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Chinese History - The inception of Zhou Dynasty

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 06-26-03 20:50

The inception of Zhou Dynasty
(周王朝的開始)

Legend has it that, one day, a young woman called Jiang Yuan (姜原), while walking in the bush, came across a big foot print left by a giant. Curious about the size of the print Jiang Yuan put her right foot on it to compare. Suddenly, she felt something moving in her abdomen. A month later she discovered that she was pregnant. Since she was not married she suspected that she must be conceiving the giant's baby.

Several months later, Jiang Yuan gave birth to an illegitimate baby boy. She had no intention of keeping the baby. So she threw the baby to the street. Strangely, the cows, the horses and other animials avoided him and they did him no harm. Jiang Yuan picked him up and tried to cast him to the forest. However, there were people logging in the forest and she did not want the loggers to see her throwing away a baby. So she abandoned him on the surface of a frozen river and then went home. Birds were using their wings and feathers to keep him warm.

A day later Jiang Yuan went back to the spot where she abandoned him. She was stunned and surprised to see him still alive. In despite of the freezing cold weather and the gusty wind overnight the baby survived. She came to the conclusion that this baby must be an extraordinary child. She decided to keep him and raise him up. She named him Qi (棄) or Abandoned.

As a boy Qi loved to grow hemp and peas while other kids were playing games. He became obsessed with farming as he grew. He grew up an agricultural celebrity. People came from far and wide to learn from him the technic of farming.

Shun Di (舜帝), the chief of the tribal community, appointed Qi as the chief agriculturist to a place called Tai (邰 present day Wu Gong county 武功縣 in Shaanxi province 陜西省) in the norther edges of Wei Valley (渭谷). Tai was his mother's hometown where he was born. His duty was to oversee the production of food in the country. He did an excellent job. Shun Di rewarded him the title of Hou Ji (后稷) and bestowed upon him the surname of Ji (姬). Qi named his dominion Zhou (周) and the people lived there were known as Zhou People (周人).

Ji Qi (姬棄) was succeded by his son Ji Bu Chu (姬不窋). Ji Ju (姬鞠) succeeded Ji Bu Chu. Ji Gong Liu (姬公劉) succeeded Ji Ju. Ji Qing (姬慶) succeded Ji Gong Liu. Ji Huang Pu (姬皇仆) succeeded Ji Qing. Ji Cha Fu (姬差弗) succeeded Ji Huang Pu. Ji Hui Yu (姬毀隃) succeeded Ji Cha Fu. Ji Gong Fei (姬公非) succeeded Ji Hui Yu. Ji Gao Yu (姬高圉) succeeded Ji Gong Fei. Ji Ya Yu (姬亞圉) succeeded Ji Gao Yu. Ji Gong Shu Zu Lei (姬公叔祖類) succeeded Ji Ya Yu. Ji Gong Dan Fu (姬公亶父) succeeded Ji Gong Shu Zu Lei.

In around c1198BC during the Shang Dynasty (商朝 c1783BC to c1122BC) Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu became the leader of the Zhou people. The tribes of Rong (戎族) and Di (狄族) from the north pillaged and plundered the villages of the Zhou People. Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu did not want to fight them because they were not strong enough to do so. Instead he moved his people away from there and settled down in Bin (豳 present day Bin county 邠縣 in Shaanxi province ) in the centre area of Wei Valley west of the great bend of the Yellow River. He established his capital at Qi Shan (歧山 present day Qi Shan city in Shaanxi province). The land of the new settlement was flat and fertile. It was particularly suitable for agricultural farming.

Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu built city walls, temples and divided the land among his people. He established administration systems to govern his people. Many non-Zhou people who wanted to escape the incursion by the Northerners, followed Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu and settled down among his people. With a larger population who were industrious the new domain of the Zhou became strong and prosperous.

Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu had three sons namely, Ji Tai Bo (姬太伯), Ji Yu Zhong (姬虞仲) and Ji Ji Li (姬季厲). His third son Ji Ji Li had a very clever and intelligent son called Ji Chang (姬昌) whom Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu loved dearly. He wanted Ji Chang to become the future leader of the Zhou people. So Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu decided that Ji Chang's father Ji Ji Li should succeed him after his death.

Ji Ji Li, the third son became the leader after Ji Gu Gong Dan Fu's death. His two elder brothers Ji Tai Bo and Ji Yu Zhong were against his leadership. They disputed with him over the succession of leadership. When Ji Li wanted to take action against their recalcitrance they fled to Jiang Nan (江南 south of the Yangtze River 揚子江) and settled down in a place they called Mei Li (梅里 present day Wu Xi city 無錫市 in Jiangsu province 江蘇省).

Ji Ji Li died in c1185BC and his clever son, Ji Chang, succeeded him as the leader of the Zhou people. Ji Chang was highly educated and very talented too. He was a charismatic leader and also highly respected by his people. To them he was their Sage. In c1136BC Ji Chang shifted his capital from Qi Shan to Feng (豐 present day Xian Yang city 咸陽市 in Shannxi province).

