Thursday, April 11, 2024

89 All Princes Became Kings

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In the 23rd year of King Weilie (403 BC), an earthquake struck the capital city where the Nine Tripod Cauldrons were located. King Weilie appointed Han, Wei, and Zhao as vassal states.

In the 24th year (402 BC), King Weilie died and his son Jiao took over the throne as King An. In this year, a thief killed King Sheng of Chu. 

King An reigned for twenty-six years and then died, and his son Xi succeeded him as King Lie. In the second year of King Lie (374 BC), Senior Historian of Zhou Taishi Dan met with Duke Xian of Qin and said: "Initially Zhou and Qin were united and later separated. After 500 years of separation, they will be united again. And after 17 years of unity, a hegemon will emerge." 

In the tenth year, King Lie died and his younger brother Bian ascended to the throne, becoming King Xian. In the fifth year of King Xian (364 BC), he congratulated Duke Xian of Qin and made him the overlord. In the ninth year (360 BC), King Xian sent the sacrificial meat of King Wen and King Wu to Duke Xiao of Qin. In the twenty-fifth year (344 BC), Qin met with the princes in Zhou. In the twenty-sixth year (343 BC), the Zhou granted the title of overlord to Duke Xiao of Qin. In the thirty-third year (336 BC), Zhou congratulated King Hui of Qin. In the thirty-fifth year (334 BC), King Xian sent the sacrificial meat of King Wen and King Wu to King Hui of Qin. In the forty-fourth year (325 BC), King Hui of Qin officially claimed the title of king. From then on, all princes became kings.

In the 48th year (321 BC), King Xian died and his son Ding succeeded him as King Shenjing. King Shenjing reigned for six years and then died. His son Yan succeeded him as King Nan. During the reign of King Nan, the Western and Eastern Zhou dynasties were independent. King Nan moved the capital to the Western Zhou.


威烈王二十三年,九鼎震。命韩、魏、赵为诸侯。

二十四年,崩,子安王骄立。是岁盗杀楚声王。

安王立二十六年,崩,子烈王喜立。烈王二年,周太史儋见秦献公曰:“始周与秦国合而别,别五百载复合,合十七岁而霸王者出焉。”

十年,烈王崩,弟扁立,是为显王。显王五年,贺秦献公,献公称伯。九年,致文武胙於秦孝公。二十五年,秦会诸侯於周。二十六年,周致伯於秦孝公。三十三年,贺秦惠王。三十五年,致文武胙於秦惠王。四十四年,秦惠王称王。其後诸侯皆为王。

四十八年,显王崩,子慎靓王定立。慎靓王立六年,崩,子赧王延立。王赧时东西周分治。王赧徙都西周。


88 Three Families Divided Jin State

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In the thirty-ninth year (481 BC), Tian Chang of Qi killed his lord, Duke Jian.

In the 41st year (479 BC), the State of Chu destroyed the State of Chen. Confucius died.

In the 43rd year (477 BC), King Jing died and his son Ren succeeded him as King Yuan. King Yuan died after eight years of reign, his son Jie succeeded him as King Ding.

In the 16th year of King Ding (453 BC), Zhao, Wei and Han, three families of Jin, together destroyed the Zhibo family of Jin and divided his land.

In the 28th year (441 BC), King Ding died and his eldest son Quji succeeded him, who was King Ai. King Ai reigned for three months, and his younger brother Shu Xi killed King Ai and established himself as King Si. King Si reigned for five months, and his younger brother Wei attacked and killed King Si and established himself as King Kao. These three kings were all sons of King Ding.

In the 15th year of King Kao (426 BC), he died and his son Wu succeeded him as King Weilie.

King Kao granted one of his younger brothers a fiefdom in Henan, and this was Duke Huan of western Zhou, the successor of Duke Zhou’s official position. When Duke Huan died, his son Duke Wei succeeded him. When Duke Wei died, his son Duke Hui succeeded him. And then he appointed his youngest son to serve the king in Gong, with the title of Duke Hui of Eastern Zhou.


