Sunday, February 25, 2024

6 Emperor Yao

A1.9|10

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.


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。


5 Emperor Ku


A1.6|7|8

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.


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。


4 Zhuanxu


A1.3|4|5

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.


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。


Friday, February 23, 2024

3 Huangdi


A1.2

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.


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。


Thursday, February 22, 2024

2 The Son of Shaodian


A1.1 

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, from 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 the Flame Emperor 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.


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。


1 The Complete A to Z List

The Twenty-Six Histories of China 二十六史

A. Sima Qian: Historical Records 司马迁:史记  

B. Book of Han 汉书

C. Book of the Later Han 后汉书 

D. Records of the Three Kingdoms 三国志

E. Book of Jin 晋书

F. Book of Song 宋书

G. Book of the Southern Qi 南齐书

H. Book of Liang 梁书

I. Book of Chen 陈书

J. Book of Wei 魏书

K. Book of the Northern Qi 北齐书

L. Book of Zhou 周书

M. History of the Southern Dynasties 南史

N. History of the Northern Dynasties 北史

O. Book of Sui 隋书

P. Old Book of Tang 旧唐书

Q. New Book of Tang 新唐书 

R. Old History of the Five Dynasties 旧五代史

S. New History of the Five Dynasties 新五代史

T. History of Song 宋史

U. History of Liao 辽史

V. History of Jin 金史

W. History of Yuan 元史

X. New History of Yuan 新元史

Y. History of Ming 明史

Z. Draft History of Qing 清史稿



Updating  ……