It was during the reign of Shang King Zhou (商紂王 reigned 1154BC to 1135BC) of the Shang Dynasty (商朝 1783BC to 1122BC) that Ji Chang was obliged to serve in the Shang Aministration as his domain was under the jurisdiction of the Shang. Ji Chang was apponited by Shang King Zhou as an advisor and one of his sons called Ji Kao (姬考) was to become his assistant.

Shang King Zhou was a very clever and capable King. He married the most beautiful woman in the land. Her name was Su Da Ji (蘇妲己). She was as beautiful as her contemporary beauty Helen of Troy in Greece. The couple neglected the welfares of the country. Shang King Zhou built many big palaces. He swindled off the wealth of the country. He became wicked and cruel and would kill or torture anyone who dared to criticize him on his spending.

Seeing Shang King Zhou was so cruel, wicked and wasteful his elder brother named Zi Wei Qi (子微啟) advised him not to be too lavish on luxuries. Shang King Zhou expelled him from the country. Zi Wei Qi went to live with the Zhou people.

Zi Bi Gan (子比干) the uncle of Shang King Zhou advised him not to be too spend-thrift. As a King he should listen to the advice from his officials and have mercy on his subjects. He should not spent all day long with his wife and neglected the affairs of the country. Shang King Zhou's wife knew about the lecture by his uncle. She hated his uncle.

One day Su Da Ji told Shang King Zhou that if his uncle was a wise man there should be seven holes in his heart. Shang King Zhou called his uncle Zi Bi Gan to his palace and said to him, "People say a wise man has seven holes in his heart. Uncle is a wise man. I want to see if your heart really has seven holes". Shang King Zhou ordered his body guards to take out his uncle's heart to see whether his uncle was really a wise man. Poor uncle died for being too loyal.

Ji Chang also advised Shang King Zhou on the difficult financial position of the country. Of course Shang King Zhou would not listen to him. Instead he had Ji Chang imprisoned and his son Ji Kao killed. He was imprisoned for three years in a place called You Li (羑里 present day Tang Yin county 湯陰縣 of Henan province 河南省).

There was a man called San Yi Sheng (散宜生) who told Ji Fa (姬發), the eldest son pf Ji Chang, that if he sent Shang King Zhou treasures, beautiful girls, cattle and horses his father woulde be freed. So Ji Fa listened to his advice and sent the gifts to Shang King. Ji Chang was released and he went back to his home land where he died soon after.

Ji Fa succeeded his father as the leader of the Zhou people. Ji Fa swore that he would take revenge on Shang King Zhou. However, his people was not strong enough to fight Shang King Zhou.

Twelve years later in c1122BC Ji Fa considered he had the military power to take on Shang King Zhou. Ji Fa congregated his army and people of the tribes who lived around his domain. They crossed the Yellow River and marched towards Chao Ge (朝歌 present day Qi county 淇縣 in Henan province) the capital of the Shang. Shang King Zhou led his army to encounter Ji Fa's forces. They fought the descisive battle at Mu Ye (牧野 present day Ji county 汲縣 in Henan province). Ji Fa defeated Shang King Zhou who fled to his summer palace and committed suicide by setting the palace ablazed with all the treasures inside it. That was the end of the Shang Dynasty.

The Zhou army occupied Chiao Ge. Su Da Ji, the beautiful wife of Shang King Zhou, was captured. Ji Fa ordered that she should be executed publicly at a market place. She was taken there for execution. She was so beautiful that the executor could not carry out the order. In fact no one wanted to chop off the head of such a beautiful woman.

As no one wanted to do the job General Jiang Zi Ya (姜子牙), the aged commander-in-chief of the Zhou armed forces had to do it personally. He too could not carry out the order either. An officer suggested that her face to be covered by a piece of black cloth. Reluctantly, General Jiang completed the execution.

After the destruction of the Shang Dynasty, Ji Fa appointed Zi Wu Geng (子武庚) the youngest son of Shang King Zhou to be the leader of his people. Ji Fa named the territory around the Shang capital the State of Yin (殷國 present day Shang Qiu countuy 商邱縣 in Henan province 河南省). Ji Fa also appointed three of his younger brothers become the rulers of three different States which were as followed.

(1) Ji Xian (姬鮮) to become the ruler of the State of Guan (管國 present day Ying Yang county 滎陽縣 in Henan province).
(2)Ji Du (姬度) to become the ruler of the State of Cai (蔡國 present day Kai Feng county 貽d封縣 in Henan province).
(3)Ji Chu (姬處) to become the ruler of the State of Huo (霍國 present day Huo
county 霍縣 in Shanxi province 山西省).

They were the three most powerful States in the land other than the central authority of Ji Fa. The main reason behind their appointments was that Ji Fa wanted them to be the custodians of the State of Yin.

