Comprehensive Reflections to Aid in Governance
By Sima Guang
Translated by Yiming Yang
Annals of Zhou Book 1 Scroll 1 (continued)
The 23rd year of King Weilie (403 B.C. contined)
The land of the Zhi family was divided among three families: Han, Wei, and Zhao. In a gruesome act, Viscount Zhao Xiang transformed Zhi Bo‘s skull into a drinking cup by lacquering it. Seeking revenge for the death of Zhi Bo, a courtier named Yu Rang devised a plan. He disguised himself as a prisoner laborer and volunteered to paint Viscount Zhao Xiang‘s lavatory. As fate would have it, Viscount Zhao Xiang felt a sudden uneasiness when he went to the restroom. Suspecting something amiss, he ordered a search that led to the capture of Yu Rang. Although his bodyguards were ready to kill Yu Rang, Viscount Zhao Xiang intervened, acknowledging Yu Rang‘s righteous intentions. He realized that Yu Rang sought revenge for the Zhi family despite their lack of descendants. Impressed by his determination, Viscount Zhao Xiang released Yu Rang.
To ensure his anonymity, Yu Rang painted his body to resemble scabies and swallowed char coke to mute his voice. He assumed the role of a beggar in the marketplace, going unrecognized even by his own wife. However, a friend eventually identified him and tried to dissuade him from his path of suffering. The friend pointed out that Yu Rang possessed the abilities to become a courtier of Viscount Zhao Xiang and gain close access to Zhao Wuxu, making revenge easier to achieve. The friend questioned why Yu Rang chose the arduous path of suffering. In response, Yu Rang declared, “No, if I become a courtier and then betray him, I would be disloyal. I choose to take the most challenging route in whatever I do. My purpose is to shame those future courtiers who are disloyal to their lords.” With unwavering determination, Yu Rang hid under a bridge, observing Viscount Zhao Xiang coming out of his house. It was on that bridge that Viscount Zhao Xiang‘s horse became startled, leading to a search that resulted in Yu Rang‘s capture once again. In the end, Yu Rang was killed, but not before he was given the opportunity to plunge a dagger into Zhao Wuxu‘s empty robe.
Viscount Zhao Xiang had five sons, but he did not choose any of them