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Sima Qian: Historical Records 1 Five Emperors
The Yellow Emperor was the son of Shaodian. His surname was Gongsun and his given name was Xuanyuan. He was born a miracle, started talking when still a baby, he was quick at learning in the childhood, and honest and clever when grown, and he was mature and intelligent. During the Xuanyuan period, the Shennong clan declined. The princes invaded and attacked among each other, tyrannizing the people, but Shennong was unable to conquer them. So Xuanyuan got accustomed to the weaponry and conquered those who contributed no offerings, then the princes all came to follow him. And at that time, Chiyou was the most violent one and could not be defeated. Yandi, the Flame Emperor, of the Shengnong clan, intended to invade and ravage the princes, resulted in all the princes came to follow Xuanyuan. Xuanyuan cultivated virtues and mobilized troops, studied five elememts of the seasons around the years, cultivated five kinds of crops, comforted all the people, and conquered in four directions. He trained wild animals, the ones similar to bears, lions, and tigers, to fight Emperor Yan in the great wilderness of Banquan. After three battles, his ambition was achieved. Chiyou was a troublemaker obeying no orders from the Emperor. So the Yellow Emperor conscripted the princes, fought Chiyou in the great wilderness of Zhuolu, caputured and then killed Chiyou. And all the princes respected Xuanyuan as their emperor, in replacement of the Shennong clan, so there was Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor. If there was any disobedience in the world, Huangdi would conquer and had it removed and then created peace. Passing through mountains and building roads, he never had any rest.
The Yellow Emperor went east, all the way to the sea, he climbed the Mountain Wanshan and also the Mountain Daizong. And to the west, he went far to the Mountain Kongtong, and climbed the Peak Jitou, the Chicken Head. As far as to the south, he went to the Yangtze River and climbed the Mountains Xiong and Xiang. And in the north, he chased away the northern barbaric tribe Hunyu, and had a princes gathering at the Mountain Fusan, and also built a city on the plains by the foothills of the Mountain Zhuolu. He migrated from here to there, ever without any permanent residence, and the division soldiers were used as camp guards. The official positions were all named after the clouds, Yun, so there were Yun divisions. He set up great supervisors, the Dajians, one left and one right, to supervise all states. All states were in harmony. And many gods and goddess, of mountains and rivers among many other things, had been enshrined in the ceremony named Fengchan, the worships of heaven and earth. The tripod Baoding was obtained and the calendar was made according to the sun. Fenghou, Limu, Changxian, and Dahong were made as governors of the people. He systematically sorted all things out, the records of heaven and earth, the divination of dark and bright, the theory of life and death, and the survival difficulties of the beings. According to the season, the crops were sown. Birds, beasts, insects, and moths were domesticated. And the good name of the Emperor was wide spreading, among the sun, the moon, the stars, the water, the earth, the stone, the gold, and the jade. He kept working hard, heart, body, ears, and eyes. And he kept staying thrifty, with water, fire, materials, and all other things. He had showed the auspicious virtue of the earth, so he was called Huangdi, the Yellow Emperor.
The Yellow Emperor had twenty-five sons, fourteen of whom received surname.
The Yellow Emperor lived on the hill of Xuanyuan and married the daughter of Xiling, who was then named Leizu. Leizu was the chief princess consort of the Yellow Emperor, and she gave birth to two sons, both of whom had descendent who later became the master of the world. One was called Xuanxiao, later was named Qingyang, and Qingyang descended to reside by the Yangtze River. The other was called Changyi, who descended to reside by the river Ruoshui. Changyi married a daughter of the Shushan clan, named Changpu, and who gave birth to Gaoyang. Gaoyang was a person of holy virtues. After the Yellow Emperor died, he was buried in Qiaoshan. His grandson, Changyi’s son, Gaoyang, became the Emperor Zhuanxu.
Gaoyang, the Emperor Zhuanxu, was the grandson of the Yellow Emperor, and the son of Changyi. He was calm, steady, and good at planning. And he was resourceful and knowledgeable, and knew how to sort things out. And he raised various crops and livestock to make full use of the land. And he was clear about the four seasons and knew how to conform to nature. And he followed the guidances of the spirits and gods to formulate etiquette and justice. And he cultivated accordingly to the elements of the seasons to educate the people. And he purified the body and mind to offer sacrifices to the spirits and gods. To the north he went to Youling, and to the south he went to Jiaozhi, and to the west he went to Liusha, and to the east he went to Panmu. Anything that in motion or at still, any gods either big or small, anywhere illuminated by the sun or the moon, all stayed in harmony with each other.
Emperor Zhuanxu had a son named Qiongchan. Zhuanxu died, and Gaoxin, Xuanxiao's grandson, became the Emperor Ku.
Gaoxin, the Emperor Ku, was the great-grandson of Huangdi. Gaoxin's father was called Jiaoji, Jiaoji's father was called Xuanxiao, and Xuanxiao's father was called Huangdi. Since Xuanxiao to Jiaoji, both did not reign, untill Gaoxin became the emperor. Gaoxin was a first cousin once removed to Zhuanxu.
