Real Histories
Prince Liu Jia, a member of the Liu clan, was initially unknown. In the first year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang defeated the Three Qins, and Liu Jia became a general responsible for securing the borders and joined Liu Bang's eastward campaign against Xiang Yu. In the fourth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang lost a battle in Chenggao and retreated north of the Yellow River, where he joined forces with Zhang Er and Han Xin, set up a fortified camp in Xiuwu, dug in, building high walls and holding their position. He then sent Liu Jia with twenty thousand soldiers and a few hundred cavalry to cross the White Horse Ford into Chu territory, burning Xiang Yu's supplies and cutting off his logistics, starving Xiang Yu's army. Later, when the Chu army came to attack Liu Jia, he remained in his camp, coordinating with Peng Yue. In the fifth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang pursued Xiang Yu to Guling and sent Liu Jia across the Huai River to besiege Shou Chun. Upon returning, Liu Bang sent people to persuade Zhou Yin, Chu's Grand Marshal, to defect. Zhou Yin indeed defected to Liu Bang's side and helped Liu Jia capture Jiujang, welcoming Ying Bu's army to join forces at Gaixia to attack Xiang Yu. After that, Liu Bang ordered Liu Jia to lead the army of Jiujang and the Grand Commandant Lu Wan to attack King of Linjiang in the southwest. After King of Linjiang died, Linjiang was renamed Nanjun. In the spring of the sixth year of the Han Dynasty, Liu Bang summoned the feudal lords in Chen to a meeting, deposed the King of Chu, Han Xin, and divided the land of Chu into two countries. Liu Bang's son was young, he had few brothers, and none were particularly capable. Liu Bang wanted to appoint feudal lords of the same surname to guard the world, so he decreed, "General Liu Jia has merit; we should consider appointing one of his sons as a king." The ministers all said, "Let Liu Jia be the King of Jing, ruling over fifty-two cities east of the Huai River; let Liu Bang's brother, Liu Jiao, be the King of Chu, ruling over thirty-six cities west of the Huai River." Then Liu Bang's son, Liu Fei, was appointed as the King of Qi.
In the eleventh year of Gaozu, in autumn, the King of Huainan, Ying Bu, rebelled and clashed with the Kingdom of Jing to the east. King Liu Jia of Jing fought it out with him but was defeated and fled to Fuling, where Ying Bu's army killed him. Later, Liu Bang personally took down Ying Bu. In the twelfth year, Liu Bang appointed Liu Pi as the King of Wu, putting him in charge of the land of the former Kingdom of Jing.
As for the King of Yan, Liu Ze, he was a distant relative of the Liu family. In the third year of Gaozu, Liu Ze became a minor official. In the eleventh year of Gaozu, Liu Ze led troops against Chen Xi and captured Wang Huang, receiving the title of Marquis of Yingling.
While the Empress was running things, there was this guy from Qi, Tian Sheng. He was traveling and ran out of cash, so he couldn't get home. He started painting pictures to please Marquis of Yingling, Liu Ze. Liu Ze was particularly fond of his paintings and, without hesitation, lavished him with two hundred catties of gold. Tian Sheng took the money and immediately returned to the Qi State.
Two years later, Liu Ze sent someone to tell Tian Sheng, "I don't want that money anymore!" Upon hearing this, Tian Sheng hurried to Chang'an. Instead of looking for Liu Ze, he rented a large house to live in and sent his son to flatter Zhang Ziqing, one of Empress Dowager Lu's favorites. After a few months, Tian Sheng's son invited Zhang Ziqing over for a feast fit for a king. Zhang Ziqing agreed. Tian Sheng set up a very luxurious tent and banquet; it was as lavish as any marquis's mansion, which startled Zhang Ziqing. Once they'd had a few rounds of drinks, Tian Sheng dismissed the attendants and said to Zhang Ziqing, "I've watched the princes and their families. They were all Emperor Gaozu's best men. Now, the Lu family are big shots because they helped Emperor Gaozu win, and the Empress Dowager Lu is related to the Lu family, holding great power. The Empress Dowager's getting old, and the Lus are losing their grip on power. She wants to make Lu Chan king and keep the throne in the family. But she's worried the ministers will rebel. You're the Empress Dowager's favorite, and everyone respects you. Why not subtly suggest it to the ministers and let the Empress Dowager know? She'll be thrilled. When the Lus are in charge, you'll be a marquis with ten thousand households! The Empress Dowager wants this. But you're a court official. If you rush things, you'll get into trouble."
Zhang Ziqing felt that Tian Sheng's words were spot on, so he subtly tipped off the ministers about this matter. When the Empress Dowager was in court, she asked for the opinions of the ministers. The ministers urged that Lü Chan be made King Lü. The Empress Dowager rewarded Zhang Ziqing with a king's ransom of gold, and Zhang Ziqing gave half of it to Tian Sheng. Tian Sheng refused and instead advised him, "When Lü Chan becomes king, many ministers will be dissatisfied. Right now, Liu Ze, the Marquis of Yingling, is a relative of the Liu clan and a great general, but he is still only a marquis and will surely feel discontent. If you tell the Empress Dowager about this, why not suggest that she appoint Liu Ze as king, granting him land from about fifteen counties? This way, he will be pleased, and the Lü clan's kingship will be secure." Zhang Ziqing passed Tian Sheng's message on to the Empress Dowager, who thought it was a good idea. Therefore, she made Liu Ze King of Langye. Langye was the region where Tian Sheng's hometown was located. Tian Sheng advised Liu Ze to leave Chang'an quickly and not delay. Just as Liu Ze left Hangu Pass, the Empress Dowager sent people to pursue him, but fortunately, he had already passed the pass and could not be caught up with.
After the Empress Dowager's death, King Langye Liu Ze said, "The Emperor's just a kid, and the Lüs run the show. We Lius are outgunned!" So he led his troops to join forces with the Prince of Qi, planning to march west and wipe out the Lüs. When they reached Liang, they heard that General Guan of the Han Dynasty was stationed in Xingyang, so Liu Ze pulled his troops back to defend the west, then quickly led his army straight to Chang'an. The Prince of Dai also arrived from the region of Dai. The generals and King Langye put their weight behind the Prince of Dai and made him Emperor. The new Emperor appointed Liu Ze as the King of Yan, and gave Langye back to Qi, putting things back the way they were.
Two years after becoming King of Yan, Liu Ze died and was given the posthumous title of Jing King. His son, Liu Jia, succeeded to the throne and became King Kang of Yan.
When it came to Liu Ze's grandson, Liu Dingguo, he had an affair with his father's wife, King Kang's wife, and had a son with her. He also took his younger brother's wife as his concubine and had sex with his three kids. Liu Dingguo wanted to kill an official named Fei Ru, so Fei Ru reported him to the court. Liu Dingguo then had Fei Ru arrested and killed on false charges to silence him. In the first year of Yuanshuo, Fei Ru's brother detailed Liu Dingguo's various crimes in a report, and the truth was finally exposed. The court ordered the bigwigs to discuss the matter, and everyone said: "Liu Dingguo is a total monster; he has violated human relations and defied the will of heaven; he should be executed!" The emperor agreed, and Liu Dingguo committed suicide. His kingdom was abolished and turned into a county.
Sima Qian said: King Jing, Liu Jia, was a king established in the early years of the Han Dynasty. At that time, the world had just been stabilized, and the situation had not completely settled down. Therefore, although Liu Jia had a distant relationship with Han Gaozu, he became a king through his own strategies and occupied the area around the Yangtze and Huai rivers. Liu Ze became a king because he dared to confront the Lu clan, and astonishingly, his descendants continued to be kings for three generations. Talk about a dynasty! Pretty amazing, right?
King Liu Jiao of Chu was the younger brother of Emperor Gaozu Liu Bang, sharing the same mother, with the style name You. Among Liu Bang's four brothers, the eldest was called Bo and died early. When Liu Bang was young and down on his luck, he would often go out to handle affairs, sometimes bringing guests to his sister-in-law's house for dinner. His sister-in-law disliked her young brother-in-law, so every time he brought guests, she'd fake throwing out the soup and smash the pot, causing the guests to leave. After the guests left, the sister-in-law would see that there was still plenty of meat soup in the pot, leading Liu Bang to hold that against her. Later, when Liu Bang became emperor, he rewarded his brothers, but chose not to grant a title to his eldest brother's son. Liu Bang's old man pleaded for his nephew, but Liu Bang said, "It's not that I forgot to grant him a title, it's because she was a terrible woman." So Liu Bang made his nephew Liu Xin the Marquis of Gengjie, while his second brother held office in Dai.
In the sixth year of Emperor Gaozu's reign, Liu Bang captured King Han Xin of Chu in Chen territory and appointed his brother Liu Jiao as the King of Chu, with the capital at Pengcheng. After ruling as King of Chu for twenty-three years, Liu Jiao died, and his son Liu Ying succeeded him, known as the King of Yi. After ruling for four years, the King of Yi died, and his son Liu Wu succeeded him.
Liu Wu ruled as the King of Chu for twenty years. In winter, he was caught having an affair due to dressing Dowager Bo in mourning attire and had Donghai taken from him. In spring, Liu Wu plotted with the King of Wu to rebel. His prime minister Zhang Shang and grand tutor Zhao Yiwu advised against it, but he did not listen. Liu Wu killed Zhang Shang and Zhao Yiwu, raised troops, and together with the King of Wu, attacked Liang territory to the west, breaking through Jibi. When they reached the south of Changyi, they fought against the Han dynasty's general Zhou Yafu. The Han army cut off Wu and Chu's supplies, causing the soldiers to go hungry. The King of Wu ran, Liu Wu killed himself, and the army surrendered to the Han dynasty.
After the Han Dynasty pacified the states of Wu and Chu, Emperor Xiaojing wanted to make the son of the Marquis of De inherit the title of King of Wu, and the son of King Yuan of Chu, Liu Li, inherit the title of King of Chu. Empress Dowager Dou said, "The King of Wu was a bad person, leading the rebellion of the Seven States and causing chaos in the world. How can we let his son inherit the kingship?" So she disagreed with allowing the descendants of the King of Wu to inherit the kingship, but agreed to let Liu Li inherit the title of King of Chu. At that time, Liu Li was the Zong Zheng of the Han Dynasty. Therefore, Liu Li was made the King of Chu, and he was instructed to worship the ancestral temple of King Yuan of Chu, becoming known as King Wen of Chu.
King Wen of Chu ruled for three years before passing away. His son Liu Dao succeeded him and was known as King An. King An's reign lasted twenty-two years before his death. His son Liu Zhu succeeded him and was known as King Xiang. King Xiang reigned for fourteen years before passing away. His son Liu Chun succeeded him. In the second year of the Di Jie era, someone accused King Xiang of plotting a rebellion. King Xiang committed suicide, and the state of Chu was abolished, becoming the Pengcheng Prefecture of the Han Dynasty.
Prince Zhao, Liu Sui, was the second son of Emperor Gaozu, whose name was You, and he was posthumously honored as "King You." The posthumous title of "King You" was given to him because he died of sorrow. During the reign of Empress Dowager Lu, Lu Lu was appointed to the state of Zhao, and a year later Empress Dowager Lu died. The ministers purged the Lu clan, and then appointed Liu Sui, the son of King You, as the King of Zhao.
After a few years, Emperor Xiaowen became emperor, and two years later appointed Liu Sui's younger brother, Liu Biqiang, giving him the Hejian Prefecture of Zhao and making him the King of Hejian, later known as King Wen. King Wen ruled for thirteen years before passing away, and his son, King Ai, Liu Fu, succeeded him. However, King Ai only reigned for one year before passing away, leaving no son. Thus, the Kingdom of Hejian was dissolved and absorbed into the Han Dynasty.
Liu Sui became the King of Zhao for twenty-six years. During the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, due to Chao Cuo's reforms, the territory of Zhao was reduced to Changshan Commandery. Later, during the Wu-Chu rebellion, King Liu Sui of Zhao also participated, planning to rebel alongside them. His prime minister Jiande and the imperial secretary Wang Han strongly advised against it, but he did not listen at all and even killed Jiande and Wang Han! He then deployed his troops on the western border of Zhao, waiting to attack Chang'an with Wu and Chu. He also sent envoys to contact the Xiongnu, intending to join forces to attack the Han Dynasty. The Han sent General Li Ji against him. King Liu Sui of Zhao retreated to defend Handan, and a seven-month stalemate ensued. As a result, the Seven States of Wu and Chu were defeated in Liangdi and could not advance westward. Upon hearing this, the Xiongnu retreated. After Luan Bu pacified Qi, he and the Han army flooded Handan. The walls of Handan were breached, and King Liu Sui of Zhao committed suicide, leading to Handan's surrender. Thus, the line of Zhao You was extinguished.
Sima Qian said: When a country is thriving, there will definitely be some good signs. The wise will use these good signs, while the wicked will back down. When a country is declining, the virtuous will withdraw, and the treacherous will gain power. Had King Wu spared Duke Shen and heeded his advice; had Zhao valued and employed Fang, how could there have been plots of regicide and usurpation, bringing only shame? Alas, the virtuous! If they did not have inherent excellent qualities, how could they be valued? "Safety and danger depend on the orders issued, survival and destruction depend on the people appointed," that perfectly sums it up!