三十九年,齐田常杀其君简公。

四十一年,楚灭陈。孔子卒。

四十二年,敬王崩,子元王仁立。元王八年,崩,子定王介立。

定王十六年,三晋灭智伯,分有其地。

二十八年,定王崩,长子去疾立,是为哀王。哀王立三月,弟叔袭杀哀王而自立,是为思王。思王立五月,少弟嵬攻杀思王而自立,是为考王。此三王皆定王之子。

考王十五年,崩,子威烈王午立。

考王封其弟于河南,是为桓公,以续周公之官职。桓公卒,子威公代立。威公卒,子惠公代立,乃封其少子於巩以奉王,号东周惠公。


87 King Jing of Zhou

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In the 21st year (586 BC), King Ding died and his son Yi succeeded him as King Jian. In the 13th year (573 BC), Jin killed its ruler Duke Li and welcomed Zi Zhou from the capital of Zhou, making him Duke Dao.

In the 14th year (572 BC), King Jian died and his son Xiexin succeeded him as King Ling. In the 24th year (548 BC), Cui Zhu of Qi killed its ruler, Duke Zhuang.

In the 27th year (545 BC), King Ling died and his son Gui succeeded him as King Jing. In the 18th year (527 BC), the queen and the crown prince Shou died early. In the 25th year (520 BC), King Jing loved his son Chao and wanted to make him the crown prince, but he died at this time (translator’s note: Shiji mistook it as the 20th). His son Gai and his followers competed with Prince Chao for the throne. The people of the country supported the eldest son Meng as king, so Prince Chao attacked and killed Meng. Meng was King Dao. The people of Jin attacked Prince Chao and made Gai the king instead, who was King Jing.

In the first year of King Jing (519 BC), the people of Jin sent King Jing back to the Zhou capital. But Prince Chao had already declared himself the king, so King Jing could not go back and lived in Zeyi instead. In the fourth year (516 BC), Jin led the princes to send King Jing back to the Zhou capital. Prince Chao became a minister, and the princes built the walls of the Zhou capital. In the sixteenth year (504 BC), Prince Chao's followers rebelled again, and King Jing fled to Jin. In the seventeenth year (503 BC), Duke Ding of Jin finally sent King Jing back to the Zhou capital.


二十一年,定王崩,子简王夷立。简王十三年,晋杀其君厉公,迎子周於周,立为悼公。

十四年,简王崩,子灵王泄心立。灵王二十四年,齐崔杼弑其君庄公。

二十七年,灵王崩,子景王贵立。景王十八年,后太子圣而蚤卒。二十年,景王爱子朝,欲立之,会崩,子丐之党与争立,国人立长子猛为王,子朝攻杀猛。猛为悼王。晋人攻子朝而立丐,是为敬王。

敬王元年,晋人入敬王,子朝自立,敬王不得入,居泽。四年,晋率诸侯入敬王于周,子朝为臣,诸侯城周。十六年,子朝之徒复作乱,敬王饹于晋。十七年,晋定公遂入敬王于周。


86 Hegemon Duke Wen of Jin

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At first, Queen Hui wanted to establish Prince Dai as the king, so she sent her followers to help the Di people, and the Di people attacked the Zhou capital. King Xiang fled to Zheng State, and Zheng settled King Xiang in Fanyi. Prince Dai was established as king, married Queen Di, who was deposed by King Xiang, and lived together in Wenyi. In the 17th year (635 BC), King Xiang asked Jin State for help, and Duke Wen of Jin accepted King Xiang and killed Shu Dai. King Xiang rewarded Duke Wen of Jin with jade scepter, sacrificial wine, bow and arrow, and appointed him as overlord, and rewarded Jin with the land of Henei. In the 20th year (632 BC), Duke Wen of Jin summoned King Xiang, and King Xiang met with him in Heyang and Jiantu. All the princes came to pay homage to him. To avoid the taboo, Shangshu the Ancient Book put it this way that "the heavenly king went to Heyang for inspection".

In the 24th year (628 BC), Duke Wen of Jin died.

In the 31st year (621 BC), Duke Mu of Qin died.

In the 33rd year (619 BC), King Xiang died, and his son Renchen succeeded to the throne as King Qing. After six years on the throne King Qing died, and his son Ban succeeded him as King Kuang. King Kuang also died after six years on the throne, and his younger brother Yu succeeded him, who was King Ding.

