晉世家（上）

Shu Yu of Tang in Jin was a son of King Wu of Zhou and a younger brother of King Cheng. Originally, when King Wu and Shu Yu's mother conceived, King Wu dreamed that Heaven said to him: "I command you to produce a son. Name him Yu. I give him Tang." When the child was born, markings on his palm read 'Yu,' and so he was named accordingly.

King Wu died and King Cheng succeeded. Tang was in turmoil, and the Duke of Zhou destroyed Tang. King Cheng was playing with Shu Yu when he cut a paulownia leaf into the shape of a jade tablet and gave it to Shu Yu, saying: "With this I enfeoff you." The Scribe Yi requested that an auspicious day be chosen to formally install Shu Yu. King Cheng said: "I was only playing with him." The Scribe Yi said: "The Son of Heaven does not speak in jest. When he speaks, the scribes record it, ritual completes it, and music celebrates it." Shu Yu was therefore enfeoffed at Tang. Tang lay east of the Yellow River and the Fen River, an area of one hundred li square — hence the title Shu Yu of Tang. His surname was Ji, and his courtesy name was Ziyu.

Shu Yu's son Xie succeeded — this was the Marquis of Jin. The story then passes through five generations — Wu, Cheng, Li, and Jing — without precise dates.

In Duke Jing's seventeenth year, King Li of Zhou was deluded and tyrannical. The people revolted and King Li fled to Zhi. The great ministers administered the government — this was the Gonghe Regency.

Jing was succeeded by Xi, Xi by Xian, and Xian by Duke Mu. Duke Mu named his eldest son Chou ('Hatred') after a punitive campaign, and his younger son Chengshi ('Complete the Army') after a victorious one. A Jin official named Shifu warned: "How strange the lord names his sons! The heir is called 'Hatred' — meaning enmity. The younger is called 'Complete the Army' — a grand title of accomplishment. When the names of legitimate and secondary sons are reversed in this way, can Jin avoid disorder hereafter?"

Duke Mu died. His brother Shang Shu usurped the throne. Crown Prince Chou fled. Four years later, Chou led his followers to attack and kill Shang Shu, becoming Duke Wen. Duke Wen ruled thirty-five years. His son Duke Zhao succeeded.

In Duke Zhao's first year, he enfeoffed his father Duke Wen's brother Chengshi at Quwo. Quwo was larger than Yi, the capital of Jin. Chengshi was titled Earl Huan. He was fifty-eight years old, loved virtue, and the people of Jin all rallied to him. Wise men said: "The disorder of Jin will surely come from Quwo. When the branch is larger than the trunk and wins the people's hearts, how can disorder be avoided?"

For sixty-seven years, the Quwo branch fought the legitimate Jin line — assassinating dukes, being driven back, then returning. Earl Huan was succeeded by Earl Zhuang, who was succeeded by Duke Wu of Quwo. Finally, Duke Wu destroyed Duke Min of Jin, presented all of Jin's treasures to King Xi of Zhou, and received recognition as the legitimate Lord of Jin and a full feudal lord. He united all of Jin's territory.

Duke Wu of Quwo had already been in power thirty-seven years. He changed his title to Duke Wu of Jin and established his capital over the full Jin domain. Counting from his accession at Quwo, he reigned thirty-eight years in all.

In the first year of Duke Xian, King Hui of Zhou's brother Tui attacked King Hui, who fled and took up residence at Li in Zheng.

In the fifth year, Duke Xian attacked the Lirong and captured Lady Li and her younger sister. He favored both of them.

In the eighth year, the minister Shi Wei advised the duke: "The old Jin ducal house has many surviving princes. If they are not eliminated, disorder will arise." The duke had all the princes killed, built a walled settlement, and named it Jiang — making it the new capital.

In the twelfth year, Lady Li bore Xi Qi. Duke Xian intended to depose the heir apparent. He said: "Quwo is where our ancestral temples stand; Pu borders Qin; Qu borders the Di. If I do not station my sons there, I am concerned." He therefore sent Crown Prince Shensheng to Quwo, Prince Chong'er to Pu, and Prince Yiwu to Qu. Duke Xian and Lady Li's son Xi Qi remained at Jiang. The people of Jin understood from this that the crown prince would not be enthroned.