Since ancient times, those who were destined to rule as emperors or inherit the throne and protect the country were not just due to their own noble virtues; they largely relied on the help of their relatives. The Xia Dynasty got its start because of the Tu Shan clan, while Jie of Xia fell because of Mo Xi. The Shang Dynasty took off thanks to the Song clan, while the downfall of Zhou of Shang was due to Daji. The Zhou Dynasty rose with the support of Jiang Yuan (King Wen's mother) and Tai Ren (King Wu's mother), while King You of Zhou failed because of his indulgence in Bao Si. Therefore, the Book of Changes explains the fundamentals of heaven and earth, the Book of Songs begins with "Guo Ju," the Book of Documents praises King Wen of Zhou for his marriage, and the Spring and Autumn Annals criticize the lack of attention to proper wedding ceremonies. A good marriage is the foundation of a good family! Wedding rituals were taken very seriously. Everything's connected, you know? Music, the seasons, and the balance of yin and yang govern all things, so how can this not be handled with care? We may try to control our destiny, but fate always has the last word. Alas, love's a gamble, even for kings and emperors. And even if you're lucky enough to find it, having kids and raising them isn't guaranteed. Confucius rarely talked about fate, probably because it's too difficult to explain. If you don't understand how life works, you won't understand life itself.
Sima Qian wrote that the historical records before the Qin Dynasty were relatively rough, and many details could not be recorded. After the establishment of the Han Dynasty, Empress Lü was married to Liu Bang, and her son was made crown prince. As Liu Bang grew older, he lost interest in Lü, and favored Lady Qi, whose son Liu Ruyi almost replaced the crown prince several times. After Liu Bang died, Lü wiped out Lady Qi's family and the Prince of Zhao. Only the low-ranking concubines survived.
Empress Lü's eldest daughter married Zhang Ao, the Marquis of Xuanping, and Zhang Ao's daughter became Empress Xiaohui. Empress Lü wanted her grandson, Wanfang, to inherit the throne, but Wanfang had no sons. So Empress Lü faked a palace child as Wanfang's son. After Emperor Xiaohui's death, with the succession uncertain, Empress Lü promoted her family, installing Lü princes as marquises to control the government. She made Lü Lu's daughter empress to the young emperor, but her scheme ultimately failed. After Empress Lü's death, she was buried with Liu Bang in Changling. Lü Lu, Lü Chan, and the rest, fearing execution, plotted a rebellion. The ministers rose up against them, and with a little help from fate, the Lü clan was wiped out. Only Empress Xiaohui was spared, confined to the Northern Palace. Then Prince Dai, Liu Heng, was enthroned as Emperor, known as Emperor Wen of Han, inheriting the ancestral temples of the Han dynasty. Wasn't that fate? Who else could have done it? Empress Bó's father, a native of Wu, shared her surname. During the Qin dynasty, her mother, close to Wei Lao, a woman of the Wei royal family, gave birth to Bó Ji. Her father later died in Shanyin, where he was buried.
Later, many warlords rebelled against the Qin Dynasty, and Wei Bao was made the King of Wei. The Dowager Wei sent her daughter Bo Ji into the palace of Wei. A fortune teller named Xu Fu had predicted the fate of the Dowager Wei and Bo Ji, saying that Bo Ji would give birth to a future emperor. At that time, Xiang Yu and Liu Bang were fighting in Xingyang, and the land was still in chaos. Wei Bao initially helped Liu Bang in the war against the Chu Kingdom, but upon hearing Xu Fu's prophecy, he secretly rejoiced and switched sides, allying with Chu instead. Liu Bang sent Cao Cen and others to defeat King Wei Bao, turning the land of Wei into counties, and Bo Ji was arranged to work in the weaving room. After King Wei Bao died, Liu Bang entered the weaving room and saw how beautiful Bo Ji was, ordering her to be brought to the harem. However, for more than a year, Liu Bang did not visit her. When Bo Ji was young, she had a good relationship with Lady Guan and Zhao Zier, and the three of them swore an oath: whoever got ahead wouldn't forget the others. Later, Lady Guan and Zhao Zier were favored by Liu Bang first. Once, while sitting in the palace, Liu Bang heard Lady Guan and Zhao Zier mocking Bo Ji for their pact. Liu Bang asked them what was going on, and they laid it all out for him. Liu Bang felt sad and pitied Bo Ji, so he summoned her that night and favored her. Bo Ji said, "Last night I dreamt of a green dragon coiled around my belly." Liu Bang said, "That's a sign you're destined for greatness! I will help you fulfill this prophecy!" After that one night, she gave birth to a son, who later became the King of Dai. Bo Ji hardly ever saw him again after that.
After Liu Bang died, those favored concubines, like Lady Qi, were all confined by Empress Lü Hou and not allowed to leave the palace. However, Empress Dowager Bo, because she rarely received favor, was released and went to the Dai Kingdom with her son, becoming the Queen Dowager of Dai. Empress Dowager Bo's younger brother, Bo Zhao, also went to the Dai Kingdom.
The King of Dai ruled for seventeen years, and Empress Lü Hou died. The ministers discussed the appointment of a new emperor, and everyone felt that the influence of the Lü clan was too strong, while the Bo clan was kind and benevolent. Therefore, they supported the King of Dai to become the emperor, later known as Emperor Xiaowen. Empress Dowager Bo also changed her title to Empress Dowager, and her brother Bo Zhao was appointed as the Marquis of Zhi.
Empress Dowager Bo's mother had died earlier and was buried north of Liyang. Later, Empress Dowager Bo posthumously honored her father as Marquis Lingwen and established a substantial estate encompassing three hundred households in Kuaiji County for her father. The tomb was entrusted to a staff including officials of Chang Cheng and lower rank, and sacrifices were conducted according to prescribed rituals. A matching mausoleum was also established for the Marquise Lingwen's wife (Empress Dowager Bo's mother) north of Liyang, with the same grandeur as the Marquis Lingwen's tomb. Empress Dowager Bo felt that her maternal relatives, descendants of the Wei Queen, had shown great care to her due to the early loss of both her parents. She then brought her Wei relatives back and rewarded them based on their relationship to her. Only one other member of her family achieved the rank of marquis.
Empress Dowager Bo died in the second year of Emperor Han Wen, as Emperor Xiaojing had died two years earlier and was buried in Nanling. Since Empress Lü was buried in Changling, Empress Dowager Bo was buried separately, near Emperor Xiaowen's tomb at Baoling.
Empress Dowager Dou was from Guanjing in Qinghe, Zhao State. When Empress Dowager Lv was in power, Dou Ji was still an ordinary woman living at home, and she entered the palace to serve the Empress Dowager. At that time, the Empress Dowager rewarded palace maids to various princes, with five palace maids for each prince, and Dou Ji was also on the list of those to be rewarded. Dou Ji's family was in Qinghe, and she wanted to be closer to home, so she requested the eunuch in charge of the assignments, "Please make sure to register me in the Zhao contingent." However, the eunuch forgot and mistakenly registered her in the group assigned to Dai State. After the list was submitted, the emperor approved it, and they were about to depart. Dou Ji cried and complained to the eunuch, unwilling to go to Dai State. After a lot of coaxing, she reluctantly agreed. After arriving in Dai State, the Prince of Dai favored Dou Ji, and they had a daughter named Piao, followed by two sons. The Princess of Dai gave birth to four sons before he became emperor, but she passed away. After the Prince of Dai became emperor, they all died one by one. A few months after Emperor Xiaowen took the throne, the ministers requested the establishment of a crown prince, and Dou Ji's eldest son was chosen as the crown prince due to his age. Dou Ji was made empress, and their daughter Piao was named Princess Chang. The following year, her younger son Wu was appointed as the Prince of Dai, later moved to Liang State, becoming Liang Xiaowang. Empress Dowager Dou passed away early and was buried in Guanjing. Empress Dowager Bo ordered the relevant departments to posthumously appoint Empress Dowager Dou's father as the Marquis of Ancheng and her mother as the Lady of Ancheng. In Qinghe, a garden of two hundred households was established for them, overseen by the estate manager, just like the Marquis Lingwen's estate.
Empress Dowager Dou's elder brother is called Dou Zhangjun, and her younger brother is called Dou Guangguo, with the courtesy name Shaojun. When Shaojun was just four or five years old, the family was dirt poor. He was sold off, and his family had no idea where he had gone. He was trafficked to more than ten different households and eventually ended up in Yiyang, where he was forced to work burning charcoal for his master. One night, he and over a hundred others were sleeping by the riverbank when a landslide occurred, killing everyone except him; he was the sole survivor.
He had a hunch he'd become a marquis in the future, so he ran away to Chang'an to find his family. Hearing that Empress Dowager Dou had just been named empress and that her family was from Guanjin with the surname Dou, Shaojun, despite being young, remembered the county name, surname, and the events of his childhood when he picked mulberry leaves with his sister. These memories became clues for him to identify himself, so he wrote a letter to claim kinship.
Empress Dowager Dou told Emperor Wen, who summoned Shaojun. He laid it all out, and it turned out to be true! When asked for further evidence, Shaojun mentioned, "When my sister left me, she washed my hair and fed me at the post station before leaving." Upon hearing this, Empress Dow sobbed, clutching Shaojun, while the palace maids and eunuchs knelt beside her, crying. Emperor Wen rewarded them with land, houses, and wealth, ennobling Shaojun and his brother as marquises and allowing them to settle in Chang'an.
Marquis Jiang and General Guan said, "Here we are, still alive, yet how are these two so fortunate? They come from humble beginnings, so we must find them good teachers and friends to prevent them from getting above themselves." Consequently, they selected respectable folks to guide and educate the brothers. As a result, Dou Zhangjun and Shaojun stayed grounded, not allowing their newfound wealth and power to make them arrogant.
Later, Empress Dou got sick and went blind. Emperor Wen also took up with Lady Shen from Handan and Lady Yin, but they did not bear sons. After Emperor Xiaowen's death, Emperor Xiaojing succeeded to the throne and made Dou Guangguo the Marquis of Zhangwu. Dou Changjun had passed away earlier, and his son Pengzu was made the Marquis of Nanpi. During the Wu-Chu rebellion, Empress Dou leaned on her nephew Dou Ying, a real stand-up guy, who later quelled the rebellion and was made the Marquis of Weiqi due to his military achievements. In the Dou family, three marquises emerged all at once.
Empress Dou was very fond of the teachings of the Yellow Emperor and Laozi, so the emperor, crown prince, and members of the Dou family all had to study the "Yellow Emperor's Classic of Medicine" and the "Tao Te Ching," living by their ideas.
Empress Dou passed away when Emperor Xiaojing was six years old and was buried together in Baling. Before she died, she left instructions to give all the gold and silver treasures in the Eastern Palace to Princess Piao.
Wang the Dowager Queen was from Huaili, and her mother was named Zang'er. Zang'er was the granddaughter of the former Yan King Zangtu. Zang'er married Wang Zhong of Huaili and had a son named Xin and two daughters. After Wang Zhong passed away, Zang'er married Tian of Changling and had two sons named Fen and Sheng. Zang'er’s eldest daughter married a grandson of the King of Jin and had a daughter. Later, Zang'er consulted a fortune teller, who said that both of her daughters would become very noble. So Zang'er wanted both of her daughters to live a good life and decided to reclaim her eldest daughter from the Jin. The Jin were furious and refused to let her go, so Zang'er sent her daughter to the prince's palace. The Crown Prince liked her very much and had three daughters and one son with her. While this son was still in her womb, Wang dreamt that the sun fell into her arms. She told the Crown Prince, who said, "This means she'll be important!" Earlier, Zang'er had also sent her other daughter, Xu, into the palace, and Xu gave birth to four sons. Upon becoming Emperor Jingdi, Jingdi married Empress Bo as a concubine. After Jingdi ascended the throne, he made Bo his empress. But she never had kids and the Emperor didn't care for her. Later, Bo died, and Jingdi deposed Empress Bo.
Emperor Jing's eldest son was named Rong, his mother was Consort Li, who was from the state of Qi. Emperor Jing made Rong his crown prince. Princess Piao wanted to get her daughter a spot as one of the crown prince's concubines. Consort Li was green with envy. All the Emperor's other concubines were Princess Piao's connections, so they were way more favored than she was. Consort Li was furious and flat-out refused. So, Princess Piao tried to marry her daughter off to Lady Wang's son—the crown prince's half-brother—and Lady Wang was all for it. Princess Piao became even angrier and spoke ill of Consort Li to Emperor Jing every day, saying, "Consort Li's in cahoots with those other concubines. She even makes her maids spit on her back and uses witchcraft to hex the Emperor!" As a result, Emperor Jing became increasingly dissatisfied with Consort Li.
One time when Emperor Jing was feeling unwell and in a bad mood, he instructed Consort Li, "After I am gone, you must take good care of my sons." Consort Li was very angry and replied rudely, even saying disrespectful words. Emperor Jing was fuming, but he didn't show it.