In the first year of King Ding (606 BC), King Zhuang of Chu attacked the Rong people of Luhun and stationed in Luoyi. He sent people to inquire about the size and weight of the Nine Tripod Cauldrons. King Ding sent Wang Sun Man, the grandson of King Xiang, to answer with such words that “it's about virtue, not about tripod” and the Chu army withdrew. In the tenth year (597 BC), King Zhuang of Chu surrounded the capital of Zheng, and Earl Zheng Bo surrendered, and soon the country was restored. In the sixteenth year (591 BC), King Zhuang of Chu died.


初,惠后欲立王子带,故以党开翟人,翟人遂入周。襄王出奔郑,郑居王于氾。子带立为王,取襄王所绌翟后与居温。十七年,襄王告急于晋,晋文公纳王而诛叔带。襄王乃赐晋文公珪鬯弓矢,为伯,以河内地与晋。二十年,晋文公召襄王,襄王会之河阳、践土,诸侯毕朝,《书讳》曰:“天王狩于河阳。”

二十四年,晋文公卒。

三十一年,秦穆公卒。

三十二年,襄王崩,子顷王壬臣立。顷王六年,崩,子匡王班立。匡王六年,崩,弟瑜立,是为定王。

定王元年,楚庄王伐陆浑之戎,次洛,使人问九鼎。王使王孙满应设以辞,楚兵乃去。十年,楚庄王围郑,郑伯降,已而复之。十六年,楚庄王卒。


Wednesday, April 10, 2024

85 Fu Chen‘s Advice

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In the 13th year (639 BC), Zheng attacked Hua. King Xiang sent Yousun and Bofu to plead for Hua, but the people of Zheng imprisoned them. Duke Wen of Zheng resented that King Hui restored the state but did not give Duke Li of Zheng the courtesy of wine and wine cups, and he also complained that King Xiang handed over the state of Hua to the state of Wei, so he imprisoned Bo Fu. The king was pissed and was going to use Di to attack Zheng. Fu Chen advised, "When our capital of Zhou was moved eastward, we had all the help from Jin and Zheng. When Prince Tui rebelled, it was also with the help of Zheng that we were able to put down the rebellion. How can we abandon Zheng now because of a small grudge?"The king did not listen. In the 15th year (637 BC), the king sent Di troops to attack Zheng. King Xiang was very grateful to the Di people and was going to choose a daughter from Di as his queen. Fu Chen advised him again,, "King Ping, King Huan, King Zhuang, and King Hui all received help from Zheng. Your Majesty, you should not abandon your close friends and get close to the Di people." King Xiang refused to listen. In the 16th year (636 BC), after King Xiang deposed Queen Di, the Di people came to question him and killed Tan Bo. Fu Chen said, "I have repeatedly advised the king but he didn't listen. If I don't go to war, the king will think that I hate him, right?" So he led his people to die in battle.


十三年,郑伐滑,王使游孙、伯服请滑,郑人囚之。郑文公怨惠王之入不与厉公爵,又怨襄王之与卫滑,故囚伯服。王怒,将以翟伐郑。富辰谏曰:“凡我周之东徙,晋、郑焉依。子穨之乱,又郑之由定,今以小怨弃之!”王不听。十五年,王降翟师以伐郑。王德翟人,将以其女为后。富辰谏曰:“平、桓、庄、惠皆受郑劳,王弃亲亲翟,不可从。”王不听。十六年,王绌翟后,翟人来诛,杀谭伯。富辰曰:“吾数谏不从。如是不出,王以我为怼乎?”乃以其属死之。


84 Guan Zhong

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In the 25th year (652 BC) of his reign, King Hui died, and his son Zheng succeeded as King Xiang. King Xiang's mother died early, and his stepmother was called Queen Hui. Queen Hui gave birth to Shu Dai, who was favored by King Hui, and King Xiang was afraid of him. In the third year, Shu Dai and the Rong and Di conspired to attack King Xiang. King Xiang wanted to kill Shu Dai, so Shu Dai fled to Qi. Duke Huan of Qi sent Guan Zhong to pacify the Rong in Zhou, and sent Xi Peng to pacify the Rong in Jin. The king treated Guan Zhong with the courtesy of a senior minister. Guan Zhong declined and said, "I am an official of low status. Now there are Guo and Gao, two senior ministers appointed by the king. If I accept the king's order with the court courtesy of spring and autumn, where my manners will be no matter how I respond? I, the attendant, can’t do nothing but to decline." The king said, "The envoy of my uncle, your merits are appreciated, please do not disobey my order." Guan Zhong finally accepted the courtesy as a junior minister and returned home. In the ninth year, Duke Huan of Qi died. In the twelfth year, Shu Dai returned to Zhou.