In the twenty-first year, Lady Li told the crown prince: "The lord dreamed of Qi Jiang. You should sacrifice to her quickly at Quwo and bring the sacrificial meat to the lord." The crown prince sacrificed to his mother Qi Jiang at Quwo and sent the meat to Duke Xian. The duke was out hunting, and the meat was left in the palace. Lady Li had someone place poison in it. Two days later, when the duke returned from hunting, the steward presented the meat. As the duke was about to eat, Lady Li stopped him: "This meat has traveled far. It should be tested." They poured a libation on the ground — the earth swelled. They gave some to a dog — the dog died. They gave some to a servant — the servant died. Lady Li wept: "How can the crown prince be so heartless! To wish to murder his own father and replace him — what of others? The lord is old, a man who may die any morning — yet the prince cannot even wait and wants to kill him!"

The crown prince heard of this and fled to Xincheng. Someone said: "It was Lady Li who poisoned the meat. Why not clear yourself?" The crown prince said: "My lord is old. Without Lady Li, he cannot sleep well or eat with appetite. If I accuse her, my lord will be enraged at her. I cannot." Someone said: "Then flee to another state." The crown prince said: "To leave bearing this accusation — who would take me in? I shall kill myself." On the wushen day of the twelfth month, Shensheng killed himself at Xincheng.

Duke Wen of Jin, Chong'er, was a son of Duke Xian. From his youth he loved scholars. By the age of seventeen he had five worthy companions: Zhao Cui; Hu Yan Jiufan, who was Duke Wen's maternal uncle; Jia Tuo; Xian Zhen; and Wei Wuzi. When Duke Xian had been crown prince, Chong'er was already a grown man. When Duke Xian took the throne, Chong'er was twenty-one. In the thirteenth year, because of Lady Li, Chong'er was assigned to defend Pu against Qin. In the twenty-second year, Duke Xian sent the eunuch Lü Di to kill him. Chong'er leapt over a wall; the eunuch chased him and slashed his sleeve. Chong'er fled to the Di people — his mother's nation. He was then forty-three years old. His five companions and dozens of unnamed followers accompanied him.

The Di attacked the Jiuru people and captured two women: the elder was married to Chong'er, producing two sons; the younger was married to Zhao Cui, producing Dun. He lived among the Di for twelve years.

Passing through Wey, Duke Wen of Wey showed no courtesy. Moving on through Wulu, they were hungry and begged food from a peasant, who filled a vessel with earth and offered it. Chong'er was furious. Zhao Cui said: "Earth means territory. My lord should bow and accept it."

Reaching Qi, Duke Huan of Qi received him lavishly, gave him a woman of his clan as wife, and provided twenty teams of horses. Chong'er settled in contentedly. He stayed five years. He loved his Qi wife and had no desire to leave. Zhao Cui and Jiufan plotted under a mulberry tree to depart. The Qi wife's maid overheard from up in the tree and told her mistress. The mistress killed the maid and urged Chong'er to leave at once: "You are a prince of a state. You came here in distress, and your retainers stake their lives on you. If you do not hurry home and reward your loyal followers but instead cling to a woman's comforts, I am ashamed for you. If you do not strive, when will you ever achieve your destiny?" She conspired with Zhao Cui: they got Chong'er drunk, loaded him onto a cart, and set off. When he awoke far away, Chong'er was furious and seized his spear to kill Jiufan. Jiufan said: "If killing your servant accomplishes your restoration, that is my wish." Chong'er said: "If this enterprise fails, I will eat your flesh, uncle." Jiufan said: "If it fails, my flesh will be rank and foul — not worth eating!" Chong'er desisted, and they continued.

They passed through Cao, where Duke Gong rudely wished to see Chong'er's joined ribs. They passed through Song, where Duke Xiang — himself recently defeated by Chu and wounded at the Battle of Hong — heard Chong'er was a worthy man and received him with full state protocol.

