This account details the lineage of the Chen state's rulers, beginning with their ancestor, Gui Man. Chen Hu Gong Gui Man was a descendant of Emperor Shun. Legend says that while Shun was still a commoner, the Emperor Yao gave him his two daughters in marriage, and they lived in Gui Rui. His descendants thus adopted the surname Gui. Upon Shun's death, Yu inherited the empire, and Shun's son Shang Jun was granted a fiefdom. During the Xia dynasty, some of Shun's descendants' lines died out, while others continued. Only after King Wu of Zhou defeated the Shang king did they search again for Shun's descendants, finding Gui Man, whom they enfeoffed in Chen to serve as Emperor Shun's priest, thus becoming Hu Gong.
After Hu Gong's death, his son Shen Gong Xi Hou succeeded him. Shen Gong was succeeded by his younger brother Xiang Gong Gao Yang. Following Xiang Gong, Shen Gong's son Tu took the throne, becoming Chen Xiao Gong. After Xiao Gong's death, his son Shen Gong Yu Rong ascended. During Shen Gong's reign, King Li of Zhou was in power. After Shen Gong's death, his son You Gong Ning succeeded him.
During You Gong's twelve-year reign, King Li of Zhou fled to Zhi. Twenty-three years later, You Gong died, and his son Li Gong Xiao took over. Li Gong ruled for six years, after which King Xuan of Zhou ascended to the throne. Thirty-six years later, Li Gong died, and his son Wu Gong Ling succeeded him. After fifteen years of Wu Gong's reign, his son Yi Gong Shuo took the throne. In the same year, King You of Zhou ascended to the throne. After three years of Yi Gong's reign, his brother Ping Gong Xie succeeded him. Ping Gong ruled for seven years, during which King You of Zhou was killed by the Quanrong, causing the capital of the Zhou dynasty to move eastward. At this time, Qin emerged as a vassal state.
Twenty-three years later, Ping Gong died, and his son Wen Gong Kui took the throne. In the first year of Wen Gong's reign, he married a woman from the state of Cai and had a son named Tuo. Ten years later, Wen Gong died, and his son Huan Gong Bao ascended. Huan Gong ruled for twenty-three years, just as Duke Yang of Lu had ascended to the throne. Twenty-six years later, Wei killed its ruler, Zhou Yu. Thirty-three years later, Lu killed its ruler, Duke Yin.
In the first two days of the first month of the thirty-eighth year, Duke Huan of Chen died. Huan Gong's younger brother, Tuo, with the Cai people's support, killed Huan Gong's five ministers and his son Mian, making Tuo, Duke Li of Chen. During Huan Gong's illness, there was turmoil in the country, and the people scattered and fled, causing Chen to experience another upheaval.
In the second year of Duke Li's reign, his son Jing Zhongwan was born. When a Zhou historian came through Chen, Duke Li asked him to use the Book of Changes to divine Chen's fate. The divination predicted that Chen would eventually be replaced by a state ruled by the Jiang clan.
Duke Li married a woman from the State of Cai, but she ended up sleeping around with Cai men, leading to a lot of drama involving Duke Li. Seven years later, Duke Li had the three younger brothers of Huan Gong's son Mian—Yuel, Lin, and Chuju—all killed. They plotted with Cai women to seduce and kill Duke Li. Duke Li, in fact, was Huan Gong's son. Duke Li died after five months as Duke, and then Lin became Duke Zhuang. Duke Zhuang reigned for seven years before passing away, and finally, his brother Chuju took over as Duke Xuan.
Duke Xuan ruled for thirty-seven years. When King Wu of Chu died, the State of Chu began to thrive. Seventeen years into his reign, King Hui of Zhou married a woman from the State of Chen. Four years later, Duke Xuan's queen gave birth to a son named Kuan. Duke Xuan wanted to make him the crown prince, so he had the original crown prince, Yu Kou, killed. Yu Kou had a good relationship with Li Gong's son, Wan, and fearing for his own safety, he fled to the State of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi wanted to appoint Chen Wan as a minister, but Chen Wan humbly replied, "I’m just an outsider trying to survive; I can’t take on such a high position!" So, Duke Huan made him a minor official instead. Duke Yi of Qi wanted to marry his daughter to Chen Jingzhong, so he consulted an oracle. The oracle's message was: "Like a phoenix soaring in the sky, calling to each other with harmonious and pleasant sounds. The descendants of the Gui clan will marry into the Jiang clan. After five generations, they will flourish and become important officials in the court. After eight generations, they will no longer be ordinary ministers."
