Duke Zhao's 19th Year
In the nineteenth year, in spring, the ruler of Song attacked the state of Zhu.
In summer, on the day wuchen of the fifth month, Crown Prince Zhi of Xu murdered his ruler, Mai.
On the day jimao, an earthquake occurred.
In autumn, Gao Fa of Qi led an army to attack the state of Ju.
In winter, Duke Dao of Xu was buried.
In the nineteenth year, in spring, the Chu official Gong Yin Chi moved the people of Yin to Xia Yin, and Ling Yin Zi Xia built a wall in the city of Jia. Shusun Zhaozi said: “Chu no longer pays attention to the feudal lords; they merely preserve themselves to maintain their lineage.”
When King Ping of Chu was in Cai, the daughter of the Feng lord of Liyang eloped with him and gave birth to Crown Prince Jian. When King Ping ascended the throne, he made Wu She the tutor of Crown Prince Jian and Fei Wuji the junior tutor. Fei Wuji was not favored and wanted to slander the crown prince to King Ping, saying: “Crown Prince Jian can take a wife.” King Ping sought a marriage alliance with Qin for Prince Jian, but Fei Wuji, involved in the betrothal, persuaded King Ping to marry the Qin woman himself. In the first month, Lady Ying of Chu arrived in Chu from Qin.
The wife of the ruler of Yu was the daughter of Xiang Xu of Song, so Xiang Ning requested troops from Song. In the second month, the ruler of Song attacked Zhu, besieging the place of Chong. In the third month, they captured Chong and then returned all the prisoners from Yu.
In summer, Duke Dao of Xu was suffering from malaria. On the day wuchen of the fifth month, he took medicine presented by Crown Prince Zhi and died. Crown Prince Zhi fled to Jin. The Spring and Autumn Annals records: “He murdered his ruler.” The gentleman said: “If one serves his ruler with utmost effort, it is permissible to forgo medicine.”
People from Zhu, Ni, and Xu met with the ruler of Song. On the day yihai, they formed an alliance at Chong. King Ping of Chu assembled a navy to attack the Pu region. Fei Wuji said to King Ping: “When Jin dominated, it was close to the central states, while Chu was remote and humble, so it could not contend with Jin. If you expand the walls of Chengfu and place the crown prince there to connect with the north, while you, O King, gather the south, you can gain the world.” King Ping was pleased and followed his advice. Thus Crown Prince Jian resided in Chengfu. Ling Yin Zi Xia went to Qin on a diplomatic mission to thank Qin for sending the lady.
In autumn, Gao Fa of Qi led an army to attack Ju. The ruler of Ju fled to Jizhang. Qi sent Sun Shu to attack Jizhang. Previously, there was a woman of Ju whose husband was killed by the ruler of Ju, leaving her a widow. When she grew old, she lived in Jizhang, spinning thread to measure the height of the walls and storing it. When the Qi army arrived, she threw the rope outside the city. Someone presented the rope to Zi Zhan (Sun Shu). Zi Zhan ordered soldiers to climb the walls with the rope at night; sixty men climbed up, but the rope broke. The army beat drums and shouted, and those on the walls joined the shouting. Duke Gong of Ju, frightened, fled through the western gate. In the seventh month, on the day bingzi, the Qi army entered Jizhang.
In this year, Si Yan of Zheng died. Zi You (Si Yan) had married a daughter of a Jin official and had a son, Si, who was young. His elder paternal relatives established Zi Xia (Si Qi). Zi Chan disliked Zi Xia’s character and considered the appointment improper, so he neither agreed nor forbade it. The Si clan was very anxious. Later, Si reported the matter to his maternal uncle. In winter, Jin sent an envoy with gifts to Zheng to inquire about the reason for establishing Si Qi. The Si clan was afraid, and Si Qi wanted to flee, but Zi Chan did not allow it. Zi Chan requested to use a turtle shell for divination, but he did not do so. The high officials discussed how to answer, but Zi Chan, without waiting for their consensus, replied to the guest: “Zheng has not been blessed by Heaven; several of our ruler’s ministers have died of illness or perished young. Now we have lost our former great official Si Yan. His son is young and weak, and his several elder relatives, fearing the extinction of the main lineage, consulted within the clan and established an elder relative. Our ruler and the several high officials said: ‘Perhaps Heaven truly intends to disrupt this clan; what can we know?’ A proverb says: ‘Do not pass by the gate of turmoil.’ When the common people are in turmoil and conflict, one fears to pass by, let alone dare to interfere with turmoil caused by Heaven. Now if you, great official, inquire into the reason, our ruler truly dares not know; who else can know? At the covenant of Pingqiu, your ruler renewed the old oath, saying: ‘Let no one neglect his duty.’ If among our ruler’s several ministers, some die and a Jin great official arbitrarily interferes with their succession, then Zheng becomes a border district of Jin—what kind of state would it be?” Zi Chan declined the gifts and returned the envoy’s offerings. The Jin people then ceased their inquiry.
The Chu people built a wall in Zhoula. Shen Yin Xu said: “The Chu people will surely be defeated. Formerly, when Wu destroyed Zhoula, Zi Qi requested to attack Wu, but the king said: ‘I have not yet pacified my people.’ Now, similarly, they build a wall in Zhoula to provoke Wu—how can they avoid defeat?” An attendant said: “The king gives alms tirelessly and has rested the people for five years; this can be called pacifying them.” Shen Yin Xu said: “I have heard that one who pacifies the people internally economizes expenditure and externally establishes virtue, so the people live in peace and have no enemies. Now the palaces are without limit, the people are daily terrified, exhausted and dying in droves, without time to sleep or eat—this is not pacifying the people.”
Zheng suffered a great flood, and dragons fought in the Wei Abyss outside the Shi Gate. The people requested a sacrificial ritual to avert calamity. Zi Chan did not consent, saying: “When we fight, dragons do not watch us; when dragons fight, why should we alone watch? To perform rituals for them—that place is originally their dwelling. I seek nothing from dragons, and dragons seek nothing from me.” Thus they did not perform the ritual.
Ling Yin Zi Xia spoke to King Ping of Chu about Jue You, saying: “What crime did he commit? The proverb says, ‘Angry at home, but showing a face in the marketplace’—this refers to Chu. Setting aside past anger is acceptable.” So they released Jue You and sent him back to his state.