66 The Death of Zhou the Tyrant

A4.16

When Emperor Zhou the Tyrant heard that King Wu was coming, he too sent out 700,000 troops to meet up. King Wu sent his teacher Shangfu and a hundred men to lead the army, and sent a large number of soldiers to rush to Emperor Zhou the Tyrant's army. Although the army of Zhou the Tyrant was large, but none of them had the heart to fight, and they all wanted Wuwang to rush in. All of the Tyrant's soldiers turned their weapons around and attacked the Tyrant instead, clearing the way for King Wu's army. King Wu marched forward in a great gallop, and the Tyrant's army was immediately defeated and rebelled on spot. The Tyrant run back to the top of the Deer Tower, covered himself with pearls and jade, and set himself on fire and died. King Wu held a large white flag to command the princes, and the princes all bowed to King Wu. Then King Wu bowed to the princes, and the princes all bowed to the King Wu in return. King Wu arrived at the Shang State, and the people of Shang were waiting in the suburbs. So King Wu sent his ministers to tell the people of Shang: "May Heaven give us peace!" The Shang people all bowed and bowed again, and King Wu also bowed in return. Then he went in and got to the place where Zhou the Tyrant died. King Wu shot arrows at the Tyrant by himself, and after three shootings, he got off the chariot and hit the Tyrant with a sword lightly, and then cut off his head with a yellow axe, and hung it on a large white flag. Afterwards he came to the chambers of two concubines of the Tyrant, both of whom had committed suicide. King Wu shot three more arrows at them, hit them with a sword, beheaded them with a black axe, and hung their heads on the small white flag. King Wu then went out back to his army.

帝纣闻武王来，亦发兵七十万人距武王。武王使师尚父与百夫致师，以大卒驰帝纣师。纣师虽众，皆无战之心，心欲武王亟入。纣师皆倒兵以战，以开武王。武王驰之，纣兵皆崩畔纣。纣走，反入登于鹿台之上，蒙衣其珠玉，自燔于火而死。武王持大白旗以麾诸侯，诸侯毕拜武王，武王乃揖诸侯，诸侯毕从。武王至商国，商国百姓咸待于郊。于是武王使群臣告语商百姓曰：“上天降休！”商人皆再拜稽首，武王亦答拜。遂入，至纣死所。武王自射之，三发而后下车，以轻剑击之，以黄钺斩纣头，县大白之旗。已而至纣之嬖妾二女，二女皆经自杀。武王又射三发，击以剑，斩以玄钺，县其头小白之旗。武王已乃出复军。