Gaoxin was born a miracle, who spoke his own name by himself. He was giving to the others, not caring for his own interests. He was full of wisdom and had the clear vision, and he was sharp and understood any subtleties.He was keen following the principles of heaven and understood the demands of the people. He was the perfect example of benevolence led to power, benefit led to trust, and self-cultivation led to the acceptance of the world. He knew well how to adapt measures to local conditions and use the materials sparingly, and he cared for the people and taught them and over and over again, and he practiced greetings and farewells following the routines of sun and moon, and he understood the spirits and gods and showed great respects for them. The complexion of his was serious and the virtue of his was impressive. Every move he made was just in time, and every clothe he wore fitted just the place. The Emperor Ku irrigated on the level and spread all over the world, everywhere the sun and moon shone, and everytime the wind and rain came, there was not a single disobedience.
Emperor Ku married to a daughter of Chenfeng's and gave birth to Fangxun. And Emperor Ku married to a daughter of the Juzi’s, and gave birth to Zhi. When Emperor Ku died, Zhi succeeded him. Emperor Ku got on the position but he was no good. The younger brother Fangxun then got on instead, so there was Emperor Yao.
The Emperor Yao, his name was Fangxun. His benevolence was like heaven, his knowledge was like God. He had the likeness of the sun, and the appearance of the clouds. Wealthy but not arrogant, and noble but not unpleasant. With yellow crown and black robe, and on red chariot and white horse. He was able to understand and cultivate virtues, and to be close to nine tribes. Since the nine tribes were in harmony, the people were easy to be regulated. All the people were enlightened and all nations were united.
The Emperor Yao ordered Xi’s and He’s, to be in charge, to show the respect to and to obey Haotian, the Grand Emperor of Heaven, and to count the sun, moon and stars to make the calendar, and to respectfully teach the people the time and the seasons. And also he assigned Xi Zhong to make residence in Yuyi, the Eastern Forest, the place was called Yanggu. And he was to respectfully welcome every sunrise and to step by step make preparations for farming in the spring. On the vernal equinox, the day would be as long as the night, stars would appear to be the shape of a bird in the south at dusk, and this was determined to be the time of mid-spring. At this time, people dispersed to farming, and birds and animals mated and gave births. And Xi Shu was ordered to live in Nanjiao, the Southern Crossing, And he was to make preparations for farming in the summer, diligently in every detail. On the summer solstice, the day would be the longest, and the star Great Fire would appear in the south during the first twilight, and based on this, the time of mid-summer was determined. At this time, people would move to the high grounds, and birds and animals would lose feathers and furs. He Zhong was ordered to reside in Xitu, the Western Land, that place was called Meigu, And where the sun would set, to respectfully send the sun down and arrange the autumn harvest in a step-by-step manner. On the autumnal equinox, the night would be as long as the day, the star Sadalsuud would appear in the due south at the beginning of dusk. The time of mid-autumn is determined based on this. At this time, people moved to the plains, and birds and animals regenerated new feathers and furs. And He Shu was ordered to live in the north, the place was called Youdu, the Dark Capital. And he was to carefully organize the winter collection. On the winter solstice, the day is the shortest, and the stars Pleiades, the White Tigers, would appear in the south at the first twilight, and based on this, the time of mid-winter is determined. At this time, people would go into their houses to stay warm, and birds and animals are covered with fine feathers and furs. There would be 366 days in a year, and the leap month was used to correct the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Emperor Yao sincerely warned all officials to keep their duties, and all kinds of things were done.
Yao asked: "Who is eligible to get it done?" Fangqi answered: "Your heir Danzhu is the enlightened one." Yao said: "Humph! He is stubborn and vicious, not to be used." Yao asked again: "Then who else can?" Huandou said: "Gonggong had gathered people extensively and made achievements, so he can be the one." Yao said: "Gonggong is good at talking, but his intentions are not the good ones. He appears to be respectful but actually deceitful, so he can't be the one." Yao said again: "Alas, Siyue, the governors of four directions, now the floods are everywhere, surging and mighty, surrounding the mountains and covering hills, the people are extremely miserable. Who can be sent to control it?" Everyone said that Gun could do it. Yao said: "It's impossible. Gun betrayed his duties and destroyed his clan." The governors all said: "It's different, it won't work until you try!" Yao listened and Gun was then put to use. And after nine years trial. Gun proved useless.
The Emperor Yao said: "Alas! Siyue, I have been on the throne for seventy years. Which of you can obey the destiny and succeed me as emperor?" The Siyue replied, "Our virtues are so despicable that we dare not tarnish the throne." Yao said: "Then let's make recommendations, from among all the nobles, relations, and relatives, and even those who live in seclusion, near or far." Everyone said to Yao: "There is a bachelor, who lives among the common people, whose name is Yu Shun." Yao said, "Yes, I have heard about him. What is he like?" Siyue replied, "He is the son of a blind man. His father is stubborn, his mother is viscous, and his younger brother is arrogant, but Shun lived in harmony with them. He fulfilled the principle of filial piety and manage the family so well that they won't go evil." Yao said: "Then I will give him a try." So Yao married his two daughters to Shun and observed his virtues from his two daughters. Shun asked his two new wives to lower their nobility, and live in their home on the north bank by the Gui River, and abide by the ways of being wives. Yao thought this was a good thing. So Yao asked Shun to take the post of Situ, which manages the Five Canons, the five ethics and morals: the fatherly righteousness, the motherly kindness, the elder brother’s friendship, the younger brother’s respect, and the son's filial piety. He did a great job and the Five Canons were all followed and never violated. Then Shun was asked to join the rank of court officials, and with his participation, the affairs of the court officials became orderly. And he was made to greet and receive guests at the four gates of the court. And he kept the four gates in harmony, and gained praise and respect all over, from the guests and the princes, near and far. Then Yao sent Shun into the mountains, forests, rivers and swamps. There were storms, thunders and rains. And Shun was never lost. Yao thought Shun was a saint, so he called him over and said, "It has been three years, you are good at making careful plans, and had them executed well to full completion, your achievements are so obvious for everyone to see. It's time for you to ascend the throne." Shun declined by saying that his virtue was still not good enough, unwilling to accept the throne. Then on the first day of the first lunar month, Shun accepted Wenzu's abdication, Wenzu is Emperor Yao’s name for his temple as Taizu, the grand ancestor.