Princess Piao always praised Lady Wang's son for being handsome, and Emperor Jing also thought the child was good. He'd also had some weird dreams, so he was still undecided about the next crown prince. Knowing the Emperor still harbored feelings for Consort Li, Lady Wang, furious, secretly pushed the ministers to make Consort Li Empress. After the ministers reported, they said, "A son's standing depends on his mother, and vice versa. The crown prince's mother's still untitled! She should be Empress!" Emperor Jing exploded, "What the hell are you saying?!" He had the minister executed on the spot and stripped the crown prince of his title, making him the Prince of Linjiang. Consort Li was heartbroken and devastated, never seeing the Emperor again. She died of a broken heart. In the end, Emperor Jing appointed Lady Wang as the Empress, her son became the Crown Prince, and her brother was titled as the Marquis of Gai.
After Emperor Jing's death, his son took the throne. The new emperor made his grandmother, Zang Er, the Lady Pingyuan. He also granted Tian Fei the title of Marquis of Wuan and Sheng the title of Marquis of Zhouyang. Emperor Jing had thirteen sons in total. Only one became emperor, the other twelve became princes. He also had a daughter named Erxi, who died young, leaving behind four sons who all became princes. The Empress Dowager's eldest daughter was named Princess Pingyang, the second Princess Nangong, and the third Princess Linlu.
Gaihou Xin was a man who loved his drink. Tian Fei and Sheng were real sharks, smooth talkers, and masters of the game. Wang Zhong died early, was buried in Huaili, and posthumously given the title of Gonghou. He also got a fiefdom of 200 households. When Lady Pingyuan died, she was buried in Changling with the Tian clan, her fiefdom was about the same size as Gonghou's. The Empress Dowager, sixteen years older than the Emperor, died in the fourth year of Yuanshuo and was buried alongside the Emperor in Yangling. Her family produced three marquises in total.
Wei Zifu came from a humble background. Her family lived in the fief of the Marquis of Pingyang and her surname was Wei. She started out as just a singer at Princess Pingyang's place. In the early years of the Emperor's reign, he had no children. So, Princess Pingyang sent a dozen beautiful girls, all dolled up, to the palace. When the Emperor got back from the sacrifice at Baxiang, he dropped by Princess Pingyang's place. The princess paraded all these beauties before him, but he wasn't interested in a single one. During the feast, Wei Zifu sang a song and caught the Emperor's eye. That night, the Emperor went to change his clothes and Wei Zifu served him in the dressing room, and the Emperor slept with her. He was so pleased that he gifted Princess Pingyang a thousand catties of gold. The princess quickly sent Wei Zifu to the palace. As Wei Zifu climbed into the carriage, Princess Pingyang patted her back, saying, "Go on, now. Eat your fill, and don't forget about me when you're all famous and fancy!"
Wei Zifu entered the palace for over a year, but the emperor never showed her any favor again. Later, Emperor Wu got rid of a bunch of palace ladies who weren't getting any action. Wei Zifu also went to see the emperor, crying and begging to leave the palace. The emperor felt sorry for her, gave her another chance, and boom – she was pregnant, which led to her rising status. The emperor also summoned Wei Zifu's brothers Wei Changjun and Wei Qing to work in the palace. Wei Zifu later became very favored, giving birth to three daughters and a son named Liu Ju.
Back when Emperor Wu was still a prince, he married the princess's daughter as his concubine. After Emperor Wu ascended the throne, this concubine from the Chen family became the empress, but they had no children. Emperor Wu ascended to the throne with the help of Princess Chang, so Empress Chen was very proud and arrogant. When she heard that Wei Zifu was favored, she was so mad, she nearly croaked a few times. Emperor Wu became increasingly angry as well. Empress Chen tried to please the emperor by playing dirty, but her actions were exposed. As a result, Empress Chen was deposed and Wei Zifu was made empress.
Empress Chen's mother was Princess Chang, the sister of Emperor Jing. She kept nagging at Emperor Wu's sister, Princess Pingyang, saying, "If it weren't for me, he wouldn't be Emperor! And now he's ditching my daughter? The nerve!" Princess Pingyang replied, "No son, no throne." In order to have a child, Empress Chen blew nine million on doctors, but still did not have a child.
After Wei Zifu became empress, her brother Wei Changjun passed away, and her brother Wei Qing became a successful general and was made Marquis of Changping. Wei Qing's three sons were made marquises as babies. Wei Zifu's sister's son, Huo Qubing, became the Champion Marquis and General of the Cavalry due to his military achievements. Wei Qing was appointed as the Grand General. Wei Zifu's son, Liu Ju, was named the crown prince. The Wei family, thanks to their military success, became incredibly wealthy, with five of them becoming marquises.
Empress Wei was aging, so the Zhao consort gained the Emperor's favor, gave birth to a son, and later became the King of Qi.
The Queen of Zhao died young. Later, Lady Li from Zhongshan was highly favored, gave birth to a son, and was titled the King of Changyi.
Lady Li also died young, and her brother Li Yannian gained the Emperor's favor for his singing skills and was titled the Xie Lv. This Xie Lv was essentially a singer. The Li siblings committed crimes, and their clan was wiped out. At that time, Lady Li's elder brother Li Guangli was the Second Division General, went to fight against Dawan, but before he could be executed, he returned from battle only to find that the Emperor had already wiped out the Li family. Later, the Emperor took pity on their family and titled Li Guangli's son as the Marquis of Haixi.
Other concubines had two sons who became the Kings of Yan and Guangling, respectively. Their mother wasn't favored, died of sorrow, and passed away.
After Lady Li's death, some women like Lady Yin received the Emperor's favor. However, they were from singing families, not daughters of noble families, and weren't good enough for the Emperor.
Mr. Chu said: Back when I was in office, I asked Zhong Lisheng, who studies the history of the Han Dynasty. Zhong Lisheng said: Queen Wang had a daughter out of wedlock, her father being King Jin Sun. King Jin Sun was dead, and after Emperor Jing's death, Emperor Wu ascended the throne, leaving Queen Wang to live alone. The Han princess, Yan, was highly favored by Emperor Wu. She privately told him that the Queen Mother had a daughter in Changling. Emperor Wu said, "Why didn't you say something sooner?" So he sent someone to Changling to investigate, and indeed found her at her home.
Emperor Wu personally went to meet her. He cleared a path and sent out a cavalry escort with fluttering banners from the Hengcheng Gate, riding the imperial carriage to Changling. When they reached a lane on the west side of a small market, the alley was gated. Emperor Wu ordered them to burst through, and the imperial carriage entered the lane, stopping only at the entrance to the Jin family's house. He ordered the guards to surround the Jin family's house to prevent her from escaping, but he himself did not find her. So he ordered the officials to go in and call out for her. The Jin family was terrified, and her daughter was hiding under the bed. The family helped her out and let her go to meet Emperor Wu. He got off the carriage and cried, saying, "Geez, sis, why were you hiding so deep?" He had her placed in a carriage and then sped back to the palace, directly entering the Changle Palace. He ordered the palace gates to be opened and had the news relayed all the way until he saw the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager asked, "Your Majesty, are you tired? Why did you come back so late?" Emperor Wu said, "I just brought back my sister from Changling." He pointed at her and said, "Let her come and meet you!" The Empress Dowager asked, "Is it you?" She said, "Yes." The Empress Dowager cried, and the woman also fell to the ground crying. Emperor Wu toasted and rewarded her with ten million coins, three hundred servants, one hundred hectares of public land, and a luxurious mansion. The Empress Dowager declined, saying, "You've put Your Majesty to too much trouble." So, Emperor Wu summoned Princess Pingyang, Princess Nangong, and Princess Linluo to come and meet this sister, and created her the Lady Xiu Cheng. Lady Xiu Cheng had a son and a daughter. The son was named Xiu Cheng Zi Zhong, and the daughter married the son of a prince of the realm and became queen. These two children were not of the Liu clan, so the Empress Dowager loved them very much. However, Xiu Cheng Zi Zhong was arrogant and oppressive, and he was deeply unpopular.
After Wei Zifu ascended to the position of Empress, her younger brother Wei Qing, styled as Zhongqing, was made Grand General and Marquis of Changping. Wei Qing had four sons, with his eldest, Wei Kang, set to inherit the marquis title. He was often in the Emperor's good graces, serving by his side. Wei Qing's other three sons were also bestowed marquis titles, each overseeing 1300 households. They were known as the Marquis of Yin'an, Marquis of Fagan, and Marquis of Yichun, and their prominence was felt throughout the land. At that time, a popular saying went: "Having sons is nothing to celebrate, having daughters is nothing to worry about—haven't you seen how the Wei family's taken over?"
Princess Pingyang, then a widow, needed a marquis for a husband. She consulted with her entourage about which marquis in Chang'an could be her husband, and everyone suggested Grand General Wei Qing. The princess laughed and said, "Wei Qing is my own family. He used to accompany me on horseback everywhere I went. How can I make him my husband?" Her servants replied, "Now that the Grand General's sister is the Empress and his three sons are marquises, their family is incredibly powerful and wealthy, their influence felt throughout the empire. Princess, do you have any reason to refuse?" The princess then agreed. This matter was reported to the Empress, who then informed Emperor Hanwu. The emperor ordered General Wei Qing to marry Princess Pingyang.
As Chu put it: "Wei Qing has truly soared like a dragon! Once a snake, always a snake; once a nobody, always a nobody." Now that Wei Qing is wealthy and prominent, all his past hardships have disappeared, truly honoring his ancestors. So what if he was poor before?
During Emperor Hanwu's reign, he greatly favored Consort Yin and Consort Xing. Everyone referred to Consort Xing as "Xing'e", and some also called her "Xinghe." Xinghe's rank was equivalent to a 2000-bushel official, similar to the rank of Ronghua, while Jieyu's rank was equivalent to a marquis. Consort Xing eventually rose from the position of Jieyu to become Empress.
Lady Yin and Lady Xing were both favored, but Emperor Wu ordered them not to meet. Lady Yin asked to see the Emperor herself, hoping to meet Lady Xing. The Emperor agreed. He had other concubines dress her up, accompanied by dozens of guards, to make her look like Lady Xing and sent her to Lady Xing. After seeing her, Lady Yin said, "This is not Lady Xing." The Emperor asked, "How do you know?" Lady Yin replied, "From her appearance and demeanor, she is not fit to be the empress." So the Emperor ordered Lady Xing to wear her old clothes and come alone to see Lady Yin. When Lady Yin saw her, she said, "This is her." Then she lowered her head and cried, feeling sad for her inferiority. They say, "When a beauty enters the door, an ugly woman becomes an enemy."
Mr. Chu, a scholar, said: You don't have to bathe in rivers and seas; the important thing is to be clean. Horses don't have to be a thousand-mile horse; the important thing is to run fast. Scholars don't have to be the wise men of the world; the important thing is to have knowledge. Women don't have to be noble ladies; the important thing is to be virtuous and beautiful. The ancient books say: "Regardless of beauty or ugliness, women will provoke jealousy when they enter the door; regardless of wisdom or foolishness, scholars will provoke envy when they enter the court." Beauties are enemies of ugly women. Isn't it true?
Lady Gouyi, surnamed Zhao, was from Hejian. She received Emperor Wu's favor and gave birth to a son, who became Emperor Zhao. Emperor Zhao was born when Wu was seventy years old. He ascended the throne at the age of five. At that time, the Crown Prince of Wei had been deposed, and a new Crown Prince had not yet been established. Prince Dan of Yan wrote to request to return to his fiefdom and serve the Emperor in the palace. Wu was furious and had his envoy killed right there under the North Gate.
Emperor Wu resided in Ganquan Palace and summoned a painter to depict the scene of Duke of Zhou carrying King Cheng. This made it clear to the ministers in the palace that he intended to establish his youngest son as the crown prince. After a few days, he berated Lady Gouyi. She removed her hairpin and earrings, kowtowing in apology. He said, "Get her out of here! To the Yeting Prison with her!" Lady Gouyi glanced back, and he added, "Hurry, you won't survive!" She died in Yunyang Palace. At that time, there was a storm, and the people were very sad. In the evening, they buried her and marked the grave.
Later, when he was relaxing, he asked those around him, "What's the buzz?" The attendants replied, "Everyone is talking about wanting to make Emperor Zhao the emperor, so why did they kill his mother?" He said, "Indeed. This ain't rocket science. In ancient times, the reason countries fell into chaos was that the emperor was young and his mother held too much power. The empress dowager ran the whole show, was a total tyrant, and no one could control her. Haven't you heard of Empress Lü's story?" Therefore, all women who bore children for him, regardless of gender, were put to death. Doesn't that make him a wise ruler? He was a visionary, looking out for the next generation, not something that shallow and ignorant Confucian scholars could compare to! So 'Wu' wasn't just a name!
Chen Sheng is from Yangcheng, whose courtesy name was She; Wu Guang is from Yangxia, whose courtesy name was Shu. When Chen Sheng was young, he worked the fields as a hired hand with others. During a break, he sat on the field ridge, sighing and saying, "If I ever make it big, we'll look out for each other, alright?" His companions who worked the fields with him laughed and replied, "A nobody like you getting ahead? Don't be daft!" Chen Sheng sighed and said, "How's a sparrow supposed to know what a roc is thinking?"
In July of 209 BC, the government conscripted poor people to guard the borders in Yuyang, with nine hundred people stationed in Daze Township. Both Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were selected for this mission, serving as squad leaders. They encountered heavy rain, making the roads impassable and causing them to miss the deadline. According to the law, missing the deadline meant death. Chen Sheng and Wu Guang discussed and said, "We're dead either way – might as well die fighting for something!"