Duke Xuan ruled for thirty-seven years. Duke Huan of Qi attacked the State of Cai and defeated it; then he headed south to attack the State of Chu, reaching Zhaoling, and on his way back, he passed through the State of Chen. The minister Yuan Taotu of Chen disliked Duke Huan passing through, so he tricked him into taking the eastern route, which was difficult to traverse. Duke Huan was very angry and had Yuan Taotu arrested. That same year, Duke Xian of Jin killed his crown prince, Shensheng.
In the forty-fifth year, Duke Xuan died, and his son Kuan succeeded him, becoming Duke Mu. Duke Mu ruled for five years, and then Duke Huan of Qi died. Sixteen years later, Duke Wen of Jin defeated the army of the State of Chu at Chengpu. That same year, Duke Mu died, and his son Gongshuo took over. Gongshuo ruled for six years, and the Crown Prince of Chu, Shangchen, killed his father, King Cheng, and declared himself king, becoming King Mu of Chu. Eleven years later, Duke Mu of Qin died. Seven years later, Gongshuo died, and his son Linggong Pingguo succeeded him.
Duke Ling's first year on the throne coincided with King Zhuang of Chu taking the throne. Six years later, Chu attacked Chen. Ten years later, Chen and Chu made peace.
In the fourteenth year, Duke Ling and his ministers Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu were involved with Xia Ji, even cavorting in her clothes in the royal court. Xie Ye advised, "If the king and his ministers act like this, how can the people be expected to behave?" Duke Ling informed Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu about this, and they demanded Xie Ye's death. Duke Ling did not stop them, so Xie Ye was killed. In the fifteenth year, Duke Ling and the two ministers were drinking at Xia Ji's house. Duke Ling joked, "Zhi Shu's a dead ringer for you two!" The ministers replied, "Yeah, and you too, Your Highness!" Zhi Shu got angry upon hearing this. After finishing his drink, Duke Ling was ambushed at the stables by Zhi Shu with a crossbow. Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu fled to Chu, while Duke Ling's son, Prince Wu, escaped to Jin. Zhi Shu declared himself the ruler of Chen. Zhi Shu was originally a minister of Chen. Xia Ji – she was married to Duke Ling's uncle and was also Zhi Shu's mother.
In the first winter of King Zhuang's reign, King Zhuang of Chu led the other princes to attack the state of Chen because Zhi Shu had killed Ling Gong. He said to the people of Chen, "Don't worry, I'm only after Zhi Shu." After killing Zhi Shu, King Zhuang of Chu seized the state of Chen, and the ministers all congratulated him. At this time, Shen Shu Zheng returned from his mission to the state of Qi, but he did not congratulate. King Zhuang of Chu asked him why, and Shen Shu replied, "As the saying goes, if a farmer's ox wanders into your field, you can't just take it. Trespassing is one thing, but stealing the ox is another! Now, Your Majesty used the excuse of Zhi Shu's regicide to gather troops from the neighboring states, pretending to be righteous, but in the end, you occupied the state of Chen, aiming for Chen's land. How will anyone ever trust you again? That's why I didn't congratulate." King Zhuang of Chu said, "You are right!" So he welcomed back Tai Zi Wu, the son of Chen Ling Gong, from the state of Jin, and made him the ruler of the country, restoring Chen to its original state, which was Chen Cheng Gong. Confucius, when reading "Records of the Grand Historian" and reading about Chu restoring Chen, exclaimed, "Wow, what a smart guy! He values a word over a thousand chariots."
Eight years later, King Zhuang of Chu died. In the twenty-ninth year, the state of Chen betrayed its alliance with Chu. In the thirtieth year, King Gong of Chu attacked the state of Chen. In that year, Chen Cheng Gong died, and his young son Ai Gong succeeded to the throne. Due to the state mourning of Chen, Chu withdrew its troops.
In the third year of Ai Gong's reign, Chu surrounded Chen, but later lifted the siege. In the twenty-eighth year, Prince Wei of Chu killed his sovereign Jiao Ao (the reigning king) and proclaimed himself king, known as King Ling of Chu.