At this time, Yao was getting old, so he asked Shun to act as the emperor's political agent, so as to observe whether Shun was in line with God's will as the Emperor. The first thing Shun did was to observe the Big Dipper to check if any abnormalities in the movements of the seven celestial bodies in the solar system, the sun, the moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. He then held a temporary ceremony to offer sacrifices to God, the Grand Emperor of Heaven. And he used the ritual of burning to worship the six divine beings. And also the rituals were practiced to remotely worship mountains and rivers. And various deities were generally worshiped. He respectfully collected five different kinds of jade pendants each specifically designated for the different nobles, and he carefully chose a good month and an auspicious day, then he summoned the Siyue and the governors of each state, and issued the auspicious jade pendants to each of them accordingly. In the second month of the year, Shun went to the East for inspection. After arriving at the Mountain Daizong, he used the ceremony of burning to worship the East Mountain Daizong, and the rituals were also practiced for the remote worshiping of other mountains and rivers. Then, he summoned all the princes in the East to coordinate and correct the four seasons to make sure each month and each day fit into the calendar accurately. He also made sure that the following standards are unified, the tuning of the music, the measurements of the length, of the capacity, and of the weight. And he worked on the mending of the five rituals, the auspicious ritual to serve the ghosts and gods of the country, the ominous ritual to mourn the worries of the state, the greeting ritual to be friendly with the union states, and the military ritual to be together with the union states, and the good gifts ritual to be close to all people. And he had preparations to make. The five different kinds of auspicious jade pendants, each were to be issued to five different ranks of nobles and those were Duke, Marquess, Earl, Viscount, and Baron. And three different types of brocade, the reds were for Gaoyang’s, the offspring of the Emperor Zhuanxu, the blacks were for Gaoxin's, the offspring of the Emporer Ku, and the whites for the others. Two live sacrifices, one was a lamb, the other a wild goose. And one dead, a pheasant. All of the above were used as sincerity in the ritual. And after the ritual, all the jade pendants would be returned to the nobles. In May, the hunting tour was in the south. In August, the hunting tour was in the west. In November, the hunting tour was in the north. All were the same as before. After his return, Shun went to the temple of his ancestors, and offered an ox as a sacrifice. From now on, inspections would be held every five years. During the four years in between, all princes and lords came to the capital on time to pay their homage. Shun generally explained the principles of governing the country to the princes, clearly inspected them according to their achievements, and rewarded chariots, horses, and clothes according to their merits. Shun began to divide the world into twelve states and had the flooding rivers dredged. He stipulated that law enforcement should be based on normal punishments, and exiles should be used to reduce the following five punishments: the face tattooing, the nose cutting, the foot mutilation, the castration, and the beheading. And the whips were for the officials to use for punishment, and the rulers were for teachers for education, and gold could be used as fines. Those at fault due to natural disasters should be pardoned, those persistent in causing harm should be punished. Be cautious, be cautious, and use punishments prudently!
Huandou once recommended Gonggong, and Yao said "no", but Huandou still tried him as a master craftsman. As expected, Gonggong turned out to be debauchery, evil and unfair. And Siyue once recommended Gun to be in charge of flood control, Yao said "no", but Siyue insisted on giving it a try, and it resulted in that nothing could be done, and all the people thought it inexpedient. In the basins between the Yangtze and Huaihe rivers, Sanmiao had caused many rebellions. At that time, Shun returned from his inspection, and reported to the Emperor Yao, requesting that Gonggong be exiled to Youling in the north in order to change the customs of northern Beidi; and Huandou be exiled to Chongshan in the south in order to change that of the southern Barbarians; and Sanmiao to Sanwei in the west to change the western Xirong, and Gun to Yushan in the east to change the eastern Dongyi. After punishing all those four villains, every one in the world was all convinced and obedient.
After seventy years of his reign, Yao got Shun, and another twenty years later he resigned due to old age, and Shun was made taking charge of the emperor's duty and was recommended to the Heaven. Yao died twenty-eight years after abdicating his throne. The people mourned and mourned as if they lost their own biological father. Within three years, in mourning the Emperor Yao. no one played any music anywhere in the world, Yao knew that his own son Danzhu was not worthy of the throne being passed down to him, so he authorized it to Shun. If it were passed on to Shun, everyone in the world would benefit from it and only Danzhu would be at a disadvantage; if it were passed on to Danzhu, everyone in the world would suffer and only Danzhu would benefit. Yao said: "After all, I cannot cause harm to all the people in the world and benefit only one person," so he finally passed the world to Shun. After Yao's death, three years of mourning passed, Shun abdicated the throne to Danzhu and hid on the south bank of the Nanhe River. The princes who came for pilgrimage did not go to Danzhu but only came to Shun; those who had lawsuits among them did not go to Danzhu but came to Shun as their judge; it was Shun but Danzhu who was praised by the people. Shun said, "That's Heaven's will!" Then he went to the capital and ascended to the throne. So there was the Emperor Shun.