Chen Sheng said, "The people have suffered long enough under the Qin. I heard that Qin Er Shi is the youngest son of Qin Shi Huang, who shouldn't have been emperor. The rightful heir was Prince Fusu. Fusu was sent away by Qin Shi Huang for repeatedly advising him and leading troops. Qin Er Shi probably had Fusu bumped off, and most people know his name, but they don't know he's dead. Xiang Yan was once a general of the Chu Kingdom, with many military achievements and a great care for soldiers, earning sympathy from the people of Chu. Some say he is dead, others say he has fled. Let's pose as Fusu and Xiang Yan and rally the troops – we'll get plenty of support!" Wu Guang found his words to be reasonable.
So they went to see a fortune teller. The diviner saw their intentions and said, "Everything will go your way, and you'll be heroes. But are you asking the spirits for advice?" Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were both very happy, thinking about the spirits, and said, "The spirits say we gotta scare 'em straight!" So they wrote "Chen Sheng Wang" on a piece of silk with cinnabar and hid it in the belly of a fish caught by someone else. The soldiers bought the fish to cook and found this note in the fish's belly, which they found very strange.
Chen Sheng and Wu Guang secretly had Wu Guang's troops light a fire in the temple in the nearby jungle at night, and let the foxes scream, "Chu's rising! Chen Sheng's gonna be king!" The soldiers were spooked stiff all night. The next morning, everyone was talking about Chen Sheng, pointing fingers at him.
Wu Guang was quite popular among the soldiers, and they all listened to him. One day, their lieutenant got drunk, and Wu Guang kept talking about running away to goad the lieutenant into a fight. Sure enough, the lieutenant lost it and decked Wu Guang. But Wu Guang was quick—he snatched the sword and killed him! Chen Sheng joined in, and they took out the other lieutenant too.
Then, Wu Guang gathered everyone and said, "Guys, because of the rain, everyone missed the deadline, and according to the rules, missing the deadline means death. Even if I plead for mercy for you, a good chunk of you will die during the period of guarding. Besides, we are warriors; if we're gonna die, let's go down fighting for something worthwhile! Are those big shots inherently nobler than us?" Everyone responded in unison, "We will follow your lead!" So they rebelled in the names of Prince Fusu and Xiang Yan, fulfilling the wishes of the common people, revealed their right arms, a symbol of rebellion, raised the banner of "Great Chu," and even built an altar to sacrifice to the heavens and earth. Chen Sheng declared himself a general, and Wu Guang became a captain. They captured Daze Township, then attacked Qi County. After capturing Qi County, they sent Fu Liren Ge Ying with soldiers to conquer their way eastward. They took over places like Zhi, Zang, Ku, Zhe, and Qiao. By the time they returned from the campaign, their army had grown significantly, with six to seven hundred chariots, over a thousand cavalry, and tens of thousands of infantry. When they attacked Chen County, the county magistrate and others were not present; only the deputy county magistrate was resisting at Qiao Gate. But the defense crumbled, the deputy magistrate was killed, and Chen Sheng's forces seized Chen County. After a few days, Chen Sheng ordered the local elders and heroes to discuss important matters. The elders and local bigwigs chimed in, "General, you wear armor, wield a sharp blade, overthrow the tyrannical Qin, kill the tyrant, restore the state of Chu; you've earned the right to be king!" So Chen Sheng proclaimed himself king, with the title of Zhang Chu.
At this time, the common people in various counties who were oppressed by officials of the Qin Dynasty revolted, killing local officials in response to Chen Sheng. Chen Sheng appointed Wu Shu as a puppet king, leading the army to advance westward to attack Xingyang. He also sent Chen County natives Wu Chen, Zhang Er, and Chen Yu to recover Zhao, and sent Deng Zong from Ruyin to reclaim Jiujang. At that time, the Chu army was everywhere, with countless troops.
Ge Ying arrived in Dongcheng and installed Xiangqiang as the King of Chu. Later, Ge Ying heard that Chen Sheng had already declared himself king, so he killed Xiangqiang and returned to report to Chen Sheng. However, when he arrived in Chen County, Chen Sheng killed Ge Ying. Chen Sheng sent Zhou Fu, a man from Wei, north to reclaim Wei. Wu Guang surrounded Xingyang. Li You served as the governor of Sanchuan County, guarding Xingyang, which Wu Shu failed to capture. Chen Sheng convened a council of national leaders and appointed Fang Jun Cai Ci from Shangcai as the Commander-in-Chief.
Zhou Wen, a formidable figure in the Chen Kingdom, was a skilled astrologer in Xiang Yan's army and later served Chun Shen Jun. He claimed to be proficient in military affairs, so Chen Wang gave him the seal of general and sent him west to attack the Qin Kingdom with a massive army of thousands upon thousands of soldiers, supported by a thousand chariots. The army marched to Hangu Pass and camped at Xixian after arriving. Qin’s chief administrator, Zhang Han, was ordered to unleash the prisoners and slaves of Lishan against the Chu army, resulting in a major defeat for the Chu army. After Zhou Wen's defeat, he escaped from Hangu Pass and stayed in Caoyang for two to three months. Zhang Han pursued him relentlessly and defeated Zhou Wen again. Zhou Wen fled to Minchi, where he stayed for more than ten days. Zhang Han launched another attack and completely defeated Zhou Wen. Zhou Wen ultimately took his own life, and his army never fought again.
Next, let's talk about Wuchen's business. When Wuchen arrived in Handan, he crowned himself King of Zhao, Chen Yu became the Grand General, and Zhang Er and Zhaosao became the prime ministers. When King Chu heard about this, he was furious and ordered the families of Wuchen and the others to be arrested with the intention of killing them all. At this time, a powerful minister said, "The state of Qin has not yet been destroyed. What's the difference between this and Qin? We might as well just go along with it!" Upon hearing this, King Chu sent envoys to congratulate the State of Zhao, moved Wuchen's family and the others' to the palace, appointed Zhang Ao, the son of Zhang Er, as Chengdu Jun (Lord of Chengdu), and urged Zhao's army to advance. King Zhao and his generals discussed, "If we become kings, this is not what Chu wants. If Chu destroys Qin, they will definitely come to attack us. The best way is to not attack Qin to the west, but to send envoys to the north to recover the land of Yan, expanding our own power. We, Zhao, have a great river to the south, and Yan and Dai to the north. Even if Chu defeats Qin, they won’t dare to easily interfere with us. If Chu fails to defeat Qin, they will need to rely on us, Zhao. When Qin is weakened, we, Zhao, can dominate the world." King Zhao thought their plan made sense, so he stopped the westward attack on Qin and instead sent the former county official of Shanggu, Han Guang, to lead troops north to recover the land of Yan. Yan's nobles and bigwigs said to Han Guang, "Chu has already established a king, and Zhao has also established a king. Although Yan is small, it is also a country with a huge army. We hope that you, General, will declare yourself as the King of Yan!" Han Guang said, "No way, my mother is still in Zhao." The people of Yan said, "Zhao is currently worried about Qin to the west and Chu to the south. They can't touch us. Besides, even though Chu is powerful, they dare not harm the families of the generals of King Zhao, so how could Zhao dare to harm the family of the general?" Han Guang thought they were right, so he declared himself as the King of Yan. A few months later, Zhao sent the mother and family of the King of Yan back to Yan.
At that time, a countless number of generals each went to attack different places. Zhou Shi went north to Di territory, where Tian Dan, a Di native, killed the Di county magistrate, declared himself King of Qi, and then rebelled against Zhou Shi. Zhou Shi's army suffered defeat and retreated to Wei territory, where they wanted to install the former Lord of Ningling, Jiu (Lord of Ningling), as King of Wei. After Wei had been pacified, everyone wanted to proclaim Zhou Shi as King of Wei, but he refused. It took five tries before the King of Chen finally proclaimed Jiu as King of Wei and sent him back to his country. Zhou Shi eventually became Prime Minister.
General Tian Zang and others discussed, "Zhou Zhang's army has been defeated, the Qin army is about to arrive, and we cannot capture Réngyáng City. If the Qin army comes, we will surely suffer a great defeat. It's better to leave a small number of troops to defend Réngyáng and send our elite soldiers out to meet the Qin army in battle. This so-called king is too arrogant and does not understand military affairs, making it impossible to reason with him. If we do not kill him, things will go bad." So they used a forged royal order to kill Wu Shu, presenting his head to the King of Chen. The king then appointed Tian Zang as a general. Tian Zang sent Li Gui and other generals to defend Réngyáng City, while he took the elite soldiers west to meet the Qin army at Aocang (a strategically important location). In the battle, Tian Zang died, and his army was defeated. Zhang Han then attacked Li Gui and the others at Réngyáng, defeating them and causing their deaths.
A man from Yangcheng named Deng stationed his troops in Tan territory, where he was defeated by a general sent by Zhang Han, causing his troops to scatter and flee to Chen territory. A man from Zhi territory named Wu Xu stationed his troops in Xu territory, where he was defeated by Zhang Han, causing his troops to scatter and flee to Chen territory. Consequently, the King of Chen killed Deng.
When King Chen Wang became king, Qin Jia from Lingdi, Dong Ye from Zhidi, Zhu Jishi from Fuli, Zheng Bu from Qulu, Ding Ji from Xudi, and others each raised their own armies, besieging General Qing of Donghai in Tandi. When King Chen heard about this, he sent Lord Wupingjun as the general to supervise the army in Tandi. Qin Jia did not obey his orders, declared himself Grand Marshal, and was at odds with Lord Wupingjun. He told the officers, "Lord Wupingjun is young and doesn't understand military affairs; don't listen to him!" Then he used a forged royal decree to have Lord Wupingjun killed.
Zhang Han had already defeated Wu Xu, attacked Chendi, and Commander Fang Jun died. Zhang Han then led his troops to attack the army of Zhang He in the west of Chendi. King Chen personally went to command the battle, but the army was defeated and Zhang He also died.
In December, Chen Sheng arrived in Ruyin, then returned to Xiachengfu, where his driver, Zhuang Jia, killed him and surrendered to the Qin state. Chen Sheng was buried in Dang County and posthumously named King Yin.
Before Chen Sheng, there was a minor official named Lv Chen who was in charge of the warehouse. He led the warehouse soldiers to rebel in Xinyang, attacked Chen County, took over the county, killed Zhuang Jia, and restored Chen County to Chu.
Initially, after Chen Sheng arrived in Chen County, he ordered Song Liu from Zhidi to lead troops to secure Nanyang, then advance on Wuguan. Song Liu had already secured Nanyang, but upon hearing of Chen Sheng's death, Nanyang fell back into the hands of the Qin state. Unable to advance to Wuguan, Song Liu headed east to Xinchai, where he encountered the Qin army. Song Liu surrendered to the Qin state with his army. The Qin state escorted Song Liu to Xianyang and had him publicly executed and quartered.
When Qin Jia and his men heard that Chen Sheng's army had been defeated and that Chen Sheng had fled, they then installed Jing Ju as the King of Chu, leading their troops to Fang Yu, hoping to defeat the Qin army and retake Dingtao. They also sent Gong Sun Qing to contact the King of Qi, hoping to attack Qin together with Qi. The King of Qi said, "I heard that Chen Sheng was defeated; how dare Chu crown a king without consulting us?" Gong Sun Qing replied, "If Qi didn't need Chu's permission to make itself king, why should Chu need Qi's?" Tian Dan, however, had Gong Sun Qing executed.
The Qin army attacked Chen County again and occupied it. General Lv Chen fled and regrouped his troops. The bandit leader, Dangyang Jun Ying Bu, gathered his army and attacked the Qin army again, defeating them in Qingbo and restoring Chen County to Chu. At this time, Xiang Liang appointed Wang Sun Xin as the King of Chu.
In June, Chen Sheng had already proclaimed himself as king in Chen. When his old farming buddies heard the news, they raced to Chen and pounded on the palace gates, yelling, "I wanna see Chen Sheng!" The guards wanted to tie him up, but he argued for himself for a while before being released, although the guards wouldn't let him through. When Chen Sheng came out, the man stood in the way shouting Chen Sheng's name. Chen Sheng heard and summoned him, bringing him home. Stepping into the palace, seeing all the fancy buildings and drapes, he gasped, "Wow! Look at Chen Sheng, all kingly and stuff!" Chu folks called a lot of things "huo," so everyone started saying "Huo Shewei Wang"—all thanks to Chen Sheng.
This person became increasingly brazen, blabbering everywhere about Chen Sheng's past. Some people advised Chen Sheng, "This guy is a clueless babbler, talking nonsense and damaging your dignity!" In a fit of anger, Chen Sheng killed him. Chen Sheng's former friends were all scared and left, and no one approached him again. Chen Sheng appointed Zhu Fang as the supreme inspector and Hu Wu as the inspector general, letting them manage the officials. The generals went out to fight in various places, and if they acted contrary to Chen Sheng's wishes, they were immediately arrested and punished. Chen Sheng demanded strict loyalty, punishing harshly any perceived disloyalty. Those whom Chen Sheng disapproved of were not handed over to officials; he dealt with them directly. Chen Sheng trusted them both. As a result, the generals distanced themselves from him, which was the reason for his failure. Although Chen Sheng is dead, the kings and generals he appointed ultimately overthrew the Qin Dynasty because he was the first to rebel! When Emperor Gaozu of Han, Liu Bang, came to power, he set up a thirty-household garrison in Dang County to guard Chen Sheng's tomb, and they still worship him to this day. Mr. Chu said: The dangerous terrain is used to consolidate defense; military and legal systems are used to govern the country; but these are not enough to make people feel at ease. The ancient wise rulers regarded benevolence and righteousness as the foundation, and the consolidation of defense and legal system as branches, isn't that right? I heard that Jia Yi once said: "Marquis Xiao of Qin occupied the strategic position of Hangu Pass and controlled the fertile land of Yongzhou. With the monarch and his officials united, they defended the borders while coveting the royal family of the Zhou Dynasty. He aimed to conquer the world and unify the country. At that time, Shang Yang assisted him, establishing laws in the country, focusing on developing agriculture and the textile industry, building defensive works, and preparing for war. He united some vassal states and attacked others. Thus, the Qin state quickly conquered the lands west of the Yellow River."