They passed through Zheng, where Duke Wen showed no courtesy. His minister Shu Zhan urged: "This Jin prince is worthy, his followers are all men of chancellor caliber, and he shares our surname." Duke Wen of Zheng said: "Exiled princes pass through here constantly — how can we show full courtesy to every one?" Shu Zhan said: "If you will not honor him, then kill him — otherwise he will be a future threat." The duke did not listen.

Chong'er went to Chu. King Cheng of Chu received him with the protocol due a visiting feudal lord. The king asked: "If you return to your state, how will you repay me?" Chong'er said: "Feathers, furs, ivory, horn, jade, and silk — Your Majesty has these in abundance. I do not know how to repay you." The king said: "Even so — how will you repay me?" Chong'er said: "If it should come to it and we meet Your Majesty with war-chariots on an open plain, I will retreat three marches before you."

Chong'er reached Qin. Duke Mu of Qin gave him five women of his clan as wives. Zhao Cui sang the Shumiao poem. Duke Mu said: "I know you are eager to return home at once."

In the first year of Duke Wen, spring, Qin escorted Chong'er to the Yellow River. Jiufan said: "I have followed my lord around All-Under-Heaven, and my faults have been many. Even I know them — how much more must my lord! I request leave to depart here." Chong'er said: "If, upon my return, I fail to share everything with Zi Fan, let the River God witness it!" He threw a jade disk into the river to seal the oath. At that time, Jie Zitui was also present, in the boat. He laughed and said: "It is Heaven that truly opened the way for the prince, yet Zi Fan claims it as his own achievement and bargains for reward. That is truly shameful. I cannot bear to share rank with such men." He went into hiding after crossing the river.

Duke Wen reformed governance and bestowed kindness upon the people. He rewarded those who had followed him in exile and those who had rendered meritorious service — the greatest with fiefs, the lesser with elevated rank. Before the rewards were complete, King Xiang of Zhou, driven out by his brother Dai, came to seek urgent aid from Jin.

In the second year, spring, Qin's army camped at the Yellow River, preparing to restore the king. Zhao Cui said: "Nothing serves the quest for hegemony better than restoring the king and honoring Zhou. Zhou and Jin share the same surname. If Jin does not restore the king first and Qin does so instead, we will have no authority to command All-Under-Heaven. Honoring the king now is Jin's great opportunity." In the third month, Jin raised troops, reached Yangfan, besieged Wen, and restored King Xiang to Zhou. In the fourth month, the king's brother Dai was killed. King Xiang awarded Jin the territory of Yangfan in Henei.

In the fourth year, King Cheng of Chu and the feudal lords besieged Song. Song sent an envoy to Jin pleading urgently. Xian Zhen said: "To repay past kindness and establish hegemony — now is the time." Hu Yan said: "Chu has newly taken Cao and just allied by marriage with Wey. If we attack Cao and Wey, Chu must rescue them, and Song will be freed."

In the fifth year, spring, Duke Wen wished to attack Cao and requested passage through Wey, which refused. He crossed the Yellow River from the south, invaded Cao, and attacked Wey. Chu's general Ziyu said: "The king treated Jin with the utmost generosity. Now Jin knows Chu is concerned about Cao and Wey and deliberately attacks them — this is disrespectful to the king." The King of Chu was angry but gave Ziyu few troops. Ziyu proposed a three-way deal: restore the Lord of Wey and reinstate Cao in exchange for lifting the siege of Song. Xian Zhen counseled: "Settling affairs for others is proper conduct. Chu proposes to settle three states with one word, while we would ruin them with one word — that makes us the discourteous ones. But to accept Chu's terms is to abandon Song. Better to secretly promise to restore Cao and Wey to lure them, seize the Chu envoy Wan Chun to provoke Chu, and settle matters after the battle."