In the thirty-fourth year, Duke Ai married a woman from the state of Zheng as his wife. The eldest princess gave birth to Crown Prince Shi, and the younger princess gave birth to Yan. Duke Ai also had two favored concubines; the favorite concubine gave birth to Liu, and the lesser favorite concubine gave birth to Sheng. Liu was greatly favored by Duke Ai, who even left his younger brother Situ Zhao in her care. Later, Duke Ai fell ill and, after three months of sickness, Situ Zhao killed Crown Prince Shi and made Liu the crown prince. Duke Ai was furious and ordered Situ Zhao's execution. But Situ Zhao's troops surrounded the Duke. Trapped, Duke Ai ultimately committed suicide. Situ Zhao then made Liu the ruler of the state of Chen.
In the fourth month, Chen sent envoys to the state of Chu. King Ling of Chu, upon hearing of the internal strife in Chen, killed the envoys from Chen and sent Prince Qiji with troops to attack Chen. Liu, the ruler of Chen, fled to the state of Zheng. In the ninth month, Chu surrounded Chen. In the eleventh month, Chu destroyed Chen and made Prince Qiji the ruler of Chen. Situ Zhao killed Crown Prince Shi, and Shi's son Wu fled to the state of Jin. Duke Ping of Jin asked Zhao the historian, "Is Chen really gone?" Zhao replied, "The Chen family traced its lineage back to Emperor Zhuan Xu. The Chen family gained power in the state of Qi, but ultimately fell. None from Emperor Ku to Gu Sou have defied the mandate of heaven. Emperor Shun succeeded to the throne with his virtue. The Chen dynasty followed the teachings of their ancestors from its founding until the time of Duke Hu, when the Zhou dynasty granted them the Chen surname for worshiping Emperor Yu. Perhaps the rise and fall of Chen hinges on this failure."
Five years after King Ling of Chu destroyed Chen, Prince Qiji killed Ling and declared himself king, known as King Ping of Chu. King Ping, upon ascending the throne, sought to improve relations with the feudal lords and appointed Wu, the son of the late Crown Prince Shi of Chen, as Marquis Hui. After Marquis Hui took the throne, he established Duke Ai's death year as the start of a new era, creating a five-year gap in the records.
In the tenth year, Chen had a fire. In the fifteenth year, Wu's Prince Guang attacked Chen, took Hudi and Shendi, then pulled back. In the twenty-eighth year, King Helu and Wu Zixu of Wu defeated Chu and entered its capital city Ying. That same year, Duke Hui passed away, and his son Duke Huai succeeded him.
In the first year of Duke Huai, Wu defeated Chu and stationed in Ying, summoning the Marquis of Chen. The Marquis wanted to go, but his advisors said, "Wu's on top right now. Although the King of Chu has died, Chu and Chen have a history, and we can't betray them." Duke Huai said he was sick and couldn't go. Four years later, Wu summoned Duke Huai again. Scared, he reluctantly went to Wu. Wu was ticked off he'd refused before, so they held him, and he died there. Chen then appointed Duke Huai's son Yue as the ruler, known as Duke Min of Chen.
Confucius visited Chen in 484 BC. King Fuchai of Wu attacked Chen, took three cities, then left. A few years later, in 478 BC, Wu attacked Chen again, so Chen asked Chu for help. King Zhao marched his troops to Chengfu, and the Wu army backed off. That same year, King Zhao of Chu died in Chengfu while Confucius was still in Chen. In 476 BC, Song took Cao. In 475 BC, King Fuchai of Wu attacked Qi, defeating them at Ailing and summoning the Marquis of Chen. Scared, the Marquis went to Wu to see him. Chu jumped on the chance and attacked Chen. In 471 BC, Tian Chang offed Duke Jian in Qi. In 469 BC, Bai Gongsheng of Chu killed Prime Minister Zixi and Ziqi, and also attacked King Hui of Chu. Duke Ye defeated Bai Gongsheng, who then committed suicide.
