Duke Ding, 9th Year

In the ninth year, in spring, the first month of the Zhou calendar.

In summer, in the fourth month, on the day wushen, Earl of Zheng, named Chai, died.

The precious jade and the great bow were obtained.

In the sixth month, Duke Xian of Zheng was buried.

In autumn, the Marquis of Qi and the Marquis of Wei encamped at Wushi.

The Earl of Qin died.

In winter, Duke Ai of Qin was buried.

In the ninth year, in spring, Duke Jing of Song sent Yue Da Xin to Jin to form an alliance and also to fetch the coffin of Yue Qi. Yue Da Xin declined, pretending to be ill, and instead sent Xiang Chao to Jin to form an alliance and to fetch the coffin of Ziliang (Yue Qi). Ziming (Yue Hun, son of Yue Qi), when Tongmen Right Master (Yue Da Xin) went out, said: “I am still in mourning garments, yet you strike the set of bells—why is this?” The Right Master said: “Because the mourning rites are not here.” Shortly afterward, the Right Master told others: “He himself wore mourning yet fathered a son—why should I stop striking the bells?” Ziming heard this, became angry, and said to Duke Jing of Song: “The Right Master will be harmful to the Dai clan (a noble family of Song). He refused to go to Jin, planning rebellion. Otherwise, he is not ill.” Thereupon, Tongmen Right Master (Yue Da Xin) was driven out.

Si Chuan of Zheng killed Deng Xi, but adopted the bamboo penal code that Deng Xi had formulated. The noble man considered that Si Chuan (Ziran) was not loyal in this matter. If something benefits the state, one may overlook its evil aspects. The third chapter of the poem Jingnü takes its meaning from the “red tube” (tongguan). In the poem Ganmao, the line “With what to tell him?” adopts its loyalty. Therefore, if one adopts a person’s proposals, one should not discard that person. The Book of Songs says: “The lush sweet pear tree—do not prune it, do not cut it; the Earl of Shao once lodged beneath it.” Thinking of that man, one still cherishes the tree he planted—how much more so if one adopts his proposals yet does not care for the man himself? Ziran (Si Chuan) thus cannot encourage worthy people.

In summer, Yang Hu returned the precious jade and the great bow. The Spring and Autumn Annals records it as “obtained” because these were implements and utensils. Whenever obtaining implements and utensils is called “obtained,” and obtaining living creatures is called “captured.” In the sixth month, they attacked Yang Pass. Yang Hu sent men to set fire to the Lai Gate. The Lu army was startled, and Yang Hu broke out and fled to Qi. He requested to lead troops to attack Lu, saying: “Attack three times, and you will surely take it.” Duke Jing of Qi was about to agree. Bao Wenzi (Bao Guo) remonstrated, saying: “I once served as a household retainer in the Shi clan; Lu cannot be taken. Their superiors and inferiors are still harmonious, the people are still united, they can serve a great state, and they have no natural disasters—how can it be taken? Yang Hu intends to exhaust the Qi army. When the Qi army is weary, many ministers will surely die, and he can then employ his deceitful schemes. Yang Hu was once favored by the Ji clan, yet he wanted to kill Ji Sun, to harm Lu and seek a place for himself. He befriends the wealthy but not the benevolent—what use does the lord have for him? The lord is wealthier than the Ji clan and more powerful than Lu; this is precisely what Yang Hu wishes to overturn. Lu has removed this scourge, and the lord now takes him in—is this not harmful?” Duke Jing of Qi arrested Yang Hu and prepared to imprison him in the eastern border. Yang Hu expressed willingness to go east, so Duke Jing of Qi imprisoned him in the western border. Yang Hu borrowed all the chariots of the border townsmen, carved the axles with a knife, wrapped them in linen, and returned them. He loaded a “congling” (a curtained chariot), lay inside, and fled. The pursuers caught him and imprisoned him in the capital of Qi. He again hid in a “congling” chariot and fled, going to Song, then to Jin, where he joined the Zhao clan. Kong Zhongni (Confucius) said: “The Zhao clan will likely have calamities for generations.”

In autumn, Duke Jing of Qi attacked Yiyi of Jin. Bi Wucun’s father was about to arrange a marriage for him, but he declined, yielding the match to his younger brother, saying: “In this campaign, if I do not die, upon returning I will surely marry a woman from the Gao or Guo clan.” He was the first to scale the wall, intending to exit through the gate, but died beneath the eaves of the gate. Dongguo Shu was the first to ascend, and Li Mi followed him, saying: “You move to the left, I will move to the right, and let all who have ascended come down afterward.” Dongguo Shu moved left, and Li Mi descended first. Dongguo Shu and Wang Mang rested together. Wang Mang said: “I was the first to ascend.” Dongguo Shu gathered his armor and said: “Just now you made things difficult for me, and now you do so again.” Wang Mang smiled and said: “I follow you, like the outside horse following the center horse in a team.” A thousand chariots of Jin were stationed at Zhongmou. Duke Ling of Wei was about to go to Wushi. He divined about passing through Zhongmou, and the turtle shell was scorched. Duke Ling of Wei said: “It is acceptable. Wei’s chariots match half, and I myself match half—thus the forces are equal.” Thereupon, they passed through Zhongmou. The men of Zhongmou wanted to attack the Wei army. Wei’s Chu Shi Pu, who was in exile in Zhongmou, said: “Wei is small, but their lord is there—they cannot be defeated. The Qi army, after taking the city, has become arrogant, and their commander is of low rank—if we encounter the Qi army, we will surely defeat them. It is better to follow the Qi army.” So they attacked the Qi army and defeated it. Duke Jing of Qi gave the lands of Zhuo, Mei, and Xing to Wei.

Duke Jing of Qi rewarded Li Mi. Li Mi declined, saying: “There was one who ascended first; I followed him. That man wore a white headcloth and a wildcat-skin coat.” Duke Jing of Qi sent someone to look at Dongguo Shu, saying: “It is that gentleman.” Duke Jing of Qi said: “I will reward you.” Dongguo Shu declined, saying: “He is a foreign traveler.” Thereupon, Li Mi was rewarded. When the Qi army was at Yiyi, Duke Jing of Qi said to the men of Yiyi: “Whoever obtains the corpse of Bi Wucun will be rewarded with five households and exemption from corvée.” Thus, his corpse was obtained. Duke Jing of Qi personally donned mourning garments for him three times, bestowed on him a chariot adorned with rhinoceros hide, and also bestowed a straight canopy, and had the hearse return to the state first. He ordered those pulling the hearse to sit, led the army in wailing, and personally pushed the hearse three times.