Duke Ai, 14th Year
In the fourteenth year, in spring, a qilin was captured while hunting in the western outskirts.
She of the lesser Zhu state came to defect, bringing with him the city of Juyi.
In summer, in the fourth month, Chen Heng of Qi arrested their ruler and placed him in Shuzhou.
On the day Gengxu, Shu Huan died.
In the fifth month, on the first day of the month, Gengshen, a solar eclipse occurred.
Chen Zongshu fled to Chu.
Xiang Tui of Song entered Cao territory and rebelled.
Ju Zi Kuang died.
In the sixth month, Xiang Tui of Song fled from Cao to Wei, and Xiang Chao of Song came to defect.
The people of Qi killed their ruler Ren in Shuzhou.
In autumn, Zhao Yang of Jin led an army to attack Wei. In the eighth month, on the day Xinchou, Zhongsun Heji died.
In winter, Chen Zongshu again entered Chen from Chu, and the people of Chen killed him. Chen Yuanmai fled to Chu.
A comet appeared.
There was a famine.
In the fourteenth year, in spring, while hunting in the great wilderness to the west, Chu Shang, the charioteer of the Shusun clan, captured a qilin. Considering it an inauspicious creature, he gave it to the gamekeeper. Confucius saw it and said, "This is a qilin." Only then did he take it.
She of the lesser Zhu state came to defect, bringing with him the city of Juyi, and said, "Send Jilu to make an agreement with me, and then I will not need to swear an oath." They sent Zilu, but Zilu declined. Ji Kangzi sent Ran You to say to Zilu, "A state of a thousand chariots does not trust its own oath, yet trusts your words—what humiliation is there for you in this?" Zilu replied, "If Lu had a military conflict with the lesser Zhu state, I would not dare to ask the reason; I could die under the city walls and that would be acceptable. But he is acting contrary to the way of a subject, and if I were to fulfill his words, that would be treating his actions as righteous. I cannot do this."
When Duke Jian of Qi was in Lu, Kan Zhi was greatly favored. After the duke came to the throne, he put Kan Zhi in charge of the government. Chen Chengzi feared him and repeatedly turned his head to look at him in court. The charioteer Yang said to the duke, "The Chen and Kan clans cannot coexist; Your Majesty must choose between them." The duke did not listen. Ziwo (Kan Zhi) went to court in the evening. Chen Zong killed a man, and Ziwo happened to encounter him, had him arrested, and took him into the palace. The Chen clan was united in harmony, so they sent someone to have Chen Zong pretend to be ill, and gave him rice water for washing his hair, along with wine and meat. Chen Zong entertained the prison guards, got them drunk, killed them, and then escaped. Ziwo (Kan Zhi) swore an oath with the Chen clan members in the Chen ancestral temple. Initially, Chen Bao wanted to become a retainer of Ziwo and had Gongsun recommend him. Soon after, because of a mourning period, it was postponed. Later, Gongsun brought it up again, saying, "There is a man named Chen Bao, tall but hunchbacked, with eyes that look upward. If he serves a lord, he will certainly suit his wishes. He wishes to become your retainer. I am concerned about his character, which is why I delayed in telling you." Ziwo said, "What harm is there in that? It is entirely up to me." So he made Chen Bao his retainer. After some days, Ziwo discussed government affairs with him and was very pleased, thus favoring him. Ziwo said to him, "I will expel all the Chen clan and establish you as their successor—what do you think?" Chen Bao replied, "I am a distant branch of the Chen clan, and among them, only a few are disobedient. Why expel them all?" Then he reported this to the Chen clan. Zixing (Chen Zong) said, "He has the ruler's trust. If we do not act first, he will certainly harm you." Zixing then lodged in the ruler's palace. In summer, on the day Renshen of the fifth month, Chen Chengzi and his four brothers rode in one carriage to attend court. Ziwo was in the tent, came out to greet them, and they entered, then closed the doors. The attendants resisted them, and Zixing killed the attendants. The ruler was drinking wine with the women on the Tan Terrace. Chen Chengzi moved him to the bedchamber. The ruler took up a halberd and was about to strike Chen Chengzi. The grand historian Ziyu said, "This is not to harm the ruler, but to remove a calamity." Chen Chengzi went out and lodged in the storehouse. Hearing that the ruler was still angry and about to leave, he said, "Where is there no ruler?" Zixing drew his sword and said, "Hesitation is the bane of affairs. Who is not of the Chen clan? If I do not kill you, may the Chen clan bear witness!" So Chen Chengzi stayed. Ziwo returned, gathered his followers, and attacked the palace gates and the small gates. Unable to prevail, he fled. The Chen clan pursued him. He lost his way in Yanzhong and reached Fengqiu. The people of Fengqiu seized him, reported it to the Chen clan, and killed him at Guoguan. Chen Chengzi was about to kill Dalu Zifang, but Chen Zong pleaded for him and was pardoned. Dalu Zifang commandeered a carriage on the road in the ruler's name. When he reached Erdi, people recognized him and drove him eastward. He left Yong Gate. Chen Bao gave him a carriage, but he did not accept it, saying, "Chen Zong pleaded for me, and Chen Bao gives me a carriage—this means I have private dealings. Having served Ziwo, to have private dealings with his enemies—what face do I have to see the people of Lu and Wei?" Dongguo Jia fled to Wei. On the day Gengchen, Chen Heng seized the ruler in Shuzhou. The ruler said, "If I had listened to Yang's advice earlier, I would not have come to this."