After the death of King Xiao, King Hui, King Wu, and King Zhao inherited the territories left by their ancestors and continued their ancestors' policies. They conquered Hanzhong to the south, captured Bashu to the west, seized fertile lands to the east, and reclaimed important counties. Other vassal states were afraid and discussed ways to weaken the state of Qin. Qin was not stingy in offering precious objects and riches to attract talents from all over the world. The vassal states formed alliances, united to resist Qin.
At that time, there was Lord Meng Chang from the state of Qi, Lord Pingyuan from the state of Zhao, Lord Chunshen from the state of Chu, and Lord Xinling from the state of Wei. These four lords were all intelligent and insightful, loyal and trustworthy, kind and compassionate, who valued and respected talent. They agreed to unite against Qin and also joined forces with Han, Wei, Yan, Zhao, Song, and Zhongshan, among others. The six states employed numerous strategists like Ning Yue, Xu Shang, Su Qin, and Du He to advise them. These included Qi Ming, Zhou Zui, Chen Zhen, Shao Hua, Lou Huan, Zhai Jing, Su Li, and Yue Yi to convey their intentions. Their armies were led by Wu Qi, Sun Bin, Dai Tuo, Er Liang, Wang Liao, Tian Ji, Lian Po, and Zhao She. They amassed an army a million strong, deploying forces across an area ten times the size of Qin to attack at the Hangu Pass. Qin lured the nine-state army into a trap, and the vastly outnumbered coalition forces panicked and fled. Qin did not spend much but made all the vassal states exhausted.
As a result, the alliances of the various states collapsed, with members suing for peace and ceding territory to Qin. With its remaining strength, Qin swiftly crushed the remaining resistance, its armies sweeping across the land in a bloodbath. Even the mightiest states bowed before its power.
Under Emperors Xiaowen and Zhuangxiang, their reign was relatively short and the country did not experience any major events.
Then came Qin Shi Huang. He inherited the foundation laid by his ancestors over six generations and ruled the entire country with an iron fist, conquered the Eastern Zhou and the other feudal states, and became supreme ruler of the land, inspiring fear throughout the realm. He conquered the Baiyue region in the south, establishing the Guilin and Xiang commanderies. The Baiyue rulers quickly surrendered and followed the arrangements of Qin officials. He also sent Meng Tian to build the Great Wall in the north to defend against the Xiongnu, pushing the Xiongnu back over 700 miles, leaving them too terrified to raid and the border people to lay down their arms.
However, Qin Shi Huang abolished the old laws, burned books and misled the people, demolished famous cities, killed heroes, seized all weapons and brought them to Xianyang, melted down swords and spears to cast twelve bronze statues to weaken the populace. Then, he used the Wei River and Xianyang's strategic location to build tall city walls and dig deep moats. The high walls and deep river provided formidable defenses. He arranged well-trained troops and powerful crossbows at important passes, deployed loyal officials and elite soldiers, and inspected everyone passing through. After pacifying the realm, Qin Shi Huang believed that Guanzhong's strategic location and the thousand-mile-long Great Wall convinced him his dynasty would last forever.
After the death of Qin Shi Huang, his shadow still loomed large, intimidating people in remote areas. However, Chen Sheng, who came from humble origins and eked out a living as a humble peasant, drifting from place to place, lacked the virtue of a Confucius or Mozi, or the wealth of a Tao Zhu Gong or Yi Dun. Originally just an ordinary soldier with a lowly status among several hundred, he led a group of disbanded soldiers—only a few hundred in number—to launch a rebellion against the Qin Dynasty. Their weapons were makeshift—tree branches fashioned into spears and bamboo poles into banners. People flocked to his banner, bringing supplies, and heroes from Shandong also rose up, ultimately leading to the downfall of the Qin Dynasty.
After all, the world is not made up of weak small countries! The territory of Yongzhou and the formidable Xiaohanguan Pass have always been like that. Chen Sheng's status was not as noble as the princes of Qi, Chu, Yan, Zhao, Han, Wei, Song, Wei, and Zhongshan; the farming tools and thorn-made weapons in his hands were not as sharp as the spears and halberds; the soldiers he brought were not as elite as the forces of the Nine Kingdoms coalition; not to mention that Chen Sheng's strategic planning, marching, and fighting skills were not on par with those of experienced military strategists. Yet, the outcome was astonishingly different!
Imagine, if the six Shandong states were to compare their strengths with Chen Sheng, there's no comparison! However, the state of Qin, with its small territory, holds supreme power, suppressing the eight states and making the lords come to pay homage, and this has continued for over a hundred years! In the end, Qin treated the entire world as its own home and the Hangu Pass as its palace. But what followed was that, just because Chen Sheng rebelled, seven ancestral temples of Qin were destroyed, and Chen Sheng himself died at the hands of others, becoming a joke. Why is that? It's because the Qin Dynasty didn't show any mercy, shifting the balance of power!
Confucius was born in a small village in Changping Township, Lu State. His ancestors were from Song State, named Kong Fangshu. Kong Fangshu had a son named Bo Xia, who had a son named Shu Lianghe. Shu Lianghe had an informal relationship with a woman of the Yan family, and they had Confucius. Confucius was born in the 22nd year of Duke Xiang of Lu. He was born with a dent in his head, so he was called Qiu. His courtesy name was Zhongni, and his surname was Kong.
Shortly after Confucius was born, Shu Lianghe passed away and was buried on Fangshan. Fangshan was in the eastern part of Lu State, and Confucius once doubted the location of his father's grave, but his mother concealed the truth. When Confucius was a child, he often played with sacrificial tools and imitated ritual ceremonies. After his mother passed away, she was buried at Wufu Crossroads, reflecting his careful attention to tradition. Confucius's grandmother was buried in Zouyi, and later, she and Confucius's mother were reburied together at Fangshan.
When Confucius was in mourning attire, the Ji clan invited scholars to a banquet, and Confucius went along. Yang Hu scoffed, "The Ji clan is inviting scholars, not you!" Confucius promptly withdrew.
When Confucius was seventeen years old, a high-ranking official of Lu, Meng Li Zi, fell seriously ill and was on the verge of death. He instructed his heir Yi Zi, saying: "Kong Qiu comes from a family of sages, although the family line was broken in Song. His ancestors served Dai Gong, Wu Gong, and Xuan Gong, being appointed three times and growing increasingly respectful and cautious. Therefore, the inscription on the tripod reads: 'My first appointment? Bent over double. Second appointment? My back was killing me. Third time? I practically crawled along the walls, too scared to even breathe wrong. Just porridge to keep alive.' He was so respectful and cautious. I have heard that descendants of sages, even if they do not achieve prominence in their time, will surely produce outstanding talents. Now, Kong Qiu, at such a young age, already loves rituals. Could he be that outstanding person? After I'm gone, make sure you study under him." After Meng Li Zi's death, Yi Zi, along with Nan Gong Jing Shu, another man from Lu, went to learn rituals from Confucius. That year, Ji Wu Zi passed away, and Ping Zi succeeded to the position.
Confucius's early life was one of poverty and hardship. As he grew older, he served as a historiographer in the Ji family, in charge of weights and measures; he also held administrative positions and improved the government's livestock, which led to his appointment as Minister of Works. He left Lu, only to face ostracism in Qi, expulsion from Song and Wei, and a desperate flight through Chen and Cai before finally returning home. Confucius was nine feet six inches tall—a giant, even by today's standards! He only returned to Lu once they treated him right.
Nangong Jingshu told the Duke of Lu, "I want to take Confucius to visit the Zhou Dynasty." The Duke of Lu sent him to the Zhou Dynasty with a carriage, two horses, and a servant to study ritual. They met Laozi. As they left, Laozi said, "I have heard that wealthy people give material gifts, while kind-hearted people give words. I may not be rich, but I’m known for my kindness. I will give you a few words: 'Smart people who gossip end up killing themselves; learned people who tattle on others bring themselves down; a son should be humble; a subject should be humble, too.'" Confucius returned to Lu from the Zhou Dynasty, and his students made great strides.
At that time, Duke Ping of Jin was a hedonist, and his six ministers ran the show, constantly attacking other states; King Ling of Chu had a powerful army and bullied the Central Plains states; Qi was powerful and close to Lu. Lu was weak, so relying on Jin invited attack from Chu; relying on Chu angered Jin; and neglecting Qi meant invasion.
In the twentieth year of Duke Zhao's reign, Confucius was about thirty. When Duke Jing of Qi and Yan Ying visited Lu, the Duke asked Confucius, "How did Duke Mu of Qin, ruler of such a small, backwater state, become so powerful?" Confucius replied, "Qin might have been small and remote, but its ambition was huge, and its conduct was impeccable. Duke Mu personally welcomed a man who'd given him five rams, made him a nobleman, pulled him out of jail, spent three days talking with him, and then put him in charge. That's how you become a king, let alone a hegemon!" Duke Jing of Qi was very pleased.
When Confucius was thirty-five years old, Ji Pingzi and Cao Zhaobo upset Duke Zhao of Lu over a cockfight. Duke Zhao led an attack against Ji Pingzi, who then allied with the Meng and Shusun families to retaliate against Duke Zhao. The Duke was defeated and sought refuge in the state of Qi, where he was made the Marquis of Qian. Not long after, Lu descended into chaos. Confucius moved to Qi and became a retainer of Duke Zhao, hoping to gain the favor of Duke Jing of Qi. He discussed music with Qi's master of music, immersed himself in Shao music, and spent three months mastering it, even forgoing meat. His dedication won him admiration from the people of Qi.
Duke Jing asked Confucius for advice on ruling a country. Confucius replied, "Rulers should rule, ministers should minister, fathers should father, and sons should son." Duke Jing responded, "Quite right! If rulers don't act like rulers, ministers don't act like ministers, fathers don't act like fathers, and sons don't act like sons, even with an abundance of food, I wouldn't be able to stomach it."
A few days later, Duke Jing once again sought Confucius' counsel on governance. Confucius advised, "The key lies in frugality." Duke Jing contemplated granting Confucius lands in Nixi. At this point, Yan Ying interjected, "Those learned men, all smooth words and no substance, are too arrogant to serve under anyone. They advocate for elaborate funeral rites that impoverish families – hardly a virtuous practice. They're always seeking funds and loans, which doesn't benefit the state in any way. Ever since the great sages passed away, the Zhou dynasty has been in decline and the ritual music system has suffered. Now, Confucius, with his meticulous attire and complex rituals that take a lifetime to master and a year to comprehend, wants to change the customs of Qi. To employ him to reform Qi's customs would hardly be prioritizing the welfare of the common people." Later, Duke Jing met Confucius with respect, but did not inquire further about ritual matters.
One day, Duke Jing kept Confucius and said, "I cannot treat you as well as the Ji family's retainers." So he treated Confucius with the etiquette between the Ji family and the Meng family. Some powerful folks in Qi were gunning for Confucius, and he knew about it. Duke Jing said, "I am old and helpless." So Confucius left Qi and returned to Lu.
When Confucius was forty-two years old, Duke Zhao of Lu passed away at Qianhou, and Duke Ding succeeded to the throne. Duke Ding ruled for five years. In the summer, Ji Pingzi died, and Huan Zi succeeded to his title. When Ji Huanzi was digging a well, he found a pottery jar containing something that looked like a sheep. He asked Confucius what it was, and he said it was a "dog." Confucius replied, "To my mind, that's a sheep. I've heard there are all sorts of strange beasties—Kui and Wang Lang in the rocks and trees, dragons and whatnot in the water, and 'tomb sheep' in the earth."
Wu defeated Yue, broke through Mount Kuaiji, and obtained a huge bone that could fill a cart. Wu sent an envoy to ask Confucius, "Which part of this bone is the biggest?" Confucius said, "Yu the Great once summoned the gods at Mount Kuaiji, and only Fengfeng Shi arrived late. Yu had him bumped off for being late, and this bone belongs to him, so this is the largest." The Wu envoy asked again, "Who can be considered a god?" Confucius said, "Mountain and river gods, they're the big shots. Anyone guarding those places is considered a god. The officials who sacrifice to the ancestral temple and the nobles all belong to the Son of Heaven." The envoy asked, "What place does Fengfeng Shi guard?" Confucius replied, "The Wangwang clan—later the Changzhi—guard Mount Fengyu. They're the Li clan, and nowadays, people just call 'em the big wigs." The envoy then asked, "How tall is the average person?" Confucius said, "The shortest folks, the Jiaojiao people, were only three feet tall. Ten feet was about as tall as anyone ever got." The envoy from Wu exclaimed, "Man, that guy's a genius!"