In 468 BC, King Huai of Chu restored the country, led troops north to attack, killed Duke Min of Chen, and destroyed Chen. In the same year, Confucius passed away. Duke Donglou of Qi was a direct descendant of Xia Yu. During the Shang Dynasty, the state of Qi was sometimes granted land and sometimes stripped of it. After King Wu of Zhou defeated King Zhou of Shang, he searched for descendants of Xia Yu and found Duke Donglou, granting him land in Qi to worship the Xia clan. Duke Donglou had a son, Duke Xilou, who had a son, Duke Tigon, who had a son, Duke Mouqin. Duke Mouqin was in power during the reign of King Li of Zhou. Duke Mouqin had a son, Duke Wugong. After ruling for forty-seven years, Duke Wugong died, and his son, Duke Jingong, succeeded him. Duke Jingong ruled for twenty-three years and died, and his son, Duke Gongong, succeeded him. Duke Gongong ruled for eight years and died, and his son, Duke Degong, succeeded him. Duke Degong ruled for eighteen years and died, and his brother, Duke Huangong Gugong, succeeded him. Duke Huangong ruled for seventeen years and died, and his son, Duke Xiaogong, succeeded him. Duke Xiaogong ruled for seventeen years and died, and his brother, Duke Wengong Yigugong, succeeded him. Duke Wengong ruled for fourteen years and died, and his brother, Duke Pingong Yugu, succeeded him. Duke Pingong ruled for eighteen years and died, and his son, Duke Daogong, was established. Duke Daogong ruled for twelve years and died, and his son, Duke Yingong Qigong, succeeded him.
In July, Duke Yingong's brother killed him and took the throne, becoming Duke Ligong. Duke Ligong ruled for nineteen years and died, and his son, Duke Mengong Wei, succeeded him. In 475 BC, King Huai of Chu destroyed Chen. In 474 BC, Duke Mengong's brother killed him and took the throne, becoming Duke Aigong. Duke Aigong ruled for ten years and died, and Duke Mengong's son, Duke Chigong, succeeded him, becoming Duke Chugong. Duke Chugong ruled for twelve years and died, and his son, Duke Jiagong Chun, succeeded him. Duke Jiagong ruled for one year, during which Qi was destroyed, coinciding with the forty-fourth year of King Huai's reign. Qi was destroyed thirty-four years after Chen. Qi was a small state with few historical records, so there's not much more to say about it.
Shun's descendants were given land in the state of Chen by King Wu of Zhou. Later, King Huai of Chu destroyed the state of Chen, as history tells us. The descendants of Yu were given land in the state of Qi by King Wu of Zhou, but King Huai of Chu also destroyed the state of Qi, according to historical accounts. The descendants of Qi (契) established the Yin Dynasty, which is documented in historical records, including the Records of the Grand Historian. After the fall of the Yin Dynasty, the descendants were assigned land in the state of Song by the Zhou dynasty. Later, King Min of Qi destroyed the state of Song, as history tells us. The descendants of Hou Ji established the Zhou dynasty, but it was later destroyed by King Zhao of Qin, as recorded in official historical accounts. The descendants of Gao Tao were said to be given land in Yingdi and Liudi (places that are not well-documented), but King Mu of Chu destroyed these two places, with no detailed records available. The descendants of Bo Yi (伯夷) were granted land in the state of Qi during the time of King Wu of Zhou, which included the famous Jiang Taigong. Later, the state was destroyed by the state of Chen, as recorded in historical records. The descendants of Bo Yi (伯翳) were given land in the state of Qin during the time of King Ping of Zhou, but it was later destroyed by Xiang Yu, according to official historical accounts. As for Chui (垂), Yi (益), Kui (夔), and Long (龙), it is unknown where their descendants were granted land, as there are no records in historical texts.
The eleven individuals mentioned above were all famous and meritorious ministers during the time of Tang, Yao, and Shun. Five of them had descendants who became emperors, while the rest became prominent nobles. As for the states of Teng (滕), Xue (薛), and Zou (驺), they were such small states that they're not worth mentioning.
By the time of Kings You and Li of Zhou, countless smaller states were warring and merging, making complete historical records impossible.
Sima Qian said: Shun's virtue was truly amazing! He abdicated the throne to Yu of Xia, and his descendants were supported by sacrificial offerings, continuing for three generations. Then, after the state of Chu destroyed the state of Chen, Tian Chang seized power in Qi and eventually founded a new Qi dynasty, which lasted for over a hundred years, with his descendants flourishing and holding onto their land. As for the descendants of Yu, by the time of the Zhou dynasty, the state of Qi, a descendant state of Yu, was already very weak and not worth mentioning. Meanwhile, King Huai of Chu destroyed this Qi, and only then did King Goujian of Yue rise to power.