Ji Fa returned to the capital and established the Zhou Dynasty. He was crowned Zhou Wu King (周武王)

From the book
"The Origin of Chinese Surnames"
Written in English by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
First published in September 2000
ISBN 1 876763663

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 27062003

Yoon-Ngan

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Chinese History - The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (1)

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 07-01-03 09:37

The inception of Eastern Zhou Dynasty (1)
or Dong Zhou (東周 770BC to 256BC)

After the death of his father, Zhou King Yi (周夷王 849BC to 879BC) in 879BC, Ji Hu (姬胡) was crowned Zhou King Li (周厲王), the 10th King of the Zhou Dynasty (周朝 1134BC to 221BC). Zhou King Li precipated a disaster.

Zhou King Li had an ardent love for money. As a man he was a tyrant and despot. He entrusted power to a financier called Rong Yigong (榮夷公). Knowing that the King loved money Rong Yigong advised Zhou King Li to nationalize all the businesses in the land. Zhou King Li also tried dirty tricks to occupy the farmlands belonging to his subjects. Many of his officials advised him not to implement those bad policies, but Zhou King Li ignored their advice.

During that time most of the farm lands were owned by the aristocrats and members of the royal family. They also dominated the business world. They resented the policy of nationalization decreed by Zhou King Li. They hated him and ridiculed him by singing a rhyme:

碩鼠碩鼠=Big paddy rat, big paddy rat
無食我黍=Do not eat my millet
三歲慣你=For years we had been indulged you
莫我肯願=And you had never cared about us
逝將去你=I want to leave you
適彼樂土=And I want to go to a happy land
樂土呀樂土=Happy land happy land
愛得我所=That is the place where I will live forever.

Zhou King Li hated people singing this rhyme. In order to suppress his opponents he employed many witch doctors from the State of Wei (衛國 present day Qi county 淇縣 in Henan province 河南省). He used them as his spies cum policemen. Those witch doctors boasted that by looking at people's eyes they could identified and tell the King's opponents. They would arrest anyone who dared to criticize the King.

Gradually the capital was quiet. The singings and gossiping about the King had stopped. Zhou King Li was very happy. He told his officials that he had quelled the rumours. An official by the name of Rui Liangfu (芮良夫) replied,

"You have only shut the people's mouths.
This is not the way to solve the problems."

Eventually, in 842BC a revolt broke out by the members of the royal family and the aristocrats. They rebelled against the policy of nationalization.The financier Rong Yigong and all the witch doctors were killed in the turmoil. Zhou King Li fled to the west and settled there in a place called Zhi (彘 present day Huo Xian 霍縣 in Shanxi province 山西省). He established a pig farm and lived there peacefully.

The aristocrats wanted to kill his son Ji Jing (姬靖), the Crown Prince. However, there were two respectful officials, Zhou Ding Gong (周定公) and Zhao Mu Gong (召穆公) protecting him. The aristocrats obstinately would not allow Ji Jing to success his father as the King of Zhou as long as Zhou Li King was still alived.

Since there was no King in the country the Zhou Court appointed Zhou Ding Gong and Zhao Mu Gong to become the joint Regents. They became the chief administrators of a country without a King. This period was referred to as the Gong-He (共和) Administration, or the republic government which lasted for fourteen years.

King Li died in exile in 828BC and his son, Ji Jing, the Crown Prince was crowned Zhou King Xuan (周宣王).

During the reign of Zhou King Xuan (827BC to 782BC) the villages in the north of the land were constantly subjected to raids from Jiang (姜) and Rong (戎) tribes from the north. In his 38th year reign, in 789BC, Zhou King Xuan personally led an expeditionary force trying to crush the aggressive northern neighbours, but he was defeated at the battle of Qian Mu (千畝) in present day Shanxi province (山西省) and lost a large part of territory to the tribes of Jiang and Rong.(戎) tribes.

The following year in 788BC, Zhou King Xuan was planning to revenge on the northerners and went to Tai Yuan (太原), the capital of Shanxi province, to conduct a censor of the population there. He wanted to find out the amount of resources in Tai Yuan that would allow him to mount another campaign against the Jiang and Rong tribes.

On his journey back to his capital, Hao (鎬 present day Xi An 西安 city in Shaanxi province 陜西省), he saw a group of children clapping their hands and singing a rhyme:

月將升=The moon is about to rise
日將沒=The sun is about to set

壓弧箕簸=Wooden bows will turn to baskets
幾亡周國=Very soon Zhou State will perish"

Upon hearing the chorus, Zhou King Xuan became very angry and ordered his officials to arrest the children. All the children escaped except for two who were brought before the King. The King asked,

" Who composed the rhyme?"

Kneeling in front of the King they replied,

"We did not compose it.
Three days ago a young girl dressed in red arrived at our town.
She taught us how to sing this rhyme.
In no time it spread all over the town
and every kid knows how to sing it."

Zhou King Xuan asked where the girl was. The children told him that she disappeared after teaching them the rhyme.

During the next court session, Zhou King Xuan asked his officials if they knew the meaning of the rhyme. An official named Bo Yangfu (伯陽父) gave the explaination that it was a prediction of the end of the Zhou Dynasty. Zhou King Xuan ordered Du Bo (杜伯), the high official, to investigate about this young girl dressed in red. Du Bo accepted the assignment reluctantly. Zhou King Xuan also issued a decree prohibiting the sale of wooden bows and all rumours about the rhyme.