Duke Huan had a favored minister named Zhong Lianghuai, who was at odds with Yang Hu. Yang Hu wanted to drive Zhong Lianghuai away, but Gong Shan Nu thwarted him. That autumn, Zhong Lianghuai became even more arrogant, so Yang Hu arrested him. Duke Huan was very angry, and Yang Hu took advantage of the situation to also imprison Duke Huan. After coming to an agreement with Duke Huan, Yang Hu released him. After this incident, Yang Hu looked down on the Ji family even more. The Ji family usurped the authority of the ruling house, and the power of the state fell into the hands of their retainers, so Lu's government, from top to bottom, was riddled with wrongdoing. Therefore, Confucius did not take office and retired at home, devoting himself to the study of poetry, classics, ritual, and music. His students increased, and students flocked to him from far and wide, as everyone was captivated by his learning.
In the eighth year of Duke Ding of Lu, Gong Shan Nu was in conflict with the Ji family and used Yang Hu to rebel, intending to oust the rightful heirs of the three Huan families and establish the illegitimate sons supported by Yang Hu. They captured Ji Huanzi. Ji Huanzi outwitted them and escaped. In the ninth year of Duke Ding of Lu, Yang Hu failed and fled to the state of Qi. At that time, Confucius was fifty years old.
Gong Shan Nu rebelled in Fei and resisted the Ji family, inviting Confucius. Confucius had long been committed to righteous conduct, always mild-mannered, never given a chance to prove himself, and no one valued him. He said, "King Wen of Zhou and King Wu of Zhou built their kingdom from Feng and Hao. Although Fei is small now, it may also achieve something!" He wanted to go to Fei. Zilu disagreed and stopped Confucius. Confucius said, "Those who invited me must not be speaking casually, right? If they use me, wouldn't that mean dominating the Eastern Zhou?" But in the end, Confucius did not go.
Later, Duke Ding of Lu appointed Confucius as the Chief Administrator of Zhongdu, and a year later, other states began to emulate Lu's example. Afterwards, Confucius was then promoted to Minister of Works, and subsequently to Grand Minister of Justice.
In the tenth year of Duke Ding of Lu, in the spring, Lu and Qi made peace. In the summer, the Qi state minister Li Chu said to Duke Jing of Qi, "Lu is really leaning on Confucius; this is bad news for Qi!" So Duke Jing of Qi sent envoys to Lu to set up a meeting, with the location set at Jiagu. Duke Ding of Lu personally went there. Confucius was in charge of handling political affairs at the time, and he said, "I've always heard that you gotta be ready for a fight when you're making peace, and vice-versa. In ancient times, when princes went abroad, they had to bring relevant officials with them. Please let me bring my top military guys with me." Duke Ding of Lu agreed and brought his military commanders with him.
When they met Duke Jing of Qi at Jiagu, both sides went through the alliance ceremony, setting up an altar with three levels of soil steps, and they politely climbed the altar. After the wine and toasts, officials from Qi ran over and said, "Please play music!" Duke Jing of Qi said, "Okay." Suddenly, a whole load of banners, weapons, and instruments blared to life. Confucius hurried over, climbed onto the altar, and before he even finished climbing the first step, he loudly said, "This is a friendly meeting between our two lords; what's with all this wild music? Please order the musicians to leave!" The musicians wouldn't budge, so someone told Yanzi and Duke Jing. Duke Jing of Qi got nervous, waved his hand, and drove the musicians away.
After a while, officials from the State of Qi dashed over and said, "Please perform the court music." Duke Jing of Qi agreed. Then, actors and clowns came out to perform. Confucius quickly ran over, climbed onto the altar, and before he had even finished climbing one step, he said, "A commoner actually wants to deceive the princes; he deserves to die! Please order the musicians to be punished!" The officials of Qi punished those people according to the law, binding them limb from limb. Duke Jing of Qi was afraid, realizing his own wrongdoing. When he returned to his country, he was very fearful and said to his ministers, "The State of Lu assists their ruler with the methods of a nobleman, while you are teaching me with uncivilized methods, causing me to make mistakes in front of the ruler of Lu. What should I do?" One minister replied, "A nobleman apologizes sincerely when he makes a mistake, while a petty person looks for excuses and shifts blame. If the king truly repents, he should apologize sincerely." So Duke Jing of Qi returned the lands of *Yun*, *Wenyang*, and *Guiyin* that were previously occupied from the State of Lu, as a gesture of apology.
In the summer of 497 BC, Confucius told Duke Ding, "I, as an official, do not hide weapons, and all the ministers should not build such high walls anymore." He then sent Zhong You to serve as a retainer of the Ji clan, preparing to dismantle the three cities of the Ji clan. As a result, the city of *郈* was the first to be dismantled by the Shusun clan.
When the Ji clan was about to dismantle the city of Fei, Gongshan Buni and Shusun Ze led the people and horses of Fei to attack the State of Lu. Duke Ding of Lu and three chief ministers (from the Ji clan, Meng clan, and Shusun clan) together took refuge in the palace of the Ji clan and climbed up the Wuzi Terrace. The attackers from Fei pressed their assault on the palace, even reaching Duke Ding himself. Confucius ordered Shen Ju Xu and Yue Qi to counterattack with troops, and the people of Fei were defeated. The people of Lu pursued and defeated them in Gumei. Gongshan Buni and Shusun Ze fled to the State of Qi, and Fei was then dismantled.
Next, we have to dismantle Cheng. Gong Liǎn Chùfù, a member of the Meng Sun clan, said to the Meng Sun clan, "If Cheng is dismantled, the people of Qi will definitely attack the northern gate of Lu. Furthermore, Cheng is the barrier of the Meng family. Without Cheng, there would be no Meng family. So I do not agree with dismantling Cheng." Despite the objections, by December, even though Duke Ding of Lu had surrounded Cheng, he still could not capture it. In 496 BC, at the age of 56, Confucius served as the Minister of Justice and acted as the Prime Minister. His students said, "They say a gentleman doesn't let setbacks get him down, nor does he get carried away by good fortune." Confucius replied, "Is that so? Is it not said that 'happiness lies in using one's noble status to help the lower-class people'?" Therefore, Confucius had the officials involved in political unrest executed. During Confucius' three months in office, meat sellers stopped manipulating prices. Men and women kept to separate sides of the road. There were no incidents of lost items being picked up on the road. When guests from other places arrived in Lu, they were met with hospitality and escorted back to their lodgings.
Word reached the people of Qi, who panicked, saying, "If Confucius gets into power, he'll totally run the show. Once he does, we in Qi will be the first to suffer! Better to just hand over the land and keep the peace!" Li Ju suggested, "Let's see if we can scare him off first; if not, we can always give him the land later." So Qi sent over eighty gorgeous dancers in their finest silks, along with thirty fancy chariots, as a gift for the Duke of Lu. They parked the whole show—girls and chariots—in a field outside the south gate of Lu. Duke Huan kept sneaking peeks and nearly took the bait. Someone suggested the Duke of Lu take a 'day trip' to Zhou, conveniently delaying state business for the whole day. Zi Lu said, "Teacher, we can leave now." Confucius replied, "Lu's about to have their big autumn sacrifice. If they give the nobles their share of the meat, I can stick around a bit longer." So Huanzi took the bribe, skipped court for three days, and forgot all about the nobles' share of the sacrificial meat. Confucius hightailed it out of Lu and spent the night in Tun. His student Shi Ji walked him part of the way, saying, "Master, you're not leaving because you did something wrong, are you?" Confucius replied, "'Mind if I sing you a little something?' he asked, then sang: 'Those women's mouths—they'll make a man run. Their visits—they'll ruin a good name. Ah, well, another year gone by!'" Back with Huanzi, Shi Ji reported the whole thing. Huanzi sighed, "So that's it, then. The Master blamed me for those girls!"
Confucius went to the state of Wei and stayed at the home of Yan Zhuo Zou, Zilu's brother-in-law. Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius, "How much salary do you receive in the state of Lu?" Confucius replied, "A hefty salary of sixty thousand bushels of grain." The people of Wei also gave him sixty thousand bushels of grain. Not long after, someone slandered Confucius in front of Duke Ling of Wei. Duke Ling then sent Gong Sun Yu to harass Confucius. Confucius was afraid of facing repercussions, so he left the state of Wei after staying there for ten months.
Confucius was on his way to the state of Chen and passed through Kuangdi. Yan Hui was mistaken for a runaway slave and seized, pointing to a gap in the city wall and saying, "I entered the city through that gap before." They mistook him for Yang Hu, who had previously oppressed the people of Kuangdi, so they detained Confucius. Confucius, who resembled Yang Hu, was held for five days. Later, Yan Hui found Confucius, who said, "I thought you were doomed!" Yan Hui replied, "Master, as long as you are here, how could I dare to die!" The people of Kuangdi watched Confucius more closely, and his disciples were very afraid. Confucius said, "Did the death of King Wen mean the end of culture? If Heaven wanted to wipe out culture, wouldn't future generations be left with nothing? Since Heaven hasn't done that, what can these people in Kuang do to me?" Confucius sent a retainer to serve Lord Ning Wu of Wei.
After leaving Kuang, Confucius arrived in Pu. A month later, he returned to the state of Wei and stayed at the home of his friend, Yu Boyu. Lady Nanzi, the wife of Duke Ling of Wei, sent someone to tell Confucius, "Any gentleman of virtue in the world who wants to become brothers with our ruler must first greet my wife. She wishes to see you." Confucius declined, but eventually went. Lady Nanzi was behind the curtain. When Confucius entered, he faced north and bowed. Lady Nanzi returned two bows from behind the curtain, the tinkling of her jade pendants was lovely. Confucius said, "I didn't want to meet her, but now that I have, I had to return the bow." Zilu was very unhappy. Confucius swore, "Heaven help me if I don't!" After staying in Wei for over a month, Duke Ling and Lady Nanzi rode in a carriage together, with the eunuch Yong Qu as the driver. When they left, they had Confucius ride shotgun and flaunted it. Confucius said, "Never seen anyone so obsessed with looks over character!" So Confucius expressed his displeasure with Duke Ling's behavior, left Wei, and went to the state of Cao. That year, Duke Ding of Lu passed away.
Before leaving Cao for Song, Confucius and his disciples studied etiquette under a tree. The powerful official Huan Tui of Song wanted to kill Confucius, so he sent someone to cut down the large tree. Confucius quickly left. His disciples said, "We gotta get outta here!" Confucius said, "Heaven's got my back; Huan Tui can't touch me!"
Confucius arrived in Zheng and got separated from his disciples. He stood alone at the eastern gate outside the city wall. Someone in Zheng said to Zigong, "There is an old man outside the east gate, his forehead is like Yao's, his neck is like Gao Tao's, his shoulders are like Zichan's, but he is three inches shorter than Yu from the waist down. He looks like a stray." Zigong told Confucius about this. Confucius smiled and said, "So what if I look like a stray? Guess that's what I am, then! Guess that's what I am!"
Confucius arrived in the state of Chen and stayed at the home of Zhen, the city administrator. After staying for almost a year, King Fuchai of Wu attacked the state of Chen, occupied three cities before withdrawing. At the same time, Zhao Yang attacked Chaoge, Chu surrounded the state of Cai, and Cai was forced to move its capital to Wu. Wu also defeated King Goujian of Yue, with the battle taking place in Kuaiji.
In the court of Chen, a dead falcon was found on the ground, an arrow—wooden shaft, stone head, just over a foot long—embedded in its body. Duke Min of Chen sent someone to ask Confucius about the situation. Confucius said, "This falcon has traveled a long way, and this is an arrow from the State of Sushen. After King Wu defeated the Shang Dynasty, he opened up the road to the various tribes and peoples, allowing them to each offer their local specialties as tribute, reminding them not to forget their duties. So the State of Sushen offered this wooden shaft stone arrow, over a foot long, as tribute. The former king wanted to show his grace, so he gave this Sushen arrow to Daji to marry Duke Hu of Yu, and they were enfeoffed in the state of Chen. Close relatives received precious jade; others, tributes from distant lands, a reminder of their obligations. Therefore, the State of Chen received this Sushen arrow for a reason." Later, the arrow's record was found in the old treasury of Chen.
Confucius stayed in the state of Chen for three years, during which time the states of Jin and Chu were vying for dominance and taking turns attacking Chen. In addition, Wu also invaded, causing Chen to be constantly embroiled in war. Confucius sighed, "Time to go. My students are too reckless, focused on the immediate and ignoring the long view," and left Chen.
Passing by Pudi, Confucius happened upon a rebellion led by Gongshu Shi. The people of Pudi confronted Confucius. Confucius had a student named Gong Liangru, who followed him with his five-chariot retinue. Gong Liangru was an outstanding and courageous young man. He said, "I previously faced danger with my teacher in Kuang, and now I face danger here. Guess it's fate! If my teacher and I face danger again, I'd rather die fighting!" He immediately rushed forward and fought fiercely with the people of Pudi. The people of Pudi got scared and said to Confucius, "Just don't go to Wei, and we'll let you go." They struck a deal and sent Confucius out of the east gate. Confucius then went to Wei. Zilu asked Confucius, "Can you break a deal like that?" Confucius said, "It was a deal made in a desperate situation; even the gods wouldn't hold it against us."
