儒林列傳

The Grand Historian says: When I read the civil service regulations and come to the provisions for broadening and encouraging the path of academic offices, I have never failed to put down the text and sigh. Alas! When the Zhou court declined, the 'Guanju' ode was composed; when Kings You and Li grew weak, ritual and music collapsed, the feudal lords acted without restraint, and power rested with the strong states. Confucius grieved that the royal way had been abandoned and crooked paths were flourishing, so he edited the Odes and Documents and revived ritual and music. When he visited Qi and heard the Shao music, for three months he did not notice the taste of meat. Only after returning to Lu from Wei was the music set right, with the Ya and Song each in its proper place. Because the age was too muddled to employ him, Confucius called upon more than seventy rulers without finding acceptance, saying: 'If anyone were to employ me, within a year something could be achieved.' When the western hunt captured the unicorn, he said: 'My Way is at an end.' So he drew upon the historical records to compose the Spring and Autumn Annals, using it in place of royal law. Its language is subtle but its meaning far-reaching, and scholars of later ages have extensively studied it.

In the last years of the Qin dynasty, the Odes and Documents were burned and scholars were buried alive; from this point the Six Classics were damaged. When Chen She made himself king, the Confucian scholars of Lu took the ritual vessels of Confucius and went to submit to him. Kong Jia became Erudite to Chen She and ultimately perished alongside him. Chen She rose from the common people, rallied a ragtag force of conscripted laborers, became King of Chu within a month, and was destroyed in less than half a year — his enterprise was utterly petty and shallow. Yet why did the gentlemen scholars carry Confucius's ritual vessels and pledge their allegiance to him? Because Qin had destroyed their life's work, and their accumulated resentment erupted in devotion to Chen She.

Master Shen was a man of Lu. When Emperor Gaozu passed through Lu, Shen, then a disciple, followed his teacher to meet the emperor at the Southern Palace of Lu. During Empress Lü's time, Shen studied in Chang'an alongside Liu Ying. Later, when Liu Ying became King of Chu, he appointed Shen as tutor to his crown prince Wu. Wu had no interest in study and resented Shen. When King Ying died and Wu became King of Chu, he had Shen bound in servitude. Shen was humiliated; he returned to Lu, retired to teach at home, and never left his gate again for the rest of his life, refusing all visitors — only going when summoned by royal command. Over a hundred disciples came from distant regions to study under him. Shen taught solely from the Odes through oral instruction, without written commentary; where matters were uncertain, he left them blank rather than transmit doubtful material.

Dong Zhongshu was a man of Guangchuan. He specialized in the Spring and Autumn Annals and served as an Erudite under Emperor Jing. He lectured behind lowered curtains; his disciples passed down instruction according to seniority, and some never even saw his face. For three years Dong Zhongshu never once looked out at his house garden — such was his concentration. In movement, rest, and deportment, he did nothing that was not in accordance with ritual. All scholars revered him as their teacher. When the present emperor ascended the throne, Dong was appointed Chancellor of Jiangdu. Using the Spring and Autumn Annals' records of anomalies, he developed theories of how yin and yang interact, devising rain-making rituals — closing off yang influences and releasing yin to bring rain, and reversing the process to stop rain. Applied within a single kingdom, these methods never failed to produce the desired result. He was later demoted to Central Grand Master and, while in retirement, composed his Record of Calamities and Anomalies. At this time the High Temple in Liaodong caught fire. Zhufu Yan, who bore Dong a grudge, seized his text and presented it to the emperor. The emperor showed it to the assembled scholars — the text contained veiled criticisms. Dong Zhongshu's own disciple Lü Bushu, not recognizing his teacher's work, judged it to be utterly foolish. Dong was handed over to officials and sentenced to death, but was pardoned by imperial decree. From then on, Dong Zhongshu never dared discuss calamities and anomalies again.

Master Fu was a man of Jinan. He had formerly served as an Erudite under the Qin. During Emperor Wen's reign, the court wished to find someone who could teach the Documents, but no one in the realm was available. Then they heard that Master Fu could teach it and wished to summon him. At that time Master Fu was over ninety and too old to travel, so the emperor ordered the Grand Usher to send the Keeper of Precedents, Chao Cuo, to receive instruction from him. During the Qin book burning, Master Fu had hidden his copies in a wall. After the great wars and upheavals that followed, when the Han was established, Fu searched for his books but found that dozens of sections had been lost — only twenty-nine sections remained. He used these to teach in the Qi and Lu region. From this point, scholars were able to discuss the Documents, and every major teacher east of the mountains incorporated the Documents into their instruction.