Xiang Tui of Song was favored but endangered the ruler. The ruler had his wife repeatedly request to host a banquet for him, planning to take the opportunity to attack him. Before the plan was carried out, Xiang Tui first plotted against the ruler. He requested to exchange the city of An for Bo. The ruler said, "No. Bo is the location of the ancestral temple." So he added seven cities from An and gave them to him. Xiang Tui then requested to host a banquet for the ruler, setting noon as the time limit. His retainers and armed followers all went. The ruler learned of this and told Huang Ye, "I raised Xiang Tui, and now he is about to bring calamity upon me. Please come quickly to save me." Sima Zizhong said, "When a minister is disobedient, it is abhorred by the spirits, let alone by men? How dare I not accept the command? But without the Left Master (Xiang Chao), it will not work. Please summon him in the ruler's name." The Left Master always struck the bell when eating. Hearing the bell, the ruler said, "This gentleman is about to eat." After eating, he played music on the bell again. The ruler said, "It can be done." So he rode in a carriage and went, saying, "The tracker reported: 'In Fengze there is a single deer moving alone.' The ruler said, 'Even if Xiang Tui has not come, with the Left Master here, I will go hunting with him—what do you think?' The ruler found it difficult to tell you himself, so I, Huang Ye, said, 'I have privately made a request to the ruler before.' The ruler wishes to act quickly, so he sent me in a carriage to fetch you." Thereupon he and the Left Master rode together to the ruler. The ruler told him the situation. The Left Master prostrated himself and could not rise. The Sima said, "The ruler speaks with him." The ruler said, "This matter is difficult for you. Above is Heaven, and below are the former lords." The Left Master replied, "Xiang Tui is disrespectful; he is a calamity to Song. How dare I not follow the command?" The Sima requested a tally to command his troops to attack the Xiang clan. His father, elder brothers, old friends, and former retainers said, "Do not do it." His new retainers said, "Follow our ruler's command." So they attacked Xiang Tui. Ziqi galloped on horseback to report to Xiang Sima. Xiang Sima wanted to enter the city. Ziche stopped him, saying, "Unable to serve the ruler, and now you want to attack the state—the people will not support you; you will only bring ruin upon yourself." Xiang Tui then entered Cao territory and rebelled. In the sixth month, they sent the Left Master Chao to attack him. The Left Master wanted to take a great officer as hostage before entering the city but failed to do so, so he also entered Cao territory and seized hostages. Xiang Tui said, "No. Since I cannot serve the ruler and have also offended the people, what is to be done?" So he released the hostages. The people then turned against him. Xiang Tui fled to Wei, and Xiang Chao came to defect. The Duke of Song sent someone to stop him, saying, "I have an agreement with you; I cannot cut off the sacrifices of the Xiang clan." Xiang Chao declined, saying, "My crime is too great. Even if the entire Xiang clan were eliminated, that would be permissible. If, because of the former ministers, the Xiang clan is allowed to have descendants, that would be the ruler's grace. As for me, I cannot return." Sima Niu returned his fief and jade tablet and then went to Qi. Xiang Tui fled beyond the borders of Wei. Gongwen's clan attacked him, demanding the Xia Hou clan's jade huang pendant. Xiang Tui gave them other jade and then fled to Qi. Chen Chengzi made him a secondary minister. Sima Niu again returned his fief and went to Wu. The people of Wu disliked him, so he returned. Zhao Jianzi summoned him, and Chen Chengzi also summoned him. He finally died outside the city gate of Lu. The Kang clan buried him in Qiuyu.
On the day of Jiawu, Chen Heng of Qi killed his ruler Ren in Shuzhou. Confucius fasted for three days, then requested permission to attack Qi. He made the request three times. Duke Ai of Lu said, “Lu has been weakened by Qi for a long time. If you wish to attack Qi, what do you plan to do?” Confucius replied, “Chen Heng has killed his ruler, and half of the people do not support him. With the people of Lu, plus half of Qi, we can overcome them.” Duke Ai said, “Go and inform Ji Sun.” Confucius declined, and after withdrawing, he told others, “Because I once held a position among the great officers, I dared not remain silent.”
Previously, Meng Ruzi Xie intended to raise horses in Cheng, but the steward of Cheng, Gongsun Su, refused, saying, “Meng Sun does not raise horses here because Cheng is impoverished.” Ruzi Xie became angry and attacked Cheng, but his followers could not enter and returned. The officials of Cheng sent someone, and Ruzi Xie flogged them. In autumn, on the day of Xinchou in the eighth month, Meng Yizi died. The people of Cheng came to mourn, but Meng Ruzi Xie would not let them enter. They bared their upper garments and wore mourning caps in the streets, weeping, expressing their willingness to follow orders and supply labor, but Ruzi Xie did not agree. The people of Cheng, afraid, did not dare to return.