City residents understood the decree. However, rural folks knew nothing about it. One day, a couple from the country arrived at the town to sell wooden bows. Immediately, they were apprehended by the soldiers.The husband escaped but the woman was arrested. The poor woman was publicly executed in the market place as a deterrent to the public. The rumours stopped and the matter was forgotten.

On the way home with a broken heart of losing the wife, the widower passed near a little stream. He heard a crying baby in the swamp. He went to investigate and he saw a baby wrapped in thick clothe. It was a baby girl and the widower took her home. The widower intended to keep the baby girl and he engaged his female neighbour to helped him. He named the girl Bao Si (褒姒) and his actual name was Da Si (大姒).

..............to be continued......

From the book
史記 (Shi Ji) by 司馬遷 (Sima Qian 145BC to 86BC))
周本紀第四 in chapter 4
Written in Chinese classical language
Translated into English
by CHUNG Yoo-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 01072003

Yoon-Ngan

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Chinese History - The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (2)

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 07-01-03 23:48

From the Yellow Emperor to the Republic -
The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (2)
由黃帝至民國 - 東周朝

Since the execution of the woman selling arrows, the nursery rhyme on the ending of the Zhou Dynasty had disappeared. The husband of the executed woman picked up a baby girl on the swamp near the river of Qing Shui (清水河) and he returned to Bao Cheng (褒城 in present day Bao Cheng county 褒城縣 of Shaanxi province 陜西省). He adopted the baby girl as his daughter and named her Bao Si (褒姒).

Three years later, it was on the day of holding a ceremony for worshipping Heaven. Zhou King Xuan was alone in the palace temple abstaining from meat, wine, sex etc since he was going to perform the offering sacrifice to Heaven the next day. That night, he dreamt of seeing a beautiful girl coming from the west and walking towards him. The beautiful girl laughed three times loudly and cried three times loudly. Collecting the seven memorial tablets and binding them together with a stringe she then walked towards the east and disappeared. Zhou King Xuan wanted to chase after her but of no avail. He secramed for help but no one answered him.

When Zhou King Xuan woke up he summoned Bo Yang (伯陽), a high official, to interpret his dream. Bo Yang explained that it could be the spirit of the woman whom he publicly executed three years ago. The dream had something to do with the girl dressed in red. It reminded the King about the children's nursery rhyme on the ending of the Zhou Dynasty.

Zhou King Xuan then summoned Du Bo (杜伯) who was supposed to report to him about the investigation of the girl in red. Zhou King Xuan asked for the report, but Du Bo replied that he had achieved no result in the case and did not bother to report to the Court because it seemed that no one was interested in it. Zhou King Xuan was furious and charged him for insubordination and wanted to execute him. All the officials were frightened.

"No, no", pleaded Zuo Ru (左儒), a close friend of Du Bo, who came forward from among the retinue of court officials. He advised the King not to be superstitious and not to believe in the rhyme composed by a lass. In reponse Zhou King Xuan told Zuo Ru not to protect his best friend as he was in the wrong. Zuo Ru retorted that his best friend had acted correctly and showed his support as a matter of principle.

Anyway, Zhou King Xuan was not listening. He ordered the palace guards to carry out the execution. Poor Du Bo died because of Zhou King Xuan's superstition. Zuo Ru was very sad as he had lost his best friend. Despondent, he went home and committed suicide. He believed that even after death he and Du Bo would be good friends, through thick and thin.

After hearing of what had happened to Zuo Ru, Zhou King Xuan was full of regret for what he had done to Du Bo and Ruo Ru. Zhou King Xuan was depressed and became ill. For many months his condition had not improved even though he had been treated by all the physicians in the country.

Seeing the King's health in such poor state, his officials suggested that he should have some rest and go on a hunting trip.

Several days later, the King and his entourage were off to the bush hunting. Zhou King Xuan was very enthusiastic and encouraged everyone to take part in the hunting. He enjoyed himself and the trip was a great success. Soon the sun was setting and the party was on their way back to the palace. Zhou King Xuan was tired and, in a state of drowsiness, he dosed off to sleep in the comfortable seat of his horse carriage.

A short time later, Zhou King Xuan saw two men riding a little cart beside him with bows and arrows slung across their backs. They were also carrying long lances. They said to the King

"How is your health lately, my Lord?"

Recognising they were Du Bo and Zuo Ru, Zhou King Xuan shouted at them to get lost. Taking out his sword Zhou King Xuan wanting to strike them but of no avail. He then woke up and asked his body guards and the carriage if they had seen a little cart riding next to them. They answered negatively.

They continued the journey back to the palace. Soon, Zhou King Xuan drifted off to sleep. Again he saw Du Bo and Zuo Ru riding a little cart beside him. The King shouted at them not to disturb him. However, Du Bo and Zuo Ru screamed at the King shouting:

"Return our lives, you stupid King."

Again the King wanted to strike them with his sword. Then he saw Du Bo and Zuo Ru aiming their arrows at him. He screamed for help but the arrows struck his chest. He woke up and tried to stand up, but he could not because of the pain in his chest.

