The Twenty-seventh Year of Duke Xiang

In the spring of the twenty-seventh year, the Marquis of Qi sent Qing Feng to Lu on a diplomatic mission.

In the summer, Shusun Bao met with Zhao Wu of Jin, Qu Jian of Chu, Gongsun Guisheng of Cai, Shi E of Wei, Kong Huan of Chen, Liang Xiao of Zheng, and representatives from Xu and Cao in Song.

Wei executed their grand master Ning Xi.

The Marquis of Wei’s younger brother Kuai fled to Jin.

In the autumn, on the day Xinsi of the seventh month, Shusun Bao formed a covenant with the grand masters of the various states in Song.

In the winter, on the first day of the twelfth month, Yimao, a solar eclipse occurred.

In the spring of the twenty-seventh year, Xu Liangdai ordered the states that had lost their cities to prepare chariot troops and infantry to receive their lands, and the actions had to be carried out discreetly. He had Wu Yu prepare chariot troops and infantry to receive his fief. Wu Yu led his followers out. Xu Liangdai made the other states pretend to grant Wu Yu his fief, and in doing so, seized Wu Yu, capturing all his people. He reclaimed all of Wu Yu’s cities and returned them to the various states. As a result, the states became friendly toward Jin.

Qing Feng of Qi came to Lu on a diplomatic mission, and his carriage was very ornate. Meng Sun said to Shusun, “Is Qing Feng’s carriage not very splendid?” Shusun replied, “I have heard: ‘If one’s carriage and clothing are splendid but not matched to one’s status, it will surely bring misfortune.’ What use is a splendid carriage?” Shusun entertained Qing Feng with a meal, and Qing Feng behaved disrespectfully. Shusun recited the poem “Xiang Shu” for him, but Qing Feng did not understand its meaning.

Ning Xi of Wei monopolized power, and Duke Xian of Wei worried about this. Gongsun Sheyu requested to kill Ning Xi. Duke Xian of Wei said, “Without Ningzi, I would not be where I am today. I have already spoken with him. The outcome is still uncertain, and it would only bring a bad reputation. Stop it.” Gongsun Sheyu replied, “If I, your servant, kill him, you, my lord, need not be involved or know about it.” He then plotted with Gongsun Wudi and Gongsun Chen to attack the Ning clan. They did not succeed, and both died in the attempt. Duke Xian of Wei said, “Gongsun Chen was without fault; both father and son died for me!” In the summer, Gongsun Sheyu attacked the Ning clan again, killed Ning Xi and Youzai Gu, and displayed their corpses in the court. Shi E was about to attend the covenant in Song. Having received his orders and prepared to depart, he dressed Ning Xi’s corpse, lay across its thighs, and wept loudly. He wanted to encoffin the corpse and then flee, but feared he could not escape harm, and also said, “I have already received my orders.” So he departed. Zixian said, “The one who drove me out has fled; the one who took me in is dead. Rewards and punishments lack any standard; how can evil be stopped and good encouraged? The lord has lost his trust, and the state has no penalties—is this not difficult? Moreover, Kuai indeed caused him to act this way.” So Zixian fled to Jin. Duke Xian of Wei sent someone to stop him, but he refused. When he reached the Yellow River, Duke Xian of Wei again sent someone to stop him, and he refused the envoy and swore an oath by the river. He lived in Mumen and would not face toward Wei even when sitting. The grand master of Mumen urged him to take office, but he refused, saying, “To take office and neglect one’s duties is a crime; if one serves diligently, it only highlights the reasons for my exile. To whom can I appeal? I cannot stand in another’s court.” He never held office for the rest of his life. Duke Xian of Wei mourned for him, observing mourning as if for a close relative for the rest of his life. Duke Xian of Wei granted Gongsun Sheyu sixty cities, but Gongsun Sheyu declined, saying, “Only a qing is entitled to a hundred cities; your servant already has sixty. To hold a lower position yet enjoy the emoluments of a higher one is chaos. Your servant dares not hear of such a thing. Moreover, Ningzi died precisely because he had too many cities. Your servant fears that death would come quickly.” Duke Xian of Wei insisted on giving them to him, so he accepted half. He was made junior master. Duke Xian of Wei wanted to make him a qing, but he declined, saying, “Dai Shuyi is loyal and capable of assisting in great affairs. My lord should appoint him instead.” So Wenzi was made qing.