Yu Shun, his name was Chonghua. Chonghua's father was called Gusou, Gusou's father was Qiaoniu, Qiaoniu's father was Juwang, Juwang's father was Jingkang, and Jingkang's father was Qiongchan. Qiongchan's father was Emperor Zhuanxu, and Zhuanxu's father was Changyi: from Changyi to Shun it was seven generations. From Qiongchan to Emperor Shun, the intervening generations were all low as commoners.
Shun's father, Gusou, was blind. After Shun's biological mother died, Gusou married another wife and gave birth to Xiang, who was arrogant. Gusou liked his second wife's son and often wanted to kill Shun, but Shun escaped. If he made a little mistake, he would be severely punished. Shun served his father, his stepmother and his half brother reverently, becoming more loyal and prudent day by day, without slacking off at all.
Shun was from Jizhou. Shun plowed fields in Lishan, fished in Leize, made pottery on the bank of the Yellow River, made various household utensils in Shouqiu, and did business in Fuxia. Shun's father Gusou was stubborn, his mother was viscous, and his younger brother Xiang was arrogant. They all wanted to kill Shun. Shun, however, behaved respectfully and never violated the principles of being a son, loving his brothers and being filial to his parents. When they wanted to kill him, they couldn't find him; and when they needed him, he was always there.
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.
There were eight talented and virtuous descendants in the Gaoyang family. The world benefited from them and called them Bakai, which means eight joys of harmony. And there were eight talented and virtuous descendants in Gaoxin family, who were called Bayuan by the world, which means eight elements of kindness. The people of these sixteen families had maintained the virtues of their ancestors from generation to generation and have not lost the reputation of their ancestors. When Yao came, he did not use them. Shun appointed Bakai to hold official positions in charge of the land to handle various affairs, which were all handled in an orderly manner. Shun also promoted Bayuan and asked them to spread the Five Canons in all directions, so that the father would be righteous, the mother would be loving, the elder brother would be friendly, the younger brother would be respectful, the son would be filial, the family would be harmonious, and the relationship between neighbors would be also good.
In Emperor Hong's family, there was an unworthy descendant who concealed his benevolence and righteousness, harbored ruthless thieves, and was fond of doing evil. People in the world called him Hundun, the chaos, which means that he was barbaric and uncivilized. And the Shaohao family had a descendant who was unworthy, who broke faith, hated loyalty, and liked evil words. People all over the world called him Qiongqi, which means that he was extremely weird. The Zhuanxu family also had an unworthy descendant, who could not be taught and did not know the good or the bad. People all over the world called him Tao Zhu, which means that he was fierce and stubborn. The world was afraid of these three tribes. When Yao came, he did not get rid of them. And also the Jinyun family had an unworthy descendant who was always hungry for food and wealth. People in the world called him Taotie, which means he was greedy. People in the world hated him, he and the three others mentioned above, together they were called the four devils. And when Shun was greeting and receiving guests from all over the four gates, he exiled all these four evil families and drove them far away to the remote areas to resist the evil spirits. From then on, the four gates were clear, and everyone said that there were no more evil people.
When entering the mountains and forests, Shun went through strong winds and severe thunderstorms without getting lost, Yao then knew that Shun’s talent was more than enough to be given the world to. When Yao got old, he asked Shun to take over to be in charge of the emperor's duties and to carry out the inspections on the hunting tour. After twenty years of Shun’s performing the duties, Emperor Yao made him to act as the emperor. After eight years of Shun’s acting on behalf of the emperor. Yao passed away. After three years of mourning, Shun gave way to Danzhu, but everyone in the world came to submit to Shun. And Yu, Gao Yao, Qi, Houji, Boyi, Kui, Long, Chui, Yi, and Pengzu have all been promoted since Yao's time, but they have never held any positions. So Shun went to the Wenzu Temple, consulted with Siyue, opened up the four gates, and send off messengers all four directions, and Shun ordered the twelve state governors to discuss the virtues of Emperor Yao, and he also urged his people that the great virtues should be practiced and the sycophants should be alienated far away, and If these were done, even the babarians would be convinced and ready to obey. Shun said to Siyue: "Who can work hard promoting the cause of Emperor Yao? So he can be appointed an official position assisting my work?" Siyue all replied: “Yu is Sikong, the prime minister, who can carry forward the cause of Emperor Yao.“ Shun said: "Well, good! Yu, you are responsible for the control of water and soil, and you must work hard to do it well!" Yu knelt down and kowtowed showing his gratitude, and humbly gave way to Ji, Qi and Gao Yao. Shun said: "That's okay, you'll be allrigh!" Shun said: "Ji, people are starving. You will be in charge of agriculture. Go and teach the people how to sow grains." That official position Ji held later became known as Sinong, and Ji was regarded as a godlike figure. Shun said: "Qi, it is agreed that if the people do not love each other, then the morals are not in harmony, you serve as Situ and please carefully carry out the Five Canons education. To do a good job the key is to be lenient."