Zhou King Xuan was very ill on arriving back at the palace. Holding his chest and screaming in pain, he believed that the spirits of Du Bo and Zuo Ru had come back to take revenge on him. Occasionally, he shouted the names of Du Bo and Zuo Ru. For three days and three nights Zhou King Xuan languished in this condition, screaming in pain, cursing Du Bo and Zuo Ru and lamenting that they had returned to hanunt him.

On the third night King Xuan lapsed into a coma and died shortly after midnight. The year was 782BC and the month was the seventh moon.

From the book
史記 (Shi Ji) by 司馬遷 (Sima Qian 145BC to 86BC))
周本紀第四 in chapter 4
Written in Chinese classical language
Translated into English
by CHUNG Yoo-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 01072003

Yoon-Ngan

Reply To This Message

Chinese History - The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (3)

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 07-02-03 09:23

From the Yellow Emperor to the Republic -
The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (3)
由黃帝至民國 - 東周朝

Ji Gongnie (姬宮涅), the son of Zhou King Xuan (周宣王), was crowned Zhou King You (周幽王 reigned 781BC to 771BC). The following year Zhou King You appointed his official wife, the Queen and inducted his eldest son Ji Yijiu (姬宜臼), the Crown Prince. The Queen's father was the ruler of the State of Shen (申國 present day Nanyang county 南陽縣 in Henan province 河南省). Shortly after, Zhou King You's mother died of sadness.

As a man Zhou King You was astrocious, brutal, dishonest and ungrateful. His behaviour was unpredictable. He had only a few intimate sycophantic officials who could tolerate his manners as a King. He and these officials were always imbibing in alcohol. Since his mother's death he was afraid of no one. Soon he was indulging in womanizing. He neglected the affairs of the country.

Marquis Shen, his father-in-law, advised him to get rid of these unreliable officials. Zhou King You would not listen. As his services were not wanted Marquis Shen returned to his own domain the State of Shen.

Gradually, all the old officials, who had served during his father's reign, died off of old age. There were only three officials who were really closed to him. They were Duke Guo (虢公), Duke Ji (祭公) and Yin Qiu ( 尹球). Zhou King You only listened to them. They were not only the most corrupted officials but they also slandered, defamed and spoke maliciously of their honest colleagues.

One day, the official in charge of Qi Shan (歧山) which was the birth place of the Zhou Dynasty, came and reported to the Court that there were earthquakes in their ancestors' place. The rivers there were drying up and the people living there were suffering. The official requested the Court for assistants. Zhou King You replied laughingly that it had nothing to do with him since Qi Shan was so far away. Zhou King You dismissed the report.

Several days later, seeing the King was so unkind to his subjects, an official called Zhao Shudai (趙叔帶) went to see him. Zhao Shudai advised Zhou King You to send aids to help the earthquake victims. With a burst of anger Zhou king You dismissed Zhao Shudai as an official. Zhao Shudai left the capital and went to live in the State of Jin (晉國 present day Yicheng county 翼城縣 in Shanxi province 山西省).
.
Another official called Bao Xiang (褒向) also went to see the King advising him to send help to the earthquake victims. The King was angry with him for being too busy-body. He had Bao Xiang imprisoned. Since then no one dared to advise the King. However, there was an official called Zheng Boyou (鄭伯友) who was the younger brother of Zhou King You's father Zhou King Xuan. The Kong would listen to his uncle, Zheng Boyou. Zheng Bouyou was so loyal to his nephew that in the end he died for his nephew.

Bao Hongde (褒洪德) was the son of Bao Xiang. On hearing that his father was imprisoned by the King Bao Hongde presented the King with gifts and jewelleries. Inspite of the bribe the King refused to release his father. Bao Xiang eventually was sentence to prison for three years.

The year was 778BC. One day, while in the countryside collecting rent Bao Hongde saw a very beautiful girl bailing water from a well. He thought that since the King was so indulging in women it could be a good idea to send this beautiful girl to him and hoped that the King could release his father.

The next day, Bao Hongde went to see the girl's father, who was the husband of the woman executed by Zhou King Xuan for selling wooden arrows. With 300 yards of silk, some gifts and jewellries Bao Hongde bought the girl, the adopted daughter of the man who picked her up from the swamp near the river of Qing Shui. The girl was called Bao Si. Bao Hongde bought Bao Si some new dresses. Several days later, Bao Hongde presented Bao Si to Zhou King You who loved her at first sight. Zhou King You adored her and ordered Bao Xiang to be released and reinstated his officialdom.

Zhou King You kept Bao Si in the palace in a place called Qiong Tai (瓊臺) without the Queen's knowledge. For ten days and nights Zhou King You did not want to see any of the official bacause he was infatuated with Bao Si.

For three months the King did not go to see the Queen. The Queen sent some one to find out what had happened to the King. The messenger returned and conveyed to her all about the new concubine Bao Si.

One day, the Queen intentionally ventured to Qiong Tai where Bao Si lived. The Queen saw the King sitting next to Bao Si chatting happily. Bao Si did not stand up and pay curtsey to her. The Queen was ferious and went towards them and asked:
"Who is this bitch who does not pay me respect?"