In Song, Xiang Xu was very friendly with Zhao Wenzi and also very friendly with Lingyin Zimu. He wanted to eliminate wars among the feudal lords to gain fame. He went to Jin to inform Zhao Meng, and Zhao Meng discussed it with the various senior officials. Han Xuanzi said: "War harms the people, consumes resources, and is a great disaster for small states. Someone wants to eliminate it. Although it may not be achievable, we must agree. If we do not agree, Chu will agree and use it to summon the feudal lords, and then we will lose our position as leader of the alliance." The people of Jin agreed. Xiang Xu went to Chu, and the people of Chu also agreed. Xiang Xu went to Qi, and the people of Qi found it difficult. Chen Wenzi said: "Jin and Chu have both agreed. How can we not agree? Moreover, others say 'eliminate war,' and if we do not agree, it will cause our people to become disaffected. How then can we use them?" The people of Qi agreed. Xiang Xu informed Qin, and the people of Qin also agreed. Xiang Xu informed all the small states of these matters and held a meeting in Song. On the day Jiawu in the fifth month, Zhao Wu of Jin arrived in Song. On the day Bingwu, Liang Xiao of Zheng arrived. On the first day of the sixth month, Dingwei, the people of Song held a feast to entertain Zhao Wenzi, with Shuxiang as his assistant. The Sima placed the dismembered meat on the stand, which was in accordance with ritual. Confucius had this feast recorded, considering that there was much elegant speech in it. On the day Wushen, Shusun Bao, Qing Feng of Qi, Xu Wu of Chen, and Shi E of Wei arrived. On the day Jiayin, Xun Ying of Jin arrived following Zhao Wu. On the day Bingchen, Duke Dao of Zhu arrived. On the day Renxu, Gongzi Heigong of Chu arrived ahead of time and finalized the covenant with Jin. On the day Dingmao, Xiang Xu of Song went to Chen, following Zimu to finalize the covenant with Chu. On the day Wuchen, Duke Cheng of Teng arrived. Zimu said to Xiang Xu, requesting that the vassal states of Jin and Chu pay mutual visits. On the day Gengwu, Xiang Xu reported back to Zhao Meng. Zhao Meng said: "Jin, Chu, Qi, and Qin are states of equal status. Jin cannot command Qi, just as Chu cannot command Qin. If the ruler of Chu can make the ruler of Qin condescend to visit our humble city, how would our ruler dare not earnestly request this of Qi?" On the day Renshen, the Left Master Xiang Xu again spoke these words to Zimu, and Zimu sent a courier by relay to report to the King of Chu. The King of Chu said: "Let Qi and Qin be exempted; for the other states, request them to pay mutual visits." In autumn, on the day Wuyin in the seventh month, the Left Master Xiang Xu arrived. That night, Zhao Meng and Gongzi Heigong concluded a covenant, unifying the covenant text. On the day Gengchen, Zimu arrived from Chen. Kong Huan of Chen and Gongsun Guisheng of Cai arrived. The senior officials of Cao and Xu also all arrived. The armies used fences as encampments, with Jin and Chu each stationed on one side of the camp. Bo Su said to Zhao Meng: "The atmosphere of Chu is very bad; there may be trouble." Zhao Meng said: "We will turn left and enter Song. What can they do to us?" On the day Xinsi, they were about to hold the covenant outside the west gate of Song. The Chu people wore armor under their outer garments. Bo Zhouli said: "Gathering the armies of the feudal lords and then acting without trust—is this not permissible? The feudal lords expect trust from Chu, and that is why they come to submit. If there is no trust, this abandons the means by which the feudal lords are brought to submission." He firmly requested that the armor be removed. Zimu said: "Jin and Chu have lacked trust for a long time. It is enough that the action is beneficial. If the goal can be achieved, why must trust be used?" Grand Master Bo Zhouli withdrew and told others: "The Lingyin will die within less than three years. He seeks to satisfy his desires and abandons trust. Can his desires be fulfilled? Desires give rise to words, words express trust, and trust establishes desires. These three depend on each other and are fixed. If trust is gone, how can he live for three years?" Zhao Meng was worried that the Chu people wore armor under their outer garments and told Shuxiang about it. Shuxiang said: "What harm is there? If an ordinary person acts without trust, it is still unacceptable, and in the end, they will not die a natural death. If the ministers of the feudal lords meet and act without trust, they will surely not succeed. Those who break their word will not cause harm to others; this is not your calamity. If you summon others with trust but achieve your ends with deceit, no one will be willing to approach you. How then can they harm us? Moreover, we rely on Song to guard against disaster, so the people of Song will fight to the death. If we resist together with Song, even double the Chu army can be withstood. What are you afraid of? And further, matters have not yet reached that point. If they say they eliminate war to summon the feudal lords, but then start a war to harm us, we will gain much benefit. This is not something to worry about." Ji Wuzi sent someone in the name of the Duke of Lu to tell Shusun: "Regard Lu as equal to Zhu and Teng." Soon after, the people of Qi requested that Zhu be treated as their dependency, and the people of Song requested that Teng be treated as their dependency. Therefore, Zhu and Teng did not participate in the covenant. Shusun said: "Zhu and Teng are the private dependencies of other states; we are a full state. Why should we be regarded as equal to them? Song and Wei are states equal to us." Thereupon he participated in the covenant. For this reason, the Spring and Autumn Annals does not record Shusun's clan name, implying that he disobeyed orders. Jin and Chu disputed over who should be the first to smear the blood. The people of Jin said: "Jin has always been the leader of the feudal lords; never has anyone smeared blood before Jin." The people of Chu said: "You say that Jin and Chu are of equal status. If Jin is always the first to smear blood, then this means Chu is weaker. Moreover, Jin and Chu have taken turns presiding over the meetings of the feudal lords for a long time! How can Jin be the sole presider?" Shuxiang said to Zhao Meng: "The feudal lords submit to Jin's virtue, not to its presiding over meetings. Devote yourself to virtue, and do not dispute over precedence! Moreover, when the feudal lords covenant, small states have always had someone to preside. If Chu acts as Jin's assistant, is that not also acceptable?" Thereupon they let Chu be the first to smear the blood. The Spring and Autumn Annals records Jin first in the text because Jin had trust. On the day Renwu, the Duke of Song simultaneously hosted a feast to entertain the senior officials of Jin and Chu. Zhao Meng was the chief guest. Zimu spoke with him, and Zhao Meng could not answer; he had Shuxiang assist in responding, and Zimu also could not answer. On the day Yiyou, the Duke of Song and the senior officials of the feudal lords concluded the covenant outside the Meng Gate. Zimu asked Zhao Meng: "What was the virtue of Fan Wuzi like?" Zhao Meng replied: "His household affairs were well-managed, and in Jin, he spoke without concealment. His prayer officers presented sincerity to the spirits and ghosts, with no words that brought shame before them." Zimu returned and told this to the King of Chu. The King of Chu said: "How noble! He was able to please both spirits and men. No wonder he could brilliantly assist five rulers and make them leaders of the alliance." Zimu then said to the King of Chu: "Jin's hegemony is deserved! With Shuxiang to assist their ministers, Chu has no one to match him. We cannot contend with Jin." Xun Ying of Jin then went to Chu to participate in the meeting.