二十五年,惠王崩,子襄王郑立。襄王母蚤死,后母曰惠后。惠后生叔带,有宠于惠王,襄王畏之。三年,叔带与戎、翟谋伐襄王,襄王欲诛叔带,叔带奔齐。齐桓公使管仲平戎于周,使隰朋平戎于晋。王以上卿礼管仲。管仲辞曰:“臣贱有司也,有天子之二守国、高在。若节春秋来承王命,何以礼焉。陪臣敢辞。”王曰:“舅氏,余嘉乃勋,毋逆朕命。”管仲卒受下卿之礼而还。九年,齐桓公卒。十二年,叔带复归于周。


83 Hegemon Duke Huan of Qi

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In the third year of King Huan (717 BC), Duke Zhuang of Zheng came to pay homage, but King Huan did not treat him with courtesy. In the fifth year (715 BC), Zheng had resentment and exchanged Xutian with Lu. Xutian was the land used by the king to worship Mount Tai. In the eighth year (712 BC), Lu killed Duke Yin and supported Duke Huan. In the thirteenth year (707 BC), the royal family attacked Zheng, and the Zheng army shot and wounded King Huan, who fled back.

In the twenty-third year (697 BC), King Huan died, and his son King Zhuang Tuo succeeded him. In the fourth year of King Zhuang (693 BC), Duke Zhou Heijian wanted to kill King Zhuang and replace him with Prince Ke. Xin Bo reported to King Zhuang, and King Zhuang killed Duke Zhou. Prince Ke fled to Yan.

In the fifteenth year (682 BC), King Zhuang died, and his son King Li Huqi succeeded him. In the third year of King Li (679 BC), Duke Huan of Qi began to establish his hegemony.

In the fifth year (677 BC), King Li died, and his son King Hui Lang succeeded him. And sometimes before, King Zhuang's favorite concubine, a woman named Yao, gave birth to a son named Tui, who was favored by King Zhuang. After King Hui got in power, in the second year (675 BC), he seized the gardens of some ministers as his own gardens, then there were five ministers including Bian Bo launched a rebellion and planned to summon the armies of Yan and Wei to join forces to attack King Hui. King Hui fled to Wenyi and soon lived in Li of Zheng. The rebels supported King Li's younger brother Tui as king and held a full set of ceremonies, dances and music, which outraged the monarchs of Zheng and Guo. In the fourth year (673 BC), the monarchs of Zheng and Guo attacked and killed King Tui and welcomed King Hui back. In the tenth year of King Hui (667 BC), Duke Huan of Qi was granted the title of overlord. 


桓王三年,郑庄公朝,桓王不礼。五年,郑怨,与鲁易许田。许田,天子之用事太山田也。八年,鲁杀隐公,立桓公。十三年,伐郑,郑射伤桓王,桓王去归。

二十三年,桓王崩,子庄王佗立。庄王四年,周公黑肩欲杀庄王而立王子克。辛伯告王,王杀周公。王子克奔燕。

十五年,庄王崩,子釐王胡齐立。釐王三年,齐桓公始霸。

五年,釐王崩,子惠王阆立。惠王二年。初,庄王嬖姬姚,生子穨,穨有宠。及惠王即位,夺其大臣园以为囿,故大夫边伯等五人作乱,谋召燕、卫师,伐惠王。惠王奔温,已居郑之栎。立釐王弟穨为王。乐及遍舞,郑、虢君怒。四年,郑与虢君伐杀王穨,复入惠王。惠王十年,赐齐桓公为伯。


Tuesday, April 9, 2024

82 Zhou Moved East

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Bao Si didn't like to laugh, so King You tried every way to make her laugh, but she still didn't laugh. King You set up beacons and drums in various places, and lit the beacons when there was an enemy attack. Once King You lit the beacon, the princes all came, but they didn't see the enemy, so Bao Si laughed. King You was very happy, and he lit the beacon for Bao Si many times. Later, the princes no longer believed in King You, and they didn't come when they saw the beacon.