Fearing that the Queen might hit her the King stood up protecting Bao Si. The King told the Queen that:

"She is my new girl. I have not given her any position in the palace yet."

The Queen scolded Bao Si for sometime and then went off.

The Queen was very unhappy. Her son, Ji Yijiu, the Crwon Prince saw her with long faces and sad and asked,

"What's the matter mother?'

The Queen told her son about Bao Si and his father. She also told him that Bao Si did not respect her at all. The Crown Prince was very angry and told his mother that he would go and teach that Bao Si a lesson the next day.

The next day, while the King was at Court, Ji Yijiu, the Crown Prince went to Qiong Tai with a group of ladies-in-waiting. They destroyed all the flowers in the garden. Many girls, who were supposed to look after Bao Si, came out from Qiong Tai trying to stop them from destroying the flowers. Eventually, the two groups of ladies started fighting. Bao Si came out to see what the commotion was all about. On seeing Bao Si the Crown Prince went up to her and started beating her. Bao Si was severely beaten by the Crown Prince. Bao Si's maids came and begged the Crown Prince for mercy and spare her life. With satisfaction Ji Yijiu went away with his group.

That night, as soon as Bao Si saw Zhou King You she started crying loudly. The King was surprised to see her in such a condition with bruisers all over her face and arms. Zhou King You asked her what had happened to her in such a bad condition. Bao Si related the events of what had happened that morning and confided to him that she was two months pregnant.

The next day the King issued an order and sent the Crown Prince to live in the State of Shen, his grandfather's place. The King directed his father-in-law, Marquis Shen, to educate his son. So the Crown Prince was banished to the state of Shen.

A few months later, Bao Si gave birth to a baby boy who was named Bo Fu (伯服). The King loved his newly born baby boy very much. He thought of going to replace the Crown Prince with Bo Fu. But he was afraid that without an excuse the Court officials would not agree with him. There were already two officials secretly plotting with Bao Si to have the Crown Prince replaced by Bo Fu.
.............................to be continued...............

From the book
史記 (Shi Ji) by 司馬遷 (Sima Qian 145BC to 86BC))
周本紀第四 in chapter 4
Written in Chinese classical language

Translated into English
by CHUNG Yoo-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 01072003

Yoon-Ngan

Reply To This Message

Chinese History - The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (4)

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 07-03-03 01:39

From the Yellow Emperor to the Republic -
The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (4)
由黃帝至民國 - 東周朝

Since the incident, which was incurred by the Crown Prince, the King did not go to visit the Queen for a long time. The Queen was lonely and cried all the time. With the passage of time, she missed her son very much. One of her maids suggested to her to write a letter to her son. The Queen said that there was no one to deliver the letter. The maid said told the Qeen that her mother could be her messenger and besides her mother was a herbalist. She suggested to the Queen to pretend to be sick so that she could call her mother to come to the palace to treat the Queen. While her mother treating her the Queen could give the latter to her mother..

Pretending to be ill the Queen sent for the mother of the maid named Wen Ao (溫媼) to treat her. After the consultation the Queen gave Wen Ao a letter to be sent to her son in the state of Shen. All these activities were closely watched by another maid who was spying for Bao Si. A full report was given to Bao Si by the informer.

While on her way out of the palace Wen Ao was stopped by the palace guards who were directed to do so by Bao Si. Wen Ao was searched thoroughly by the guards. They found the letter sewed into her sleeve. The last sentence of the letter was written as,

" 別作計較 We shall discuss our plan further when we meet."

That night Bao Si showed the letter to the King and specially reminded him of the last sentence in the letter. After reading the letter the King was so angry that immediately he drew out his sword and had Wen Ao killed. Bao Si also told the King that she and her son were in danger of being killed if anything could have happened to him. When the Crown Prince had become the King she and her son would not survive and the Crown Prince's mother would not allow them to live either. Bao Si manipulated the King to have the Queen banished to a isolated room in the palace. The King promoted Bao Si the Queen and her son Bo Fu the Crown Prince.

Marquis Shen, the ruler of the State of Shen, was very angry over the treatment of his daughter and his grandson by Zhou King You. Inspite of that there was nothing he could do as he was not strong enough to take on his son-in-law

Now Bao Si had become the new Queen. The King noticed that she never smiled. She could be more beautiful if she smiled. In order to see more of her beautiful the King engagged many musicians, dancers and employed many other means to make Bao Si smile. As a result she just would not smile. Some one said that she could smile by hearing the sound of tearing the silk clothe. So the King ordered 200 yards of silk clothes to be torn in front of her just trying to make her smile. She was very happy to hear the sound of tearing the silk clothes, but she just wouldn't smile. An official made a suggestion to the King to light the smoke towers in Lishan Mountain (驪山) where the King had a summer palace.