The Earl of Zheng entertained Zhao Meng at Chuilong with a ceremonial feast. Zizhan, Boyou, Zixi, Zichan, Zitai-shu, Yinduan, and Gongsun Duan were in attendance. Zhao Meng said, "These seven gentlemen accompany their ruler—this is an honor for me, Zhao Wu. I request that each of you recite a poem to complete the ruler's gift, and through this I may also observe your aspirations." Zizhan recited the poem "Grasshopper." Zhao Meng said, "Excellent! This is the master of the people. But I, Zhao Wu, am not worthy of such praise." Boyou recited the poem "The Fluttering of the Quail's Plumes." Zhao Meng said, "Words spoken between the bed and the mat should not be passed beyond the door, let alone in the open fields? This is not something an envoy ought to hear." Zixi recited the fourth stanza of "Millet Sprouts." Zhao Meng said, "My ruler is above; what ability do I, Zhao Wu, possess?" Zichan recited the poem "The Lowland Mulberry." Zhao Meng said, "I, Zhao Wu, request to accept its final stanza." Zitai-shu recited the poem "Wild Creepers in the Field." Zhao Meng said, "This is a grace bestowed by you." Yinduan recited the poem "The Cricket." Zhao Meng said, "Excellent! This is a master who can preserve his clan. I have hope!" Gongsun Duan recited the poem "The Sparrowhawk." Zhao Meng said, "Neither arrogant nor negligent—where else could blessings and emoluments go? If one can maintain these words, even wishing to decline blessings and emoluments, is it possible?" The feast concluded. Wenzi said to Shuxiang, "Boyou is about to be killed! Poetry is used to express aspirations; his aspiration is to slander his ruler and openly resent him, using this as glory before a guest. Can he last long? If lucky, he may escape into exile a little later." Shuxiang said, "Correct. He is already excessively extravagant. What is called 'within five years' refers to this man." Wenzi said, "The rest are all masters of clans that will continue for several generations. Zizhan will likely be the last to perish, for being in a high position yet not forgetting to humble himself. The Yin clan is next—joyful but not dissolute. Using joy to settle the people, not exhausting their labor to drive them, being the last to perish—is that not fitting?"

