陈杞世家 — Shiji

Chen Hugong Man was a descendant of the sage-emperor Shun. In ancient times, when Shun was still a commoner, Emperor Yao gave him his two daughters in marriage. They lived by the Gui River, and from this their descendants took the clan name Gui. When Shun died, the empire passed to Yu, but Shun's son Shangjun was granted a fief. During the Xia dynasty, the line was sometimes broken and sometimes continued. When King Wu of Zhou overthrew the tyrant Zhou of Shang, he sought again for descendants of Shun and found Gui Man, whom he enfeoffed at Chen to continue the sacrifices to Emperor Shun. This was Hugong.

Hugong died, and his son Shen Gong Xihou succeeded him. Shen Gong died, and his brother Xiang Gong Gaoyang took the throne. Xiang Gong died, and Shen Gong's son Tu was installed as Xiao Gong. Xiao Gong died, and his son Shen Gong Yurong became Wei Gong. Wei Gong held office during the reign of King Li of Zhou. Wei Gong died, and his son You Gong Ning ascended the throne. In You Gong's twelfth year, King Li fled to Zhi. In You Gong's twenty-third year, he died, and his son Li Gong Xiao took the throne. In Li Gong's sixth year, King Xuan of Zhou ascended the throne. In Li Gong's thirty-sixth year, he died, and his son Wu Gong Ling took the throne. Wu Gong died after fifteen years, and his son Yi Gong Yue succeeded him. This was the year King You of Zhou ascended the throne. Yi Gong died after three years, and his brother Ping Gong Xie took the throne. In Ping Gong's seventh year, King You of Zhou was killed by the Quanrong. The Zhou court moved eastward, and Qin first achieved the status of a vassal lord. In Ping Gong's twenty-third year, he died, and his son Wen Gong Yu ascended the throne. In Wen Gong's first year, he took a lady of Cai as wife and she bore him a son named Tuo. In Wen Gong's tenth year, he died, and his eldest son Huan Gong Bao took the throne. In Huan Gong's twenty-third year, Duke Yin of Lu first took his seat. In his twenty-sixth year, Zhou Xin of Wei assassinated his lord. In his thirty-third year, Lu assassinated its lord Duke Yin. In his thirty-eighth year, on the day of Jiachen in the first month, Huan Gong Bao died.

In Li Gong's second year, a son named Jing Zhong Wan was born. The Zhou grand historian passed through Chen, and Li Gong had him divine using the Yijing. The hexagram showed Guan transforming into Pi: "Observe the glory of the kingdom—beneficial to be a guest of the king. Could this mean Chen shall possess the realm? If not here, might it be in another land? Not in his person, but in his descendants. If in another land, it must be the Jiang clan, descendants of the great Tai. No thing can remain equally great in both aspects. When Chen declines, shall this flourish?"

In Gong Gong's sixth year, Chu's Heir Apparent Shangchen assassinated his father King Cheng and usurped the throne as King Mu. In Gong Gong's eleventh year, Duke Mu of Qin died. In Gong Gong's eighteenth year, he died, and his son Ling Gong Pingguo succeeded him.

In Ling Gong's first year, King Zhuang of Chu took the throne. In Ling Gong's sixth year, Chu attacked Chen. In his tenth year, Chen made peace with Chu. In his fourteenth year, Ling Gong and his ministers Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu all had affairs with Lady Xia, wearing her undergarments and sporting about the court. Xie Ye remonstrated: "When lord and ministers behave licentiously, how shall the people follow their example?" Ling Gong reported this to the two men, who requested the killing of Xie Ye. Ling Gong did not forbid them, so they murdered Xie Ye.

In Cheng Gong's first year, winter, King Zhuang of Chu, indignant that Xia Zhengshu had murdered Ling Gong, led the vassal lords in attacking Chen, saying: "Do not be alarmed—I shall only punish Zhengshu." Having executed Zhengshu, he made Chen a county and took possession of it. All ministers came to offer congratulations. Only Shen Shushi, returning from an embassy to Qi, did not congratulate. When King Zhuang asked why, he replied: "There is a proverb: a man who takes a shortcut through another's field—the field's owner seizes his ox. The shortcut was wrong, but seizing the ox—was that not excessive? Now Your Majesty, considering Zhengshu a criminal who assassinated his lord, assembled the vassal lords to punish him righteously. Then you took possession of his land for profit—how shall you command the realm hereafter? For this reason I do not congratulate."