And Shun also said: "Gao Yao, the barbarians are invading China, robbing and killing, and causing chaos on both sides of our borders. You will be serving as Shi, the chief judicial officer, and you will be making sure that the five punishments are used appropriately. According to the seriousness of the crime, major crimes are executed in the wilderness, minor crimes are executed in the court or in the city, and crimes committed by clan members are sent to the clan court Dianshi for execution. If the punishments are reduced to exile, the distance of exile must be determined. There are three typical distances for different exiles, the ones outside the four realms, the ones outside the nine states, and the ones outside the capital. Only justice and strictness can convince people." Shun asked: "Then who can manage my various craftsmen?" Everyone said that Chui can. So Chui was appointed as Gonggong to lead various craftsmen. Shun asked again: "Who can control the grass, trees, birds and beasts in my mountains and swamps?" Everyone said Yi can. So Shun appointed Yi as his Yu, the position in charge of mountains and rivers for the emperor. Yi bowed down, kowtowed, and gave way to Zhuhu and Xiongpi. Shun said, "All right, you friends can work together." So Zhuhu and Xiongpi became his assistants. Shun said: "Okay then, Siyue, who can preside for me over the rituals of three different kinds, for heaven affairs, for earth affairs, and for human affairs?" Everyone said Boyi could do it. Shun said: "Okay, Boyi, I hereby appoint you as Zhizong, to hold the office of the suburban temple in charge of sacrifice rituals. You must be pious and upright, solemn and clean, from morning till evening," Boyi gave way to Kui and Long, And Shun said: "Well, let's appoint Kui as Dianle, the music master, to educate our children, to be upright but still gentle, generous but still strict, strong but not violent, simple but not arrogant. Poetry is to express one's heart, and songs are to express one's meaning to extensions. And the pitch of the music should match the content of the song, and standard tunes should be used to make the music harmonious. And the sounds of the eight musical instruments are in harmony and should not interfere with each other. In this way, the state of harmony between man and God can be achieved through music.” Kui Said: "Yay! I knock the stone with the stone, carefully and steadily, and all kinds of animals will dance with it." Shun said: "Long, I hate the kind of evil words that slander others and the behavior that destroys morality. It disturbs my subjects. I appoint you as Nayan, my messenger. You must convey my orders and report the situation day and night, and you must be honest." Shun said, "There, you twenty-two people must abide by your duties and assist me at all times to complete the tasks delivered by Heaven.” And once every three years, the merits were assessed, and after three assessments, there were promotions or demotions according to the performance. Therefore, all kinds of things were revived, near and far. The Sanmiao tribes were also divided according to whether they surrendered or not.
Each of these twenty-two people made great achievements: Gao Tao served as Dali, another name of which is Shi, in charge of criminal law, did great justice to the world. He was respected and admired by the people for his fair judgment solely based on the facts.Boyi presided over etiquette, the Canons, and he was courteous to both superiors and subordinates; Chui served as Gonggong, the chief craftsmen. He was in charge of all kinds of work, and all craftsmen did their jobs well;Yi served as Yu, the one in charge of mountains and rivers. Mountains, forests, and lakes were all well-developed; Qi, the meaning of the name is the abandonment, who had another name Houji, served as Ji, the name for someone in charge of agriculture. All grains were grown accordingly with the seasons; Another Qi, the name pronounced the same but with a totally different character, meaning the contract, served as Situ, in charge of the education. All people were friendly and harmonious; Long served as the receptionist, which had another name, Nayan. The princes from far away came to pay tribute; The twelve governors appointed by Shun all did great job, and no one in the nine states dared to disobey. Among them, Yu made the greatest contributions. He dug open nine mountains, regulated nine lakes, dredged nine rivers, and established the boundaries of the nine states. All places paid the proper amount of tributes according to their duties, and there was nothing inappropriate. The territory was pacified, spanning five thousand miles, all the way to the remote areas farthest from the capital. At that time, the South was pacified to Jiaozhi and Beifa, the West was pacified to Rong, Xizhi, Qusou, Di, and Qiang, the North was pacified to Shanrong, Fa, and Xishen, and the East was pacified to Chang, Niaoyi, and within the four seas, together they all praised Emperor Shun's merits.So Yu created the music "Nine Moves" to praise Shun's merits, which attracted auspicious things, and the phoenix also flew in, circling and dancing with the music. It all began with Emperor Shun that all the virtues and policies made the peace and harmony in the world.
Shun was famous for his filial piety when he was twenty years old. He was appointed by Yao when he was thirty years old. He was given the duty to act on behalf of the emperor when he was fifty, and Yao passed away when Shun was fifty-eight. And at sixty-one, Shun succeeded to the throne.Thirty-nine years after he ascended the throne, Shun toured the South and died in the countryside of Cangwu in the South, and he was buried in Jiuyi Mountain, south of of Yangtze river, the place is now called Lingling. After he ascended the throne, Shun rode in a chariot with the emperor's flag to pay homage to his father, Gusou. He was affectionate and respectful, and he followed the filial piety of a son. He also made his younger brother Xiang a prince at Youbi. Shun's son Shangjun was unworthy, so Shun recommended Yu as his successor to Heaven in advance, and Shun died seventeen years later. After three years of mourning, Yu also abdicated the throne to Shun's son, just as Shun abdicated to Yao's son. But all the princes surrendered to Yu, and then Yu ascended to the throne of emperor. Yao's son Danzhu and Shun's son Shangjun were granted fiefs in the land of Tang and Yu respectively, where they were to worship their ancestors. They were permitted to wear their own family's clothes and use their own family's rituals and music. They would meet the emperor as guests, and the emperor did not treat them as his ministers to show that he did not dare to monopolize the throne.