One summer, the King and Bao Si with their entourage went up to the summer palace in Lishan Mountain for holiday. One night, the King ordered to light the smoke towers and beat all the war drums. The smoke rose to the sky for thousands of yards high. Miles away could see the smoke rising up towards the sky. It had been arranged between the Zhou Court and the vassal States that the rising smoke from the smoke towers in Lishan Mountain meant the Zhourt Court was in trouble and the vassal States should go to help. The noise of the drums were very loud. Seeing the smoke rising from Lishan Mountain the armies of the vassal States knew that the King was in trouble and needed help. They rushed to Lishan Mountain to assist the King. When they arrived there they discovered that the King was not in trouble but trying to make the Queen smile. Looking at troops of the vassal in panic the Queen opened her mouth and laughed. She laughed and laughed. She was very, very beautiful when she laughed. The King was very happy to see his beautiful wife laughed. The troops went back to their respective States disgusted.

The historians called it,
千金買笑=Qian jin mai xiao or
Using a thousand pieces of gold to buy the smile of a beautiful girl.
The poem says:

良夜驪宮奏管簧﹐=Liang ye Li Gong zou guan huang,
無端烽火燭穹蒼。=Wu duan feng huo zhu qiong cang.
可憐列國奔馳苦﹐=Ke lian lie guo ben chi ku,
止博褒妃笑一場。=Zhi bo Bao Fei xiao yi chang.

The reed pipe music was playing in Li Palace on a fine night.
For no reason the beacon-fire was lighted - smoke rising into the sky.
The troops of the Vassal States rushed to the rescue,
It was only a game to make Concubine Bao laugh.

............................to be continued.....................

From the book
史記 (Shi Ji) by 司馬遷 (Sima Qian 145BC to 86BC))
周本紀第四 in chapter 4
Written in Chinese classical language
Translated into English

by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 03072003

Yoon-Ngan

Reply To This Message

Chinese History - The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (5)

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 07-04-03 02:29

From the Yellow Emperor to the Republic -
The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (5)
由黃帝至民國 - 東周朝

Knowing his son-in-law, the King, had dismissed his grandson as the Crown Prince and had his daughter, the Queen, imprisoned in an ioslated room in the palace, the ruler of Shen was very angry. He wrote the King a letter warning the King of the danger lying ahead because he had broken the traditional rules of the Zhou Court. After reading the letter, the King was furious and issued an order to prepare a punitive force to attack the state of Shen. An informer of Shen rushed back to Shen to inform the rule of Shen the news of the impending attack.

Since Shen was only a small State it had limited power to take on the central authority of the land, the Zhou Court. The ruler of Shen did not know what to do. An official advised him to ask the Quan Rong (犬戎) for help. Quan Rong was the nomadic tribe living in the northwest. The ruler of Shen made a deal with the Quan Rong and agreed to give them all the treasures they could get in the capital if they could help him to overthrow the King. So the conspiration against the King between them was sealed. The ruler of Shen told his officials to keep the plan in secret.

先發制人﹐=Xian fa zhi ren,
機不可失。=Ji bu ke shi.

In order to gain the initiative, it is imperative to strike first,
Don't let slip an opportunity.

In 771BC, the combined forces of the Shen and the Quan Rong marched towards Hao (鎬) the capital. On hearing that the Quan Rong and the Shen forces were approaching the capital, the King was in panic and screamed at his officials for leaking out the news about the attack on the state of Shen. That night, the King sent guards to Li Shan to light the beacon-fire in the smoke towers sending smoke into the sky signing to the vassal forces that the King was in trouble and needed help. Athough the signal smoke was rising thousands of feet high up into the sky there were no troops from the vassal States coming to his aid because they thought that the King was trying to make the fools of them again, playing the game to make Concubine Bao laugh.

The King's troops could not withstand the attack by the combined forces of the state of Shen and the Quan Rong. The loyal official, Ji Boyou (姬伯友), the ruler of the state of Zheng (鄭國) and the uncle of the King, was protecting the King, Bao Si and Bo Fu, the newly crowned young Prince. They tried to escape to Li Shan. While on their way, Ji Boyou was killed by the Quan Rong. The King and the young Crown Prince were also killed in the turmoil. Bao Si was captured by the Quan Rong fighters. Owing to her beauty Bao Si's life was spared. She was kept for the leader of the Quan Rong.

The Quan Rong troops entered the capital. They ransacked it. They robbed all the valuable things from the residents. They even raped the women they could find in the capital. The capital was totally razed to the ground. Everything in the capital was destroyed, including the historical records of the Zhou and other preceding dynasties.

The ruler of Shen with his troops rushed to the burning palace in search of his daughter, the Queen. The troops were desperately looking for the Queen because they were afraid that she could be burned to death. They found her safe and sound in a room that was not on fire. She was rescued. They tried to put out the fire but it was of no avail.

Even though the capital was destroyed and rummaged the Quan Rong would not leave the city. Actually, the ruler of Shen had invited the enemies to the capital. That was equivalent to allow rogues to enter one's premises.