King You appointed Guo Shifu as a minister to manage state affairs, and the people had complaints. Guo Shifu was cunning, flattering and greedy, but King You still put him to use. King You also deposed Queen Shen and drove away the prince. Lord Shen was very angry, and joined forces with the Zheng State and the Western Yi Quanrong to attack King You. King You lit the beacon to summon the princes' armies, but none of the princes' armies came. So they killed King You at the foot of Mount Li, abducted Bao Si, and looted all the Zhou's property before leaving. So all the princes went to Lord Shen and jointly supported Yi Jiu, the former crown prince of King You, as King Ping, who inherited the Zhou Dynasty's sacrificial rites

After King Ping ascended the throne, the capital was moved eastward to Luoyi to avoid the enemies of the Western Rong. During King Ping's reign, the Zhou royal family gradually declined, the strong among the princes annexed the weak, Qi, Chu, Qin, Jin began to grow, and the state affairs started coming from the dominant princes.

In the 49th year (722 BC) of King Ping’s reign, Duke Yin of Lu got his position.

In the 51st year (720 BC), King Ping died, and the crown prince Xiefu died early, his son Lin was made the king, this is King Huan. King Huan was the grandson of King Ping.


襃姒不好笑,幽王欲其笑万方,故不笑。幽王为烽燧大鼓,有寇至则举烽火。诸侯悉至,至而无寇,襃姒乃大笑。幽王说之,为数举烽火。其后不信,诸侯益亦不至。

幽王以虢石父为卿,用事,国人皆怨。石父为人佞巧善谀好利,王用之。又废申后,去太子也。申侯怒,与缯、西夷犬戎攻幽王。幽王举烽火徵兵,兵莫至。遂杀幽王骊山下,虏襃姒,尽取周赂而去。于是诸侯乃即申侯而共立故幽王太子宜臼,是为平王,以奉周祀。

平王立,东迁于雒邑,辟戎寇。平王之时,周室衰微,诸侯强并弱,齐、楚、秦、晋始大,政由方伯。

四十九年,鲁隐公即位。

五十一年,平王崩,太子洩父蚤死,立其子林,是为桓王。桓王,平王孙也。


81 King You and Bao Si

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In his third year (779 BC), King You favored Bao Si. Bao Si gave birth to a son, Bo Fu, and King You wanted to depose the crown prince. The crown prince's mother was the daughter of Lord Shen and the queen. Later, King You got Bao Si and loved her very much. He wanted to depose Queen Shen and Crown Prince Yi Jiu, and make Bao Si the queen and Bo Fu the crown prince. Zhou Taishi Bo Yang read the historical records and said, "The Zhou Dynasty is about to perish." When the Xia Hou clan was declining, two dragons landed in the courtyard of the Xia emperor and said, "We are the two monarchs of Bao." The Xia emperor divined whether to kill them, drive them away, or keep them, but did not get a good omen. The diviner asked to collect the dragon's saliva, and got a good omen. So the Xia emperor prepared silk and wrote a prayer on a bamboo slip. After the dragon flew away, it left saliva. The Xia emperor ordered people to collect it in a wooden box and keep it. After the fall of the Xia Dynasty, this artifact was passed on to the Shang Dynasty. After the fall of the Shang Dynasty, the artifact was passed to the Zhou Dynasty. For three consecutive dynasties, no one dared to open it. It was not until the end of King Li's reign that it was opened for viewing. The dragon's saliva flowed into the courtyard and could not be cleaned. King Li asked women to shout loudly in the courtyard naked. The dragon's saliva turned into a black lizard and entered King Li's harem. The lizard was encounted by a slave girl in the harem at the teeth-changing age and she became pregnant a few years later when she turned fifteen. She gave birth to a baby girl without a husband, and out of fear she abandoned the baby. During the reign of King Xuan, there was a child song went around. "There will be a couple who sell bows and arrows made of mulberry wood, and they are the ones who will destroy the Zhou Dynasty.” When King Xuan heard about it, he put an order out, that if a couple found selling these bows and arrows would be arrested and executed. Then on their way of escaping, the couple saw the baby girl abandoned by the harem slave on the roadside. They heard the baby crying at night, and adopted her out of pity. The couple then fled to Bao. Years later when a man from Bao committed a crime, he offered the abandoned girl, now grown, to the king to atone for his sin. The girl was from Bao, so she was called Bao Si. When King You had reigned for three years, he came to his harem and saw Bao Si and fell in love with her. Then she gave birth to a son, Bo Fu. King You even wanted to depose Queen Shen and the crown prince, and make Bao Si the queen and Bo Fu the crown prince. The historian Bo Yang said, "The disaster has already happened, there is nothing we can do about it!"


