13 Filial Piety

A1.20

When Shun was twenty years old, he became famous for his filial piety. And when Shun was thirty years old, Emperor Yao asked about those who could be used to govern the world. Siyue, the governors of the mountains in four directions, all recommended Yu Shun, saying that this man could do it. So Yao married his two daughters to Shun to observe Shun’s conduct at home, and to have his nine sons staying with Shun to observe Shun’s behavior from the outside. Shun lived on the north bank of Gui River, and he was more cautious at home. Yao's two daughters dared not to treat any of Shun's relatives with any arrogance because of their noble birth, and they paid great attention to their way of being wives. Yao's nine sons were sincere and loyal, and more and more each day. When Shun farmed in Lishan, the people of Lishan would give up their boundaries to each other. when he fished in Leize, the people of Leize would give way to places convenient for fishing;  when he made pottery on the bank of the Yellow River, there would be no defective products at all. In one year, the place where he lived became a village, in two years it became a town, and in three years it became a city. On seeing this, Yao bestowed Shun with the garment made of fine grasscloth, and a harp, and built him a storage house, and gave him some cattle and sheep.But Gusou still wanted to kill Shun, so he made Shun to climb up the barn to repair it with mud, and Gusou then set it on fire from below. Shun jumped down, protecting himself with two bamboo hats, as if he had two wings like a bird, and escaped, thus surviving. Later, Gusou asked Shun to dig a well. During the digging, Shun dug a secret passage in the side wall leading to the outside.While Shun dug deep, Gusou and Xiang poured earth down to fill the well. Shun went out through the secret passage and escaped again. Gusou and Xiang were very happy, thinking that Shun was dead. Xiang said, "I was the one who came up with this idea in the first place." Xiang divided Shun's property with his parents, and then he said, "I will take both daughters of Yao whom Shun married and the harp that Yao gave him. Let the cattle, sheep and barns belong to my parents." Xiang then lived in Shun's house and played Shun's harp. Shun came back to visit him. Xiang was very surprised, and then he had a gloomy look and said, "I'm missing you, it makes me so depressed!" Shun said, "Yes, you are such a brother!" Shun went on serving his parents and loving his brother as before, with more caution and more respect. Hence, Emperor Yao put Shun on to overseeing the Five Canons with the affairs of court officials, and he did a great job.

舜年二十以孝闻。三十而帝尧问可用者，四岳咸荐虞舜，曰可。于是尧乃以二女妻舜以观其内，使九男与处以观其外。舜居妫汭，内行弥谨。尧二女不敢以贵骄事舜亲戚，甚有妇道。尧九男皆益笃。舜耕历山，历山之人皆让畔；渔雷泽，雷泽上人皆让居；陶河滨，河滨器皆不苦窳。一年而所居成聚，二年成邑，三年成都。尧乃赐舜絺衣，与琴，为筑仓廪，予牛羊。瞽叟尚复欲杀之，使舜上涂廪，瞽叟从下纵火焚廪。舜乃以两笠自扞而下，去，得不死。后瞽叟又使舜穿井，舜穿井为匿空旁出。舜既入深，瞽叟与象共下土实井，舜从匿空出，去。瞽叟、象喜，以舜为已死。象曰“本谋者象。”象与其父母分，于是曰：“舜妻尧二女，与琴，象取之。牛羊仓廪予父母。”象乃止舜宫居，鼓其琴。舜往见之。象鄂不怿，曰：“我思舜正郁陶！”舜曰：“然，尔其庶矣！”舜复事瞽叟爱弟弥谨。于是尧乃试舜五典百官，皆治。