou, and finally Yue. Duke Ai returned to Lu, only to die in Youshan. His son Zining succeeded him, becoming Duke Dao of Lu.
During the reign of Duke Dao, the power of the Three Huan families grew stronger, and Lu was like a small vassal state under their control. In 453 BC, the Three Jins defeated Marquis Zhi and divided his land. In 437 BC, Duke Dao of Lu died, and his son Zijia succeeded him, becoming Duke Yuan of Lu. Duke Yuan ruled for 21 years, followed by Duke Mu (33 years), Duke Gong (22 years), Duke Kang (9 years), Duke Jing (29 years), and finally Duke Ping (12 years). By this time, all six major states had declared themselves kingdoms.
Duke Ping reigned for 12 years; he died 20 years after the death of King Hui of Qin. In the first year of Duke Wen, King Huai of Chu died in Qin. He was succeeded by his son, Duke Qing, after a 23-year reign.
In 278 BC, Qin conquered Chu's capital, Yingdu. King Qing had to flee to the state of Chen for refuge. Nineteen years later, in 259 BC, Chu invaded Lu and seized Xuzhou. In 254 BC, King Kao conquered Lu. After Lu's fall, King Qing fled to Xiayi, living as a commoner; Lu's rituals ended. Eventually, King Qing died in a place called Ke. From Duke Zhou to King Qing, there were 34 generations of rulers.
Sima Qian said: I heard that Confucius once lamented, "Lu's customs had really gone downhill! The Zhu and Si region was a wasteland." Look at the chaos during the reigns of Qingfu, Shuya, and Mingong in Lu! And the events during the reigns of Yingu and Huangu: Xiangong killed his legitimate son and appointed his illegitimate son as heir. Later, the three families divided Jin, bowing to the north while secretly attacking Shaogong, forcing him to flee. Lu kept up appearances, but underneath, they were brutal.