三年,幽王嬖爱襃姒。襃姒生子伯服,幽王欲废太子。太子母申侯女,而为后。后幽王得襃姒,爱之,欲废申后,并去太子宜臼,以襃姒为后,以伯服为太子。周太史伯阳读史记曰:“周亡矣。”昔自夏后氏之衰也,有二神龙止于夏帝庭而言曰:“余,襃之二君。”夏帝卜杀之与去之与止之,莫吉。卜请其漦而藏之,乃吉。于是布币而策告之,龙亡而漦在,椟而去之。夏亡,传此器殷。殷亡,又传此器周。比三代,莫敢发之,至厉王之末,发而观之。漦流于庭,不可除。厉王使妇人裸而譟之。漦化为玄鼋,以入王后宫。后宫之童妾既龀而遭之,既笄而孕,无夫而生子,惧而弃之。宣王之时童女谣曰:“檿弧箕服,实亡周国。”于是宣王闻之,有夫妇卖是器者,宣王使执而戮之。逃于道,而见乡者后宫童妾所弃妖子出于路者,闻其夜啼,哀而收之,夫妇遂亡,奔于襃。襃人有罪,请入童妾所弃女子者于王以赎罪。弃女子出于襃,是为襃姒。当幽王三年,王之后宫见而爱之,生子伯服,竟废申后及太子,以襃姒为后,伯服为太子。太史伯阳曰:“祸成矣,无可奈何!”


80 Rivers Dry and Mountains Collapse

A4.36

In the 46th year (782 BC), King Xuan died and his son Gongsheng succeeded to the throne as King You. In the second year of King You (780 BC), an earthquake occurred in the Sanchuan area near the Zhou capital. Bo Yangfu said: "The Zhou Dynasty will perish. The two energies of heaven and earth cannot lose their order; if they lose their proper order, the people will be disturbed. The yang energy is latent and cannot come out, and is suppressed by the yin energy and cannot evaporate, so an earthquake occurs. Now the earthquake in the Sanchuan area is because the yang energy has lost its position and is suppressed by the yin energy. If the yang energy loses its position and is suppressed by the yin energy, the water source will definitely be blocked; if the water source is blocked, the country will definitely perish. Only when the water and soil are unobstructed then the people can get money. If the underground water can’t flow unobstructed, the people will lack money, and the country will perish in no time. In the past, the Xia Dynasty perished when the Yi River and the Luo River dried up, and the Shang Dynasty perished when the Yellow River dried up. Now the virtue and the fortune of Zhou Dynasty are just like the end of the previous two dynasties. The water sources of the rivers have been blocked, and if they are blocked, they will definitely dry up. The establishment of a capital must rely on high mountains and large rivers. The collapse of high mountains and the drying up of large rivers are signs of the destruction of the country. The drying up of large rivers will definitely cause the collapse of high mountains. If a country is destroyed, it will not exceed ten years, because the numbers are based on decimals. What the heaven abandons will not exceed this number. " This year, the three rivers dried up and Mount Qi collapsed.


四十六年,宣王崩,子幽王宫湦立。幽王二年,西周三川皆震。伯阳甫曰:“周将亡矣。夫天地之气,不失其序;若过其序,民乱之也。阳伏而不能出,阴迫而不能蒸,于是有地震。今三川实震,是阳失其所而填阴也。阳失而在阴,原必塞;原塞,国必亡。夫水土演而民用也。土无所演,民乏财用,不亡何待!昔伊、洛竭而夏亡,河竭而商亡。今周德若二代之季矣,其川原又塞,塞必竭。夫国必依山川,山崩川竭,亡国之徵也。川竭必山崩。若国亡不过十年,数之纪也。天之所弃,不过其纪。”是岁也,三川竭,岐山崩。