Xiang Xu, the Left Master of Song, requested a reward, saying, "I beg for a city that grants immunity from death." Duke Ping of Song granted him sixty cities and showed the bamboo slip to Zihan. Zihan said, "As for all the small states of the feudal lords, the reason Jin and Chu use military force to intimidate them is that through fear, they become reverent and harmonious from top to bottom; through reverent harmony, they can then secure their state and serve the great states—this is the way of survival. Without intimidation, they become arrogant; arrogance leads to chaos; chaos inevitably leads to ruin—this is the way of destruction. Heaven generates the five materials, and the people use them all. Abandoning even one is impossible—who can remove military force? Military force has been established for a long time; it is used to intimidate the lawless and to manifest civil virtue. Sages rise through it, the rebellious are deposed by it. The ways of deposal and rise, survival and destruction, ignorance and wisdom, all stem from military force. Yet you seek to remove it—is this not deceit? To deceive the feudal lords with the way of deceit—there is no greater crime than this. Even if there were no major punishment, to then request a reward is the height of insatiable greed!" Thereupon, he scraped the characters off the bamboo slip and discarded it. The Left Master then declined the cities. The Xiang clan wanted to attack Sima Zihan, but the Left Master said, "I was about to perish; this gentleman preserved me. No kindness is greater than this—how could I attack him?" The gentleman said, "'That man is the straight-talking minister of the state.' Does this refer to Lexi? 'As he shows me care, so I accept it.' Does this refer to Xiang Xu?"

In Qi, Cui Zhu fathered Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang, then his wife died. He then married Dongguo Jiang, who bore Cui Ming. Dongguo Jiang brought her son from her previous husband into the household, named Tang Wujiu, who together with Dongguo Yan assisted the Cui clan. Cui Cheng was ill and was deposed from the succession; Cui Ming was established instead. Cui Cheng requested to retire to Cuiyi for his old age. Cui Zhu agreed, but Dongguo Yan and Tang Wujiu refused, saying, "Cuiyi is the city of the ancestral temple; it must belong to the legitimate heir." Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang became angry and wanted to kill them. They informed Qing Feng, saying, "Our lord's character is also known to you—he only listens to Tang Wujiu and Dongguo Yan, and the elders of the clan are not allowed to speak. We are very worried that harm might come to our lord, and thus we presume to inform you." Qing Feng said, "Withdraw for now; let me consider it." Qing Feng told Lu Puqie. Lu Puqie said, "That man is the ruler's enemy. Heaven may be about to abandon him. He is indeed experiencing internal turmoil—why should you worry? If the Cui clan weakens, then the Qing clan will be strong." A few days later, Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang again informed Qing Feng. Qing Feng said, "If it benefits the lord, you must eliminate them! If there are difficulties, I will help you." On the day Gengchen of the ninth month, Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang killed Dongguo Yan and Tang Wujiu in the court of the Cui clan. Cui Zhu became enraged and fled; his followers all scattered, and he could not find anyone to drive his chariot. He had the stableman drive and the eunuch handle the reins as he went out. He said, "If the Cui clan has good fortune, may it only let me stop here." Thereupon, he went to see Qing Feng. Qing Feng said, "Cui and Qing are like one family. How dare these men do this! Allow me to punish them on your behalf." He sent Lu Puqie to lead armored men to attack the Cui clan. The Cui clan raised their walls to defend themselves and could not be overcome. Qing Feng then sent the state's commoners to help attack, and thus they destroyed the Cui clan, killed Cui Cheng and Cui Qiang, and captured the entire household of Cui. Cui Zhu's wife hanged herself. Lu Puqie reported back to Cui Zhu and drove him back. When they arrived at the Cui residence, there was no home left, so Cui Zhu hanged himself. Cui Ming hid in the great ancestral tomb during the night. On the day Xinsi, Cui Ming fled to Lu. Qing Feng took control of the state's government.

Wei Ba of Chu went to Jin to attend a covenant. Jin was about to hold a ceremonial feast in his honor. As he was about to come out, Wei Ba recited the poem "Already Drunk." Shuxiang said, "The Wei clan will have descendants in Chu—this is fitting! Receiving the ruler's command, he did not forget promptness. Zidang (Wei Ba) is about to take charge of the government. Serving the ruler with promptness, he will surely be able to nurture the people—where else could the government go?"

During the Cui clan's rebellion, Shen Xianyu fled to Lu, driving a chariot for hire in the suburbs, and he observed mourning for Duke Zhuang of Qi. In winter, the men of Chu summoned him, so he went to Chu and became the Right Minister.

On the first day of the eleventh month, a solar eclipse occurred. At the time, the handle of the Dipper pointed to Shen (the ninth month of the Zhou calendar). This was the fault of the astronomical officials, who had already omitted two intercalary months.