Ji Yijiu (姬宜臼), the Crown Prince assembled an army from States of Zheng, Wei (衛國), Qin (秦國) and Jin (晉國). The army of the state of Zheng was under the command of Ji Juetu (姬掘突), the eledst son of Ji Boyou and the heir apparent of the state of Zheng. Ji He (姬和), the 10th ruler of the state of Wei was leading the Wei troops. The army of the state of Qin was led by Ying Kai (嬴開), the 6th ruler of the state of Qin. The Jin troops was under the command of Ji Chou (姬仇) who was the 11th ruler of the state of Jin. Together, they marched to rescue the capital.

At that time the ruler of Shen, the grandfather of the Crown Prince, with his troops were still with the Quan Rong in the capital. The Crown Prince made contact with his grandfather. Grandson and grandfather planned to expel the Quan Rong from the capital. The Crown Prince leading the forces of the vassal States attacked the Quan Rong. The ruler of Shen, with his troops, responded from inside the capital. They drove the Quan Rong back to the desert in the northwest where they belonged. The Quan Rong took Bao Si with them.

............to be continued.................

From the book
史記 (Shi Ji) by 司馬遷 (Sima Qian 145BC to 86BC))
周本紀第四 in chapter 4
Written in Chinese classical language

Translated into English
by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 04072003

Yoon-Ngan

Reply To This Message

Chinese History - The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (6)

Author: CHUNG Yoon-Ngan
Date: 07-05-03 01:19

From the Yellow Emperor to the Republic -
The inception of Dong Zhou Dynasty (6)
由黃帝至民國 - 東周朝

驪山一笑犬戎嗔﹐=Li Shan yi xiao Quan Rong chen,
弧矢童謠已驗真。=Hu shi tong yao yi yan zhen.
十八年來猶報應﹐=Shi ba nian lai you bao ying,
挽回造化是何人﹖=Wan hui zao hua shi he ren?

Due to laughing on Mount Lishan, the Quan Rong were angry;
The nursery rhyme proved to be true.
18 years later (770BC) the retribution came.
Who should be credited for retrieving the (Zhou's) fortune?

Back in 789BC, Zhou King Xuan was on his way home from Taiyuan to the capital, Hao. Having been defeated by the Quan Rong he heard a group of young children singing a rhyme,

"The moon is about to rise
The sun is about to set
Wooden bows will turn into baskets
Very soon the Zhou State will fall."

The man, whose wife was arrested and executed by Zhou King Xuan, found an abandoned baby girl crying on the bank of river Qing Shui while escaping. The man picked her up and took her back to his house, adopting Bao Si as his daughter. He raised her, and sold her to Bao Hongde who presented her to Zhou King You. Bao Si was the cause of the death of Zhou King You and the destruction of his reign.

When peace returned to the capital, Ji Yijiu was installed Zhou King Ping (周平王) by the rulers of vassal states of Zheng, Qin, Jin, Wei and Jin. Since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty the Kingship was passed down from father to son. However, Ji Yijiu was dismissed by his father, Zhou King You, as the inducted Crown Prince. The newly inducted baby Crown Prince, Bo Fu, was killed by the Quan Rong. In actual fact there was one to succeed Zhou King You when he was killed by the Quan Rong. Unanimously the five rulers of the vassal state installed Ji Yijiu the new King of the Zhou Dynasty.

Since the palaces were totally destroyed and most of the houses were ruined Zhou King Ping discussed with his officials about the future of his administration. Zhou King Ping suggested to move the capital to the east to the city of Cheng Zhou (成周 present day Louyang 洛陽 in Henan province 河南省). The official, unanimously agreed on the shifting of the capital.

Again back in 782BC, on the day of holding a ceremony for worshipping Heaven, Zhou King Xuan was alone in the palace temple abstaining from meat, wine, sex etc since he was going to perform the offering sacrifice to Heaven the next day. That night, he dreamt of seeing a beautiful girl coming from the west and walking towards him. The beautiful girl laughed three times loudly and cried three times loudly. Collecting the seven memorial tablets and binding them together with a stringe she then walked towards the east and disappeared.

The prediction was that, the girl coming from the west was the Quan Rong. She collected the seven memorial tablets and binding them together walking towards the east and disppeared meant the shifting of the Zhou capital to the east.

The following year in 770BC Zhou King Ping moved his capital to Cheng Zhou, the beginning of the Dong Zhou Dynasty (東周朝 770BC to 256BC). The territory control by the Zhou Court was only about twenty thosand square kilometers. Its financial and manpower had greatly been reduced. It had lost its vitality and the power to interfer the disputes among the vassal states.

The land entered the Spring and Autumn Period (春秋時代 722BC to 481BC). The vassal states looked at the Centre Authority as the spent force. At the passage of time some vassal states became stronger and their territories larger than that of the Zhou Court, the centre authority. They did not show respect to the Zhou Kings. The strong, big and powerful vassal states began to conquer and annex the weak and smaller ones.

From the book
史記 (Shi Ji) by 司馬遷 (Sima Qian 145BC to 86BC))
周本紀第四 in chapter 4
Written in Chinese classical language

Translated into English
by CHUNG Yoon-Ngan (鄭永元)
All rights reserved 05072003

Yoon-Ngan

Reply To This Message

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