Duke Wen imprisoned Wan Chun in Wey and secretly promised to restore Cao and Wey. Cao and Wey broke with Chu. Ziyu was enraged and struck at the Jin army. Jin retreated. Officers asked: "Why do we retreat?" Duke Wen said: "When I was in Chu, I pledged to retreat three marches. Can I break that oath?" Chu's army wished to withdraw, but Ziyu refused. On the wuchen day of the fourth month, the lords of Song, generals of Qi and Qin, and the Lord of Jin assembled at Chengpu. On the jisi day, they joined battle with Chu. Chu's forces were routed, and Ziyu collected his remnants and withdrew.

On the dingwei day of the fifth month, the Chu captives were presented to the Zhou court — one hundred armored chariots drawn by four horses each and a thousand infantry. The Son of Heaven sent Prince Hu to formally appoint the Lord of Jin as Hegemon, bestowing upon him the great chariot, a hundred vermilion bows and arrows, a thousand black bows and arrows, a jar of aromatic wine, a jade libation vessel, and three hundred Tiger Guards. The Lord of Jin declined three times, then bowed to the ground and accepted.

In the ninth year, winter, Duke Wen of Jin died. His son Duke Xiang, Huan, succeeded.

In the first year of Duke Xiang, spring, the Qin army passed through Zhou territory without proper courtesy. Wang Sun Man censured them. When they reached Hua, the Zheng merchant Xian Gao, on his way to trade at Zhou, encountered the Qin force and presented twelve oxen to feast them as a pretended welcome. The Qin army, alarmed, turned back, destroying Hua on their way.

Jin's Xian Zhen said: "Duke Mu of Qin disregarded Jian Shu's counsel and goes against his people's hearts — this is the moment to strike." Luan Zhi said: "We have not yet repaid the late lord's debt to Qin — we should not strike." Xian Zhen said: "Qin insults our orphan-lord and attacks our kinsmen — what debt is there to repay?" They attacked. In the fourth month, they routed the Qin army at Xiao and captured three Qin generals — Meng Mingshi, Xi Qishu, and Bai Yibing.

In the fourteenth year of Duke Ling: Duke Ling had grown up dissolute and extravagant, levying heavy taxes to decorate his walls. From his terrace he shot pellets at people below, watching them dodge. His cook did not boil bear paws to sufficient tenderness; Duke Ling killed the cook and had women carry the corpse out, passing through the court. Zhao Dun and Sui Hui had remonstrated several times without success. Duke Ling grew resentful and sent the assassin Chu Ni to kill Zhao Dun. But Chu Ni found Zhao Dun's gate open and his household in frugal order. Chu Ni withdrew and sighed: "To kill a loyal minister and abandon my lord's command — both are crimes." He dashed his head against a tree and died.

In the ninth month, Duke Ling invited Zhao Dun to drink wine and laid an ambush. The steward Shi Mimming, learning of it, feared Dun would be too drunk to rise and stepped forward: "When the lord bestows wine upon a minister, after three rounds one may withdraw." He meant to remove Zhao Dun. When Dun had departed, the duke's ambush party was not yet in position, but he loosed his attack dog Ao. Mimming fought and killed the dog. The duke then released his concealed soldiers to pursue Zhao Dun. Mimming turned and counterattacked them, preventing their advance and saving Dun. When Dun asked why, Mimming said: "I am the starving man beneath the mulberry tree." When asked his name, he would not tell, and he too disappeared.

Zhao Dun fled but had not yet crossed the Jin border when, on the yichou day, his cousin General Zhao Chuan ambushed and killed Duke Ling at the Peach Garden, then welcomed Zhao Dun back. Zhao Dun resumed his position. The Jin Grand Historian Dong Hu wrote: "Zhao Dun assassinated his lord," and displayed it at court. Dun said: "The killer was Zhao Chuan. I am innocent." The historian said: "You were Chief Minister. You fled without leaving the border. You returned without punishing the regicide. If not you, who?" Confucius, hearing of this, said: "Dong Hu was a fine historian of antiquity — his writing concealed nothing. Lord Xuan was a fine minister — he accepted blame for the sake of the historical record. A pity — had he crossed the border, he would have been cleared."