Duke Ling of Wei was so happy to hear Confucius had arrived that he personally went to the outskirts to meet him. Duke Ling of Wei asked Confucius, "Is Pudi worth attacking?" Confucius replied, "It can be." Duke Ling of Wei said, "My advisors all say it can't be done. Pudi's a buffer zone against Jin and Chu. Attacking Pudi wouldn't be a good idea, would it?" Confucius said, "The men of Pudi are all ready to die for it, and the women will defend the Western River to the death. If I attacked, it'd be over in a flash." Duke Ling of Wei said, "Alright!" However, in the end, Pudi was not attacked.
Duke Ling of Lu was old and didn't care about governing, so he ignored Confucius. Confucius sighed and said, "If someone gave me a chance, I could show results in a month, and make a real difference in three years." After saying this, Confucius left the State of Lu.
Fuyǔ became the Zhongmou county magistrate. Later, Zhao Jianzi attacked the Fan and Zhongxing clans, taking Zhongmou in his stride. Fuyǔ defected and sent for Confucius. Confucius was inclined to go. Zi Lu said, "Master, I remember you saying, 'A gentleman doesn't consort with wrongdoers.' Now Fuyǔ has led a rebellion in Zhongmou. How can you do that, Master?" Confucius responded, "That's true. But as the saying goes, 'A strong thing can't be broken; a pure thing can't be stained.' I'm not a helpless gourd to be tied up and eaten, am I?"
Confucius was playing his qin at home. At this time, a man carrying a burden passed by the door and said, "Man, you're really focused on your qin! But you're playing so earnestly, yet no one understands you!"
Confucius learned to play the qin from Master Xiangzi, but made no progress for ten days. Master Xiangzi said, "You can continue to study." Confucius admitted, "I've got the melody down, but the rhythm eludes me." After a while, he said, "The rhythm's there, but I haven't grasped the feeling yet." Later, he confessed, "I've got the mood of the piece, but I haven't understood the creator behind it yet." After a contemplative pause, Confucius's eyes became deep, his aspirations lofty. He said, "I understand the creator of this piece, he's dark-skinned and lean, with eyes that seem to watch over a flock, yet command armies. If it's not King Wen of Zhou, who else could create such music!" Master Xiangzi quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "Master, you're right, it was composed by King Wen of Zhou."
Things weren't going well for Confucius in Wei, and he planned to go to the State of Zhao to see Zhao Jianzi. When he reached the banks of the Yellow River, he heard that Dou Mingdu and Shunhua had died. He stood by the river and sighed, "Look at this magnificent river, ever flowing! I can't cross it—guess it just wasn't meant to be!" Zigong quickly approached and asked, "Master, what do you mean?"
Confucius said, "Dou Mingdu and Shun Hua are top-notch officials of the state of Jin. Before Zhao Jianzi got rich and powerful, he needed their assistance to govern the country; once he got rich and powerful, he killed them and began to rule directly. They say if you gut a pregnant woman to kill the unborn child, the qilin will not come for sacrifice; if the water in the pond is drained and all the fish are caught, the jiaolong will not appear; if the bird's nest is destroyed and the bird eggs are smashed, the phoenix will not come. Why is that? Because even good guys don't mess with their own people! Even birds and beasts know to avoid unjust people, let alone me!" So Confucius went back home to Zou and wrote the "Zou Cao" to mourn them. He then returned to the state of Wei and stayed at the home of Qubo Yu.
One day, the Duke of Wei asked Confucius about military strategy. Confucius said, "I know about sacrifices, but I ain't no military expert." The next day, the Duke was chatting with Confucius, but when he saw some geese fly over, he just looked up at them and completely ignored Confucius. So Confucius left the state of Wei and went to the state of Chen again.
That summer, Duke Ling of Wei passed away, and his grandson Zhe succeeded him, becoming Duke Chu of Wei. In June, Zhao Yang locked up Prince Kuai Kui in Qi. Yang Hu sent some of the prince's guys, plus eight guys in mourning clothes pretending to be from Wei, to sob their way into getting him back. In winter, the state of Cai moved its capital to Zhou. It was the third year of Duke Ai's reign in Lu, and Confucius was sixty. The state of Qi helped Wei attack the Qi region because the crown prince of Wei was imprisoned there.
In summer, a fire broke out at the Huanli Temple in the state of Lu, and Nangong Jingshu went to put out the fire. When Confucius heard this news in the state of Chen, he said, "Something bad must've happened at the Huanli Temple, huh?" Later, it turned out to be true.
In the autumn, Jihuanzi fell ill and asked to be carried to the city wall of the State of Lu in a litter. He sighed and said, "This country was almost flourishing in the past, but unfortunately I offended Confucius, so it did not prosper." He then turned to his successor Kangzi and said, "After I die, you must assist the State of Lu; when assisting the State of Lu, you must summon Confucius." A few days later, Jihuanzi died, and Kangzi succeeded him. After Jihuanzi was buried, Kangzi wanted to summon Confucius. Yushi, a retainer of the prince, said, "Our late lord previously employed him for a short time, and as a result, he was ridiculed by other states. Now, if we employ him again, it will not last long, and we will be ridiculed by other states again, right?" Kangzi asked, "Then who should we summon?" Yushi said, "You must summon Ran Qiu." So they sent someone to summon Ran Qiu. When Ran Qiu was about to leave, Confucius said, "The people of Lu are summoning Ran Qiu not to use him for a minor role, but for a major role!" That day, Confucius said, "Go home, go home! My students are wild and rebellious, yet also brilliant; I really don't know how to discipline them." Zigang knew that Confucius wanted to go home, so he sent Ran Qiu and told him, "If they use you, recommend Confucius." After Ran Qiu left, the following year, Confucius left the State of Chen and moved to the State of Cai. Duke Zhao of Cai planned to go to the State of Wu, and Wu sent someone to invite him. Previously, Duke Zhao had deceived his ministers by relocating them, and now, fearing he would relocate the capital again, the officials were afraid, so Gong Sun Pian shot and killed Duke Zhao. Chu invaded the State of Cai. In the autumn, Duke Jing of Qi died. The following year, Confucius moved from the State of Cai to the State of Ye. Duke Ye asked Confucius for advice on governing, and Confucius said, "The way to govern is to attract people from afar and appease those nearby." A few days later, Duke Ye asked Zilu about Confucius, but Zilu did not respond. When Confucius found out, he said, "You, why did you not answer him by saying, 'He is tireless in learning and teaching, so engrossed that he forgets to eat or worry, and he doesn't even notice he's getting old'?"
Leaving Ye and returning to Cai, Chang Ju and Jie Ni were plowing their fields. Confucius considered them hermits, so he sent Zi Lu to ask them where the ferry was. Chang Ju asked, "Who is the person driving the carriage?" Zi Lu replied, "It's Kong Qiu." Chang Ju then asked, "Is it Kong Qiu from the state of Lu?" Zi Lu said, "Yes." Chang Ju remarked, "He knows where the ferry is." Jie Ni asked Zi Lu, "Who are you?" Zi Lu responded, "I am Zhong You." Jie Ni inquired again, "Are you a student of Kong Qiu?" Zi Lu affirmed, "Yes." Jie Ni commented, "The world is full of a mess of people; who can change this situation? Moreover, instead of following those who avoid the big shots, it is better to follow those who stay away from the rat race!" After speaking, he continued farming without stopping. Zi Lu relayed these words to Confucius, who observed thoughtfully, "You can't mix oil and water. Even in times of peace, I will not easily change my thoughts."
One day, Zi Lu was walking along the road when he met an old farmer carrying a burden. The old farmer asked him, "Have you seen Confucius?" He continued, "He's out of touch with reality; what kind of person is that Confucius!" After speaking, the old farmer plunged his carrying pole into the ground and started hoeing. Zi Lu reported this to Confucius, who said, "That is a hermit." But when Zi Lu returned, the old farmer was gone.
After three years—Confucius having spent three years in Cai—Wu attacked Chen, prompting Chu to intervene. Chu's army was stationed at Chengfu. Hearing Confucius was in the Chen-Cai region, Chu sent an envoy. Confucius was preparing to meet the envoy from Chu, but the Chen and Cai officials plotted, saying, "Confucius is a wise man; his criticisms cut to the quick. His prolonged stay in the region had exposed him to their corrupt practices. Now that Chu, a powerful state, is inviting Confucius, if he goes there, we, the officials of Chen and Cai, will be in danger!" So they mobilized a work gang to besiege him in the wilds, cutting off his supplies. His followers fell ill and were too weak to move. But Confucius still persisted in teaching, singing, and playing music without stopping. Zilu was very angry and said to Confucius, "Can a guy like him end up like this?" Confucius replied, "A real gentleman stays true even when broke, but a lowlife’s more likely to turn bad." Zigong's face changed. Confucius asked him, "Zigong, you think I'm pretty smart, right?" Zigong said, "Yeah, absolutely." Confucius said, "No. It all boils down to one thing." Confucius knew that his disciples were resentful, so he called Zilu and asked him, "'The Odes say, 'No tiger, no beast, just wandering the plains.' Am I doing something wrong? Why's this happening to me?" Zilu said, "Is it because I'm not compassionate enough, so people don't trust me? Or not smart enough, so they ignore my ideas?" Confucius said, "It is possible! Zilu, if being nice guaranteed trust, what about Boyi and Shuqi? If being smart guaranteed success, what about Prince Bigan?"
After Zilu left, Zigong entered. Confucius asked him, "Zigong, in the Book of Songs it says, 'Not fierce beasts, not tigers, just walking in the open fields.' Is my path wrong? Why am I in this situation?" Zigong replied, "Teacher, your path is too noble, so no one in the world can accept you. Shouldn't you lower your standards a bit?" Confucius said, "Zigong, a good farmer can cultivate, but may not necessarily be able to harvest; a good craftsman can make things skillfully, but may not necessarily make them usable. A nobleman can cultivate his virtues, leading and guiding like a model, yet may not be accepted by the world. If you do not cultivate your virtues now and think about being accepted by the world, Zigong, your aspirations are not great!"
After Zigong left, Yan Hui entered. Confucius sighed and said, "Hui, in the Book of Songs it says, 'Not fierce beasts, not tigers, just wandering in the open fields.' Is my path not correct? Why am I in this situation?" Yan Hui replied, "Master, your path is too grand, so no one in the world can accept it. However, even if you persist in following your path and are not accepted, what does it matter? Indeed, it is in not being accepted that the true nobleman is revealed! If the path is not repaired, it is my fault; if the path is already repaired but not adopted, it is the fault of those in power. What does it matter not being accepted? It is in not being accepted that the true nobleman is revealed!" Confucius laughed heartily and said, "What a great son of the Yan family! If I were rich, I'd put you in charge of my finances."
So Confucius sent Zigong to the state of Chu. King Zhao of Chu made a grand show of welcoming Confucius, thus saving him from danger. King Zhao intended to reward Confucius with a vast tract of land. However, the Prime Minister of Chu, Zixi, opposed this, saying, "Does the king have talents as outstanding as Zigong under his command?" King Zhao denied this each time. Zixi then asked, "Does the king have anyone as wise as Yan Hui?" King Zhao denied this again. "Does the king have anyone as brave as Zilu?" King Zhao denied this once more. "Does the king have anyone as capable as Zai Yu?" King Zhao again denied this. Zixi continued, "Besides, our Chu ancestors were only given a tiny fiefdom back in the Zhou dynasty. Now, if we take up Confucius' ideas and start promoting the ways of the past, if the king follows his advice, how can we expect to keep this huge kingdom for generations? Look at King Wen and King Wu – they started with practically nothing and ended up ruling the whole country! If Confucius gets this land and all his brilliant students to help him, it'll be bad news for Chu!" Upon hearing Zixi's words, King Zhao ultimately abandoned the idea of rewarding Confucius. That autumn, King Zhao of Chu died in Chengfu.
There was a madman from Chu named Jieyu, who passed by Confucius singing a song, "Phoenix, Phoenix, why has your virtue declined? What's done is done, but we can still shape the future! Woe is us, those in power today are in trouble!" Confucius wanted to talk to him, but Jieyu ran away quickly, and Confucius did not have the chance to speak to him.
So Confucius left Chu and returned to the state of Wei. That year, Confucius was sixty-three years old, in the sixth year of Duke Ai of Lu.
The following year, Wu and Lu met at Zengdi to make peace, with Lu offering a tribute of one hundred livestock. The Chief Minister of Wu summoned Jikangzi of Lu, who sent Zigong to resolve the matter.
Confucius said, "The politics of the states of Lu and Wei are like brothers." At that time, the ruler of Wei, Wei Jun Zhe Fu, failed to become the ruler and was exiled. Other neighboring states often used this as an excuse to criticize Wei. Many of Confucius's students held positions in Wei, and the ruler of Wei wanted to invite Confucius to govern. Zi Lu asked Confucius, "If the ruler of Wei invites you to govern, what do you plan to do first?" Confucius said, "We must first 'set things right'!" Zi Lu said, "Oh, teacher, you are so old-fashioned! What exactly is this 'setting things right'?" Confucius replied, "My dear fellow, you haven't grasped the point! If names aren't right, words won't be right; if words aren't right, actions won't be right; if actions aren't right, rituals and music won't flourish; if rituals and music don't flourish, punishments won't be just; and if punishments aren't just, the people won't know how to live. A gentleman must have a proper name for everything he does, and his words must be matched by deeds. A gentleman does not do things half-heartedly."
