Duke Huan, Year 6
In the sixth year, in spring, the first month, "they came indeed."
In summer, the fourth month, the Duke Huan met the Marquis of Ji at Cheng.
In autumn, the eighth month, on the renwu day, a great military review was held. The people of Cai killed Chen Tuo.
In the ninth month, on the dingmao day, the Duke Huan's son Tong was born.
In winter, the Marquis of Ji came to pay a court visit.
In the sixth year, one came from Cao to pay court; the scribe recorded it as "they came indeed," because that person could no longer return to his own state.
King Wu of Chu invaded the state of Sui. He sent Wei Zhang to sue for peace, and stationed the army at Xia to await the outcome. The people of Sui sent the Junior Master to conduct the negotiations. Dou Bobi said to the King of Chu: "We cannot gain our ambitions east of the Han River because of our own doing. We have enlarged our three armies, put our armor and weapons in order, and used military force to intimidate them. They, in fear, will unite against us, making it difficult to sow discord. Among the states east of the Han, Sui is the largest. If Sui becomes powerful, it will surely abandon the smaller states; if the smaller states become alienated, it will be advantageous to Chu. This Junior Master is arrogant. Please deliberately display a weak army to inflate his pride." Xiong Lǜqie Bi said: "With Ji Liang there, what use is this?" Dou Bobi replied: "This is a plan for the future. The Junior Master can gain the ruler's trust." The King of Chu then deliberately damaged the army's appearance and received the Junior Master. After the Junior Master returned, he requested to pursue the Chu army. The Marquis of Sui was about to consent, but Ji Liang remonstrated, saying: "Heaven is presently blessing Chu. The weakness of the Chu army is a lure. Why is our lord so hasty? I have heard that a small state can resist a large one because the small state possesses the Way while the large state is without it. What is called the Way means being loyal to the people and trustworthy towards the spirits. When the ruler thinks of benefiting the people, that is loyalty; when the prayer officers' words are upright, that is trustworthiness. Now the people are starving while our lord indulges his private desires, and the prayer officers falsely report merits in their sacrifices—I do not see how this can succeed." The Marquis of Sui said: "My sacrificial victims are of pure color and fat, and my millet and grain are abundant and complete—why can this not be trustworthy?" Ji Liang replied: "The people are the masters of the spirits. Therefore, the sage kings first settled the people and only then devoted themselves to the spirits. Hence, when presenting the victims, they prayed: 'Large and fat,' meaning that the people's resources are universally abundant, that their animals are fat and numerous, that there is no disease, and that all varieties of fat and plumpness are complete. When presenting the millet and grain, they prayed: 'Pure grain, abundant and complete,' meaning that the three seasons of spring, summer, and autumn have no calamities, the people are harmonious, and the harvest is bountiful. When presenting the fine wine, they prayed: 'Good millet and sweet wine,' meaning that both high and low possess good virtue and no evil thoughts. What is called fragrance is the absence of slander and wickedness. Therefore, they devoted themselves to the agricultural tasks of the three seasons, cultivated the teachings of the five constants, drew near to the nine clans, and thus offered sacrifices to the spirits. In this way, the people were harmonious and the spirits bestowed blessings, so every action succeeded. Now the people are of different minds, and the ghosts and spirits have no master. Though our lord alone offers abundant sacrifices, what blessing can he obtain? Let our lord for the time being cultivate good government and draw near to the brother states; perhaps he may escape disaster." The Marquis of Sui became afraid, so he cultivated good government, and Chu dared not attack.
In summer, the meeting at Cheng was because the state of Ji came to discuss how to deal with the calamity from Qi.
The Northern Rong attacked Qi. Qi sent someone to seek help from Zheng. The Crown Prince Hu of Zheng led the army to rescue Qi. In the sixth month, he greatly defeated the Rong army, captured their two commanders, Da Liang and Shao Liang, and cut off the heads of three hundred armored soldiers, presenting them to Qi. Thereupon, the grandees of the various states guarded Qi. The people of Qi sent food gifts and asked Lu to arrange the order of precedence, placing Zheng last. The Crown Prince Hu of Zheng was angered by his own merit being slighted, and this later led to the battle at Lang. At first, before the Duke Huan had formed a marriage alliance with Qi, Duke Xi of Qi wanted to give Wen Jiang to the Crown Prince Hu of Zheng as a wife, but the Crown Prince Hu declined. Someone asked him the reason. The prince said: "Each person has his own match. Qi is powerful, but it is not my match. The Odes say: 'Seek much happiness for oneself.' It lies in oneself alone—what can a great state do?" The gentleman said: "He was good at planning for himself." Later, after he defeated the Rong army, Duke Xi of Qi again requested to marry another woman to him, but he firmly declined. Someone asked him the reason. The prince said: "When I had done nothing for Qi, I still did not dare to marry. Now, having gone to Qi's emergency on the ruler's command, to take a wife back home would be to use war to secure a marriage. What would the people say about me?" Thereupon, he declined in the presence of the Earl of Zheng.
In autumn, the great military review was held to inspect the chariots and horses.
In the ninth month, on the dingmao day, the Duke Huan's son Tong was born. The ceremony for the birth of a crown prince was performed: the tailao sacrifice was offered to receive him, a scholar was selected by divination to carry him, the scholar's wife nursed him, and the Duke Huan, Wen Jiang, and the women of the same clan named him. The Duke Huan asked Shen Xu about the matter of naming. Shen Xu replied: "There are five categories of names: those based on trust, on righteousness, on resemblance, on borrowing, and on analogy. Naming by a characteristic at birth is trust; by an auspicious word is righteousness; by a similar thing is resemblance; by borrowing the name of something is borrowing; by taking an association from the father is analogy. One must not use the name of a state, nor the name of an office, nor the name of a mountain or river, nor the name of a hidden disease, nor the name of a sacrificial animal, nor the name of a vessel or ritual gift. The Zhou people serve the spirits by means of taboo. A person's name is to be tabooed after death. Therefore, using a state name would abolish the state name, using an office name would abolish the office, using a mountain or river name would abolish the mountain or river's spirit, using a sacrificial animal name would abolish the sacrifice, and using a vessel or ritual gift name would abolish the ritual. Jin abolished the office of situ because of Duke Xi, Song abolished the office of sikong because of Duke Wu, and our former rulers Duke Xian and Duke Wu abolished the names of two mountains. Therefore, great things should not be used for naming." The Duke Huan said: "This child was born on the same heavenly stem day as I, so I name him Tong."
In winter, the Marquis of Ji came to pay a court visit, requesting to seek peace with Qi through the command of the Son of Heaven. The Duke Huan told him this could not be done.