From the Yellow Emperor to Shun and Yu, they all had the same surname Gongsun, but they had different national titles in order to highlight their respective virtues. Therefore, Huangdi the Yellow Emperor was titled Youxiong, Emperor Zhuanxu was titled Gaoyang, Emperor Ku was titled Gaoxin, Emperor Yao was titled Taotang, and Emperor Shun was titled Youyu. Emperor Yu, who started Xia, also stated the tradition of using a different surname, Si. The Situ Qi, whose name 契 had the literal meaning of the contract, was the ancestor of Shang and surnamed Zi. And the Sinong Qi, whose name 弃 had the literal meaning of the abandonment, was the ancestor of Zhou and surnamed Ji.
Taishigong the Grand Historian said: "The Five Emperors had been talked about by many scholars, it had been around since ancient time. While Shangshu the Ancient Book recorded historical facts only since Yao; and the descriptions of the Yellow Emperor by each school were rough and not typical, and it has been difficult for the scholars and officials to explain clearly. There were books named "Zaiyu Asks the Virtues of the Five Emperors" and "Emperors’ Lineage & Surnames" handed down by Confucius. Many scholars might have not passed them on. I had gone to Kongtong in the west, Zhuolu in the north, the sea in the east, and had crossed the Yangtze River and Huai River in the south. Wherever I went, the seniors there often talked about what they had heard. The deeds, the customs and the teachings of Huangdi, Yao and Shun were all different. In general, I think those statements, that are consistent with the records in ancient scriptures, are close to be accurate, I have studied the books "Spring and Autumn" and "Guoyu the State Language", and the related book volumes and chapters of "Five Emperors Virtues" and "Emperors’ Lineages & Surnames", and found that they are very clear and no need to dig any deeper, and that their descriptions are not false. "Shangshu" may has been incomplete for a long time, but scattered anecdotal records can often be found in many other books. If not good in learning and used to in-depth thinking, even if you truly understand its meaning in your heart, it will definitely be difficult to explain it to those whose knowledge are shallow and limited. I reviewed and sorted these materials, selected those whose words were particularly elegant, recorded them, and wrote this journal, which is listed as the beginning of this book.”