The following year, Ran You led the troops as the general of the Ji clan to fight against the state of Qi in Langdi and won a decisive victory. Ji Kang Zi asked Ran You, "Were you naturally gifted in military strategy, or did you learn it?" Ran You replied, "I learned it from Confucius." Ji Kang Zi then asked, "What kind of person is Confucius?" Ran You replied, "Following his guidance, everything is done properly; spreading his teachings to the people, even the gods would approve. To reach his level, even if it requires exhausting the resources of countless villages, Master will not profit from it." Ji Kang Zi said, "I want to invite him, is that possible?" Ran You said, "If you want to invite him, then don't use the underhanded tactics of small-minded people to force him; that will be enough." At that time, Confucius was consulted by Kong Wenzhi of Wei, who was planning to attack Taishu. Confucius politely declined, saying he didn't know, then packed his bags and left, remarking, "Birds can choose their trees, but can trees choose their birds?" Wenzhi had no choice but to give up. Later, Ji Kang Zi expelled Gong Hua, Gong Bin, and Gong Lin, and offered a generous sum to invite Confucius. Confucius then returned to the state of Lu.
Confucius left the state of Lu for a total of fourteen years before returning. Duke Ai of Lu asked him about the way to govern a country, and Confucius replied, "The key lies in picking the right people." Ji Kangzi also asked him about the way to govern a country, and Confucius said, "If you promote good people, the bad ones will straighten up." Ji Kangzi was plagued by thieves, and Confucius said, "If someone doesn't want to steal, no reward will tempt them." But Lu never gave Confucius another chance, and Confucius didn't chase after any more jobs.
Back in Confucius' day, the Zhou Dynasty was in decline, and rituals and music had fallen by the wayside, with poetry and books being incomplete. He traced the rituals and music systems of the Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties, collected and organized the classics, covering everything from Tang, Yao, Yu, and Shun right up to Duke Mu of Qin. He said, "I know about Xia rituals, but Qi isn't a good example; same with Yin rituals and Song. Only when the evidence is sufficient can I draw a conclusion." He observed the changes in the rituals and music systems of the Xia and Shang dynasties, saying, "Even centuries later, you can still figure things out from the records and artifacts. The Zhou picked up where the Xia and Shang left off, and boy, what a culture they built! I choose to follow the rituals and music system of the Zhou Dynasty." So, Confucius wrote the Book of Documents, the Spring and Autumn Annals, and the Record of Rites.
Confucius told Lu's Master of Music, "The rules of music can be mastered. At the beginning, the sound is harmonious, then gradually unfolds, becoming pure, bright, and smooth, eventually reaching a perfect state." "After returning from the State of Wei to the State of Lu, I organized the music, and the Ya and Song musical pieces were properly categorized." In ancient times, there were more than three thousand poems, but in Confucius's hands, he eliminated the redundant ones, retaining those that conformed to propriety and righteousness, starting from the times of Yao, Shun, Yu, and Hou Ji, describing the prosperity of the Yin and Zhou dynasties, and ending with the decline during the reigns of King You and King Li. Starting from daily life, he selected 'Guanju' to begin the Feng odes, 'Luming' for the Xiaoya, 'Wenwang' for the Daya, and 'Qingmiao' for the Song odes. Confucius personally played and sang the 305 poems, making sure they followed the rules of Shao, Wu, Ya, and Song music. From then on, ritual and music could now be properly taught and explained, used to perfect the royal path, eventually forming the Six Arts. In his later years, Confucius enjoyed studying the Book of Changes (Yi Jing), organizing sections such as "The Judgments," "The Trigrams," "The Images," "The Commentary on the Trigrams," and "The Textual Commentary." Reading the Book of Changes, he even wore out three leather thongs binding his books! He said, "If I had a few more years, I would be able to study the Book of Changes very thoroughly!" Confucius educated his students with poetry, books, rituals, and music. He had about three thousand students, but only seventy-two fully mastered the Six Arts. Students like Yan Hui, Zilu, and Ran Yong, as well as many others, learned a lot from him. His four teachings were literature, behavior, loyalty, and trustworthiness; he emphasized four things his students should avoid: no presumption, no insistence, no obstinacy, and no self-centeredness; he was particularly cautious about matters of unity, war, and illness. Confucius seldom discussed profit, fate, or benevolence. If students did not ask questions, he did not explain; if students only asked about one aspect and could not make connections, he would not continue the explanation.
In the village, he appeared humble and cautious, seeming almost taciturn; in the ancestral temple and court, he spoke clearly and with careful consideration. In the court, he spoke respectfully to superiors; with lower-ranking officials, his attitude was more kindly. When entering the government office, he always bowed and saluted; walking quickly, his movements were nimble and quick. When summoned by the monarch for guidance, he looked respectfully. When summoned by the monarch with orders, he'd leave immediately, without waiting for his carriage.
If the fish or meat was off or chopped up rough, he wouldn't eat; if the seating arrangement was untidy, he wouldn't sit; he never overate when someone nearby was in mourning. If there's a funeral today, don't sing. When seeing someone in mourning attire or a blind person, even if it's a child, one should show respect with a change of expression.
Confucius said: "Among any three people, there's always someone I can learn from." He also said: "If morality is not properly cultivated, if learning is not diligently pursued, if one hears of righteousness but fails to act on it, and if one sees what is wrong but fails to correct it, this is what worries me the most." If someone sings well, I'll have them sing again, and then I'll sing along.
Confucius did not discuss things like ghosts and spirits. Zigong said: "I can still listen to the teacher's teachings and writings, but when it comes to discussions of Heaven's will and the meaning of life, I completely do not understand." Yan Hui sighed and said, "The more I looked into it, the more profound it seemed; the more I studied it, the more challenging it became. It seems to be right in front of you, but in the blink of an eye, it's behind you. The teacher patiently guides me, teaching me with rich knowledge. He restrains me with rituals, making it hard for me to stop. My talents are fully stimulated by him, as if I have found the direction of life and suddenly stood up. Although I want to follow him, I don't know where to start." People in Daxiang said: "Confucius, remarkably knowledgeable and talented, but surprisingly unknown." When Confucius heard this, he said: "What *am* I good at? Driving? Archery? I'm just good at driving!" Lao said: "Didn't you say, 'No practice, no skill'?"
In the spring of Duke Ai's fourteenth year, Confucius went hunting in the wilderness. Chu Shang, Shusun's driver, caught a wild beast and thought it was an ominous sign. Confucius took a look and said, "It's a qilin!" He then took the qilin back and exclaimed, "The Yellow River's stopped giving up its secrets, the Luo River's gone dry; my era has come to an end!" When Yan Hui died, Confucius said, "Heaven's snatched Yan Hui away from me!" Later, during the Western Expedition, he saw the qilin again and said, "My path has come to an end!" He sighed and said, "No one understands me!" Zigong asked, "Why does no one understand you?" Confucius replied, "It's not the heavens' fault, nor anyone else's. I started from scratch and climbed high; only the heavens get me, I guess!"
"Don't lower your aspirations, don't tarnish your character, like Boyi and Shuqi!" Confucius remarked that Liu Xia Hui and Shao Lian lowered their aspirations and tarnished their character. Yu Zhong and Yi Yi secluded themselves, casually expressed opinions, and behaved nobly, but they gave up power. "As for me, I'm different from them; just let it be natural!"
Confucius sighed, "Man, a gentleman's biggest fear? Being forgotten after he's gone! If my path is not clear, how will I show my face in the future?" So he wrote the *Spring and Autumn Annals* based on historical records, starting from Duke Yin of Lu to the fourteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu, covering a total of twelve rulers of Lu. The book not only recorded the historical facts of Lu but also involved the deeds of the Zhou and Shang dynasties, spanning the history of the three generations of Xia, Shang, and Zhou. He kept it short and sweet, but packed a punch. For example, the rulers of Wu and Chu called themselves "kings," but the *Spring and Autumn Annals* referred to them as "sons"; the Jiantu Meeting was clearly a summons to the Zhou emperor, but the *Spring and Autumn Annals* referred to it as "the king hunting at Heyang." He used this method to regulate the social atmosphere of the time, and those derogatory records would serve as a lesson for future rulers to govern the world. Once people started living by the *Annals*, every crooked official would be quaking in their boots!
Confucius handled lawsuits during his lifetime, but his writing skills weren't unique; many others possessed them. However, when he wrote the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, it was different. He'd condense and craft the text with such effortless skill that even his most favored students, like Zixia, couldn't offer suggestions. When his disciples studied the *Spring and Autumn Annals*, Confucius said, "Those who get me will understand me through the *Spring and Autumn Annals*; those who don't will use it to criticize me."
The following year, Zilu died in the state of Wei. Confucius also fell ill, and Zigong went to visit him. Confucius was walking with a cane at the door, saying, "Gong, what took you so long?" Confucius sighed and sang, "Mount Tai's about to crumble! The main beam's about to snap! The wise man's about to wither away!" He then shed tears. He told Zigong, "Righteousness has been absent from the world for too long, and no one will carry on my work. The Xia people bury the dead on the east steps, the Zhou people on the west steps, and the Yin people between the two pillars. Last night, I dreamt that I was sitting between the two pillars receiving sacrifices; it seems that I originally belonged to the Yin people!" Seven days later, Confucius passed away.
Confucius died at the age of seventy-three, on the day of Ji Chou in the fourth month of the sixteenth year of Duke Ai of Lu.
Duke Ai wrote a eulogy for him, saying, "Heaven failed to protect this old man, leaving me utterly alone in my sorrow. Alas, alas! Father Ni, you lacked self-discipline!" Zigong said, "Your Majesty, isn't this eulogy going to ruin Confucius's reputation in Lu? The Master said, 'When ritual collapses, you get darkness; when titles are disgraced, you get trouble. Losing your purpose is darkness; losing your position is trouble.' Confucius was not able to receive proper recognition during his lifetime, and now after his death, using such a eulogy to mourn him goes against proper etiquette. And calling him 'just one person' is disrespectful."
After Confucius died, he was buried north of Lu city, by the Si River. His students mourned for him for three years. After the three-year mourning period ended, everyone said their goodbyes amid a torrent of tears. Each expressed their profound grief; some even stayed behind and refused to leave. Only Zigang stayed, building a small hut by Confucius's grave where he lived for six years. Later, Confucius's students and the people of Lu settled near the grave, eventually forming a village called "Kongli." Generations of Lu people kept up the tradition of worshipping at Confucius's tomb in spring and autumn. Scholars often lectured and performed the *xiangyinjiu* and *dashe* ceremonies there. The grave of Confucius was a huge expanse, about a hectare in size. Confucius's living quarters and his students' homes became temples, housing his robes, musical instruments, and writings. This continued for over two hundred years, until the Han dynasty. Even Liu Bang, the Han emperor Gaozu, sacrificed a bull to Confucius when passing through Lu! Visiting Lu officials always paid their respects at Confucius's tomb before attending to matters of state.
Confucius had a son named Kong Li, courtesy name Boyu. Boyu died before Confucius at the age of fifty. Boyu's son was named Kong Ji, courtesy name Zisi, who lived for sixty-two years. He once suffered greatly in the state of Song. Zisi wrote the book "The Doctrine of the Mean." Zisi's son was named Kong Bai, courtesy name Zishang, who lived for forty-seven years. Zishang had a son named Kong Qiu, courtesy name Zijia, who lived for forty-five years. Zijia had a son named Kong Ji, courtesy name Zijing, who lived for forty-six years. Zijing had a son named Kong Chuan, courtesy name Zigao, who lived for fifty-one years. Zigao had a son named Kong Shen, who lived for fifty-seven years and once served as the chief minister of the State of Wei. Kong Shen had a son named Kong Fu, who lived for fifty-seven years and served as an academic for King Chen Sheng, dying in the state of Chen. Kong Fu's son was named Kong Xiang, who lived for fifty-seven years. He once served as an academic for Emperor Xiaohui and later became the governor of Changsha, standing at nine feet six inches tall (approximately 2.9 meters). Kong Xiang had a son named Kong Zhong, who lived for fifty-seven years. Kong Zhong had a son named Kong Wu, who had sons named Kong Yannian and Kong Anguo. Kong Anguo served as an academic for Emperor Jing of Han, later becoming the magistrate of Linhuai, but passed away at a young age. Kong Anguo had a son named Kong Yang, who had a son named Kong Huan.
Sima Qian said, "In the Book of Songs, it is said: 'High mountains are to be admired, and noble paths are to be followed.' Although we cannot reach the level of Confucius, our hearts still long for him." After reading the books of Confucius, I can imagine what kind of person he was. When I visited the state of Lu, I visited Confucius' temple and saw his chariots and ceremonial vessels. I also observed Confucian scholars diligently studying ritual at the Kong family home. I really wanted to stay a few more days and was reluctant to leave! Although there are many kings and wise men in the world, they are honored during their lifetime, but once they pass away, they have nothing. Confucius was just a commoner, but his teachings have been passed down for over ten generations, and scholars all respect him. His influence, from emperor to commoner, remains unmatched, a testament to his enduring wisdom.
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