King Zhuang said: "Well spoken." He then welcomed Ling Gong's Heir Apparent Wu from Jin and installed him as lord, restoring Chen as before. This was Cheng Gong.

In Ai Gong's thirty-fourth year: Ai Gong originally took a lady of Zheng as wife. The elder consort bore him Heir Apparent Shi; the lesser consort bore him Yan. Two favored concubines bore him: the elder concubine's son Liu, and the younger concubine's son Sheng. Liu was beloved by Ai Gong, who entrusted him to his brother Situ Zhao. When Ai Gong fell ill, in the third month, Zhao killed Heir Apparent Diao and installed Liu as heir apparent. Ai Gong flew into a rage, wishing to execute Zhao, but Zhao mobilized troops to surround and guard Ai Gong. Ai Gong hanged himself. Zhao thereupon installed Liu as Lord of Chen. In the fourth month, Chen sent envoys to Chu. King Ling of Chu, hearing of Chen's turmoil, killed the Chen envoy and sent Prince Qiwu with troops to attack Chen. Lord Liu fled to Zheng. In the ninth month, Chu besieged Chen. In the eleventh month, Chen was destroyed. Qiwu was made Chen's Lord.

When Zhao killed Heir Apparent Diao, the heir's son Wu fled to Jin. Duke Ping of Jin asked the Grand Historian Zhao: "Did Chen thus perish?" He replied: "Chen is of the Zhuanxu line. When the Chen clan gains dominion in Qi, then finally Chen shall perish. From Mu to Gusou, none disobeyed the Mandate. Shun, with added illuminating virtue, maintained it through Sui. Each generation preserved it. As for Hugong, Zhou granted him the surname, commanding sacrifices to Emperor Shun. Moreover, one of abundant virtue shall be honored for a hundred generations. The line of Yu is not exhausted—might it not be in Qi?"

King Ling of Chu destroyed Chen in the fifth year. Chu's Prince Qiwu assassinated King Ling and usurped the throne as King Ping. King Ping, newly enthroned, wished to cultivate harmony with the vassal lords, so he sought out Wu, son of the late Chen Heir Apparent Shi, and installed him as Marquis of Chen. This was Hui Gong. When Hui Gong took the throne, he retroactively set the year of Ai Gong's death as his first year—thereby creating five empty years in the record. In his tenth year, Chen suffered a fire. In his fifteenth year, King Liao of Wu sent Prince Guang to attack Chen, capturing Hu and Shen before departing. In his twenty-eighth year, King Helü of Wu and Zixu defeated Chu and entered Ying. That year, Hui Gong died, and his son Huai Gong Liu succeeded him.

In Min Gong's sixth year, Confucius arrived in Chen. King Fuchai of Wu attacked Chen and captured three cities before departing. In his thirteenth year, Wu attacked again. Chen appealed urgently to Chu, and King Zhao of Chu came to its aid, camping at Chengfu. Wu's army withdrew. That year, King Zhao of Chu died at Chengfu, while Confucius was in Chen. In Min Gong's fifteenth year, Song destroyed Cao. In his sixteenth year, King Fuchai of Wu attacked Qi and defeated it at Ailing, sending word to summon Lord Chen. Fearing Wu, Lord Chen went to Wu. Chu attacked Chen. In his twenty-first year, Tian Chang of Qi assassinated Duke Jianggong. In his twenty-third year, Chu's White Duke Sheng killed the Prime Minister Zixi and Ziqi, and struck at Hui Gong. Lord Ye defeated White Duke Sheng, who killed himself. In Min Gong's twenty-fourth year, King Hui of Chu restored his kingdom and, leading troops north, killed Min Gong of Chen, thus extinguishing Chen and taking possession of it. That year, Confucius died.

Duke Donglou of Qi was a descendant of Yu, the ruler after whom the Xia were named. During the Yin dynasty, the line was sometimes enfeoffed and sometimes broken. When King Wu of Zhou overthrew the tyrant Shang, he sought descendants of Yu and found Donglou, whom he enfeoffed at Qi to continue sacrifices to the Xia house.