司马迁·史记卷一·五帝本纪第一
黄帝者，少典之子，姓公孙，名曰轩辕。生而神灵，弱而能言，幼而徇齐，长而敦敏，成而聪明。轩辕之时，神农氏世衰。诸侯相侵伐，暴虐百姓，而神农氏弗能征。于是轩辕乃习用干戈，以征不享，诸侯咸来宾从。而蚩尤最为暴，莫能伐。炎帝欲侵陵诸侯，诸侯咸归轩辕。轩辕乃修德振兵，治五气，蓺五种，抚万民，度四方，教熊罴貔貅貙虎，以与炎帝战于阪泉之野。三战，然后得其志。蚩尤作乱，不用帝命。于是黄帝乃徵师诸侯，与蚩尤战于涿鹿之野，遂禽杀蚩尤。而诸侯咸尊轩辕为天子，代神农氏，是为黄帝。天下有不顺者，黄帝从而征之，平者去之，披山通道，未尝宁居。
东至于海，登丸山，及岱宗。西至于空桐，登鸡头。南至于江，登熊、湘。北逐荤粥，合符釜山，而邑于涿鹿之阿。迁徙往来无常处，以师兵为营卫。官名皆以云命，为云师。置左右大监，监于万国。万国和，而鬼神山川封禅与为多焉。获宝鼎，迎日推筴。举风后、力牧、常先、大鸿以治民。顺天地之纪，幽明之占，死生之说，存亡之难。时播百谷草木，淳化鸟兽虫蛾，旁罗日月星辰水波土石金玉，劳勤心力耳目，节用水火材物。有土德之瑞，故号黄帝。
黄帝二十五子，其得姓者十四人。
黄帝居轩辕之丘，而娶于西陵之女，是为嫘祖。嫘祖为黄帝正妃，生二子，其后皆有天下：其一曰玄嚣，是为青阳，青阳降居江水；其二曰昌意，降居若水。昌意娶蜀山氏女，曰昌仆，生高阳，高阳有圣德焉。黄帝崩，葬桥山。其孙昌意之子高阳立，是为帝颛顼也。
帝颛顼高阳者，黄帝之孙而昌意之子也。静渊以有谋，疏通而知事；养材以任地，载时以象天，依鬼神以制义，治气以教化，絜诚以祭祀。北至于幽陵，南至于交阯，西至于流沙，东至于蟠木。动静之物，大小之神，日月所照，莫不砥属。
帝颛顼生子曰穷蝉。颛顼崩，而玄嚣之孙高辛立，是为帝喾。
帝喾高辛者，黄帝之曾孙也。高辛父曰蟜极，蟜极父曰玄嚣，玄嚣父曰黄帝。自玄嚣与蟜极皆不得在位，至高辛即帝位。高辛于颛顼为族子。
高辛生而神灵，自言其名。普施利物，不于其身。聪以知远，明以察微。顺天之义，知民之急。仁而威，惠而信，脩身而天下服。取地之材而节用之，抚教万民而利诲之，历日月而迎送之，明鬼神而敬事之。其色郁郁，其德嶷嶷。其动也时，其服也士。帝喾溉执中而遍天下，日月所照，风雨所至，莫不从服。
帝喾娶陈锋氏女，生放勋。娶娵訾氏女，生挚。帝喾崩，而挚代立。帝挚立，不善，而弟放勋立，是为帝尧。
帝尧者，放勋。其仁如天，其知如神。就之如日，望之如云。富而不骄，贵而不舒。黄收纯衣，彤车乘白马。能明驯德，以亲九族。九族既睦，便章百姓。百姓昭明，合和万国。
乃命羲、和，敬顺昊天，数法日月星辰，敬授民时。分命羲仲，居郁夷，曰旸谷。敬道日出，便程东作。日中，星鸟，以殷中春。其民析，鸟兽字微。申命羲叔，居南交。便程南为，敬致。日永，星火，以正中夏。其民因，鸟兽希革。申命和仲，居西土，曰昧谷。敬道日入，便程西成。夜中，星虚，以正中秋。其民夷易，鸟兽毛毨。申命和叔；居北方，曰幽都。便在伏物。日短，星昴，以正中冬。其民燠，鸟兽氄毛。岁三百六十六日，以闰月正四时。信饬百官，众功皆兴。
尧曰：“谁可顺此事？”放齐曰：“嗣子丹朱开明。”尧曰：“吁！顽凶，不用。”尧又曰：“谁可者？”讙兜曰：“共工旁聚布功，可用。”尧曰：“共工善言，其用僻，似恭漫天，不可。”尧又曰：“嗟，四岳，汤汤洪水滔天，浩浩怀山襄陵，下民其忧，有能使治者？”皆曰鲧可。尧曰：“鲧负命毁族，不可。”岳曰：“异哉，试不可用而已。”尧于是听岳用鲧。九岁，功用不成。
尧曰：“嗟！四岳：朕在位七十载，汝能庸命，践朕位？”岳应曰：“鄙德忝帝位。”尧曰：“悉举贵戚及疏远隐匿者。”众皆言于尧曰：“有矜在民间，曰虞舜。”尧曰：“然，朕闻之。其何如？”岳曰：“盲者子。父顽，母嚚，弟傲，能和以孝，烝烝治，不至奸。”尧曰：“吾其试哉。”于是尧妻之二女，观其德于二女。舜饬下二女于妫汭，如妇礼。尧善之，乃使舜慎和五典，五典能从。乃遍入百官，百官时序。宾于四门，四门穆穆，诸侯远方宾客皆敬。尧使舜入山林川泽，暴风雷雨，舜行不迷。尧以为圣，召舜曰：“女谋事至而言可绩，三年矣。女登帝位。”舜让于德不怿。正月上日，舜受终于文祖。文祖者，尧大祖也。
于是帝尧老，命舜摄行天子之政，以观天命。舜乃在璿玑玉衡，以齐七政。遂类于上帝，禋于六宗，望于山川，辩于群神。揖五瑞，择吉月日，见四岳诸牧，班瑞。岁二月，东巡狩，至于岱宗，祡，望秩于山川。遂见东方君长，合时月正日，同律度量衡，脩五礼五玉三帛二生一死为挚，如五器，卒乃复。五月，南巡狩；八月，西巡狩；十一月，北巡狩：皆如初。归，至于祖祢庙，用特牛礼。五岁一巡狩，群后四朝。遍告以言，明试以功，车服以庸。肇十有二州，决川。象以典刑，流宥五刑，鞭作官刑，扑作教刑，金作赎刑。眚灾过，赦；怙终贼，刑。钦哉，钦哉，惟刑之静哉！
讙兜进言共工，尧曰不可而试之工师，共工果淫辟。四岳举鲧治鸿水，尧以为不可，岳强请试之，试之而无功，故百姓不便。三苗在江淮、荆州数为乱。于是舜归而言于帝，请流共工于幽陵，以变北狄；放驩兜于崇山，以变南蛮；迁三苗于三危，以变西戎；殛鲧于羽山，以变东夷：四罪而天下咸服。
尧立七十年得舜，二十年而老，令舜摄行天子之政，荐之于天。尧辟位凡二十八年而崩。百姓悲哀，如丧父母。三年，四方莫举乐，以思尧。尧知子丹朱之不肖，不足授天下，于是乃权授舜。授舜，则天下得其利而丹朱病；授丹朱，则天下病而丹朱得其利。尧曰“终不以天下之病而利一人”，而卒授舜以天下。尧崩，三年之丧毕，舜让辟丹朱于南河之南。诸侯朝觐者不之丹朱而之舜，狱讼者不之丹朱而之舜，讴歌者不讴歌丹朱而讴歌舜。舜曰“天也夫！”而后之中国践天子位焉，是为帝舜。
虞舜者，名曰重华。重华父曰瞽叟，瞽叟父曰桥牛，桥牛父曰句望，句望父曰敬康，敬康父曰穷蝉，穷蝉父曰帝颛顼，颛顼父曰昌意：以至舜七世矣。自从穷蝉以至帝舜，皆微为庶人。
舜父瞽叟盲，而舜母死，瞽叟更娶妻而生象，象傲。瞽叟爱后妻子，常欲杀舜，舜避逃；及有小过，则受罪。顺事父及后母与弟，日以笃谨，匪有解。
舜，冀州之人也。舜耕历山，渔雷泽，陶河滨，作什器于寿丘，就时于负夏。舜父瞽叟顽，母嚚，弟象傲，皆欲杀舜。舜顺適不失子道，兄弟孝慈。欲杀，不可得；即求，尝在侧。
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。
昔高阳氏有才子八人，世得其利，谓之“八恺”。高辛氏有才子八人，世谓之“八元”。此十六族者，世济其美，不陨其名。至于尧，尧未能举。舜举八恺，使主后土，以揆百事，莫不时序。举八元，使布五教于四方，父义，母慈，兄友，弟恭，子孝，内平外成。
昔帝鸿氏有不才子，掩义隐贼，好行凶慝，天下谓之浑沌。少皞氏有不才子，毁信恶忠，崇饰恶言，天下谓之穷奇。颛顼氏有不才子，不可教训，不知话言，天下谓之梼杌。此三族世忧之。至于尧，尧未能去。缙云氏有不才子，贪于饮食，冒于货贿，天下谓之饕餮。天下恶之，比之三凶。舜宾于四门，乃流四凶族，迁于四裔，以御螭魅，于是四门辟，言毋凶人也。
舜入于大麓，烈风雷雨不迷，尧乃知舜之足授天下。尧老，使舜摄行天子政，巡狩。舜得举用事二十年，而尧使摄政。摄政八年而尧崩。三年丧毕，让丹朱，天下归舜。而禹、皋陶、契、后稷、伯夷、夔、龙、倕、益、彭祖自尧时而皆举用，未有分职。于是舜乃至于文祖，谋于四岳，辟四门，明通四方耳目，命十二牧论帝德，行厚德，远佞人，则蛮夷率服。舜谓四岳曰：“有能奋庸美尧之事者，使居官相事？”皆曰：“伯禹为司空，可美帝功。”舜曰：“嗟，然！禹，汝平水土，维是勉哉。”禹拜稽首，让于稷、契与皋陶。舜曰：“然，往矣。”舜曰：“弃，黎民始饥，汝后稷播时百谷。”舜曰：“契，百姓不亲，五品不驯，汝为司徒，而敬敷五教，在宽。”舜曰：“皋陶，蛮夷猾夏，寇贼奸轨，汝作士，五刑有服，五服三就；五流有度，五度三居：维明能信。”舜曰：“谁能驯予工？”皆曰垂可。于是以垂为共工。舜曰：“谁能驯予上下草木鸟兽？”皆曰益可。于是以益为朕虞。益拜稽首，让于诸臣朱虎、熊罴。舜曰：“往矣，汝谐。”遂以朱虎、熊罴为佐。舜曰：“嗟！四岳，有能典朕三礼？”皆曰伯夷可。舜曰：“嗟！伯夷，以汝为秩宗，夙夜维敬，直哉维静絜。”伯夷让夔、龙。舜曰：“然。以夔为典乐，教稚子，直而温，宽而栗，刚而毋虐，简而毋傲；诗言意，歌长言，声依永，律和声，八音能谐，毋相夺伦，神人以和。”夔曰：“于！予击石拊石，百兽率舞。”舜曰：“龙，朕畏忌谗说殄伪，振惊朕众，命汝为纳言，夙夜出入朕命，惟信。”舜曰：“嗟！女二十有二人，敬哉，惟时相天事。”三岁一考功，三考绌陟，远近众功咸兴。分北三苗。
此二十二人咸成厥功：皋陶为大理，平，民各伏得其实；伯夷主礼，上下咸让；垂主工师，百工致功；益主虞，山泽辟；弃主稷，百谷时茂；契主司徒，百姓亲和；龙主宾客，远人至；十二牧行而九州莫敢辟违；唯禹之功为大，披九山，通九泽，决九河，定九州，各以其职来贡，不失厥宜。方五千里，至于荒服。南抚交阯、北发，西戎、析枝、渠廋、氐、羌，北山戎、发、息慎，东长、鸟夷，四海之内咸戴帝舜之功。于是禹乃兴九招之乐，致异物，凤皇来翔。天下明德皆自虞帝始。
舜年二十以孝闻，年三十尧举之，年五十摄行天子事，年五十八尧崩，年六十一代尧践帝位。践帝位三十九年，南巡狩，崩于苍梧之野。葬于江南九疑，是为零陵。舜之践帝位，载天子旗，往朝父瞽叟，夔夔唯谨，如子道。封弟象为诸侯。舜子商均亦不肖，舜乃豫荐禹于天。十七年而崩。三年丧毕，禹亦乃让舜子，如舜让尧子。诸侯归之，然后禹践天子位。尧子丹朱，舜子商均，皆有疆土，以奉先祀。服其服，礼乐如之。以客见天子，天子弗臣，示不敢专也。
自黄帝至舜、禹，皆同姓而异其国号，以章明德。故黄帝为有熊，帝颛顼为高阳，帝喾为高辛，帝尧为陶唐，帝舜为有虞。帝禹为夏后而别氏，姓姒氏。契为商，姓子氏。弃为周，姓姬氏。
太史公曰：学者多称五帝，尚矣。然尚书独载尧以来；而百家言黄帝，其文不雅驯，荐绅先生难言之。孔子所传宰予问五帝德及帝系姓，儒者或不传。余尝西至空桐，北过涿鹿，东渐于海，南浮江淮矣，至长老皆各往往称黄帝、尧、舜之处，风教固殊焉，总之不离古文者近是。予观春秋、国语，其发明五帝德、帝系姓章矣，顾弟弗深考，其所表见皆不虚。书缺有间矣，其轶乃时时见于他说。非好学深思，心知其意，固难为浅见寡闻道也。余并论次，择其言尤雅者，故著为本纪书首。
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