The eleven men above were all famous ministers of meritorious virtue at the time of Tang and Yu; five of their descendants all became emperors, while the rest became eminent feudal lords. Teng, Xue, and Zou were enfeoffed during the Xia, Shang, and Zhou periods, but were too minor to deserve enumeration. At the time of King Wu of Zhou, the number of marquis and earls still exceeded a thousand. After the reigns of Kings You and Li, the feudal lords fought and consumed one another. The states of Jiang, Huang, Hu, Shen, and others were beyond counting, and thus were not recorded in these accounts.

The Chen state then installed Duke Huai's son Yue, who became Duke Min of Chen. In the sixth year of Duke Min, Confucius arrived in Chen. King Fuchai of Wu attacked Chen, seized three towns, and departed. In the thirteenth year, Wu again came to attack Chen. Chen appealed to Chu for urgent help; King Zhao of Chu came to the rescue and encamped his army at Chengfu, whereupon the Wu forces withdrew. That same year, King Zhao of Chu died at Chengfu. At the time, Confucius was in Chen. In the fifteenth year, Song destroyed Cao. In the sixteenth year, King Fuchai of Wu attacked Qi, defeating them at Ailing, and sent an envoy to summon the Marquis of Chen. The Marquis of Chen, afraid, went to Wu. Chu attacked Chen. In the twenty-first year, Tian Chang of Qi murdered his ruler, Duke Jian. In the twenty-third year, Bai Gong Sheng of Chu killed the prime ministers Zixi and Ziqi, and made an attempt on King Hui. The Duke of Ye raised troops, defeated Bai Gong Sheng, who then committed suicide. In the twenty-fourth year, King Hui of Chu restored his state, led his army northwards on a punitive campaign, killed Duke Min of Chen, and thereupon destroyed Chen and annexed its territory. That same year, Confucius died.

The descendants of Yu were enfeoffed at Qi by King Wu of Zhou; King Hui of Chu destroyed it, and the account is in a Hereditary House. The descendants of Xie became Yin, and Yin is recorded in the Annals. After Yin fell, Zhou enfeoffed its descendants at Song; King Min of Qi destroyed it, and the account is in a Hereditary House. The descendants of Houji established Zhou; King Zhao of Qin destroyed it, and the account is in the Annals. Some descendants of Gaoyao were enfeoffed at Ying and Liu; King Mu of Chu destroyed them, and they have no genealogical record. The descendants of Boyi were again enfeoffed at Qi by King Wu of Zhou, becoming Taigong Wang; the Chen clan destroyed it, and the account is in a Hereditary House. The descendants of Boyi were enfeoffed as Qin during the reign of King Ping of Zhou; Xiang Yu destroyed it, and the account is in the Annals. As for Chui, Yi, Kui, and Long, it is unknown where their descendants were enfeoffed, and nothing is recorded.

These eleven men were all renowned, meritorious, and virtuous ministers during the era of Tang and Yu; five of their descendants later became emperors or kings, while the rest became illustrious feudal lords. The states of Teng, Xue, and Zou were enfeoffed in the periods of Xia, Shang, and Zhou, but they were small and not worth mentioning; therefore they are not discussed here. At the time of King Wu of Zhou, there were still over a thousand feudal lords and earls. After the reigns of King You and King Li, the feudal lords attacked and annexed one another by force. States such as Jiang, Huang, Hu, and Shen were too numerous to count, and thus they were not selected and recorded in the chronicles. The Grand Historian remarks: Shun's virtue may truly be regarded as supreme! He abdicated the throne to Xia, yet his descendants received blood sacrifices throughout the Three Dynasties. When Chu destroyed Chen, Tian Chang gained power in Qi and ultimately founded a lasting state, unbroken for a hundred generations, with descendants multiplying abundantly and those possessing territory never lacking. As for Yu, in the Zhou period it was the state of Qi, exceedingly insignificant and not worth enumerating. King Hui of Chu extinguished Qi, and thereafter King Goujian of Yue rose to prominence.

The rites honouring those of profound virtue shall endure through a hundred generations. The lingering lustre of Shun and Yu was preserved by Chen and Qi.

Gui Man received his fief and continued the lineage of Shun. Donglou usurped the succession, Elu rebelled, and Lady Xia’s wanton favour brought ruin.

The two states waned, now rising, now falling. The earlier was annexed, the latter taken captive; both perished through misplaced trust in Chu’s kindness.

Goujian surged to supremacy, and Tian He devoured his state. They sustained ancestral sacrifices unbroken—but were they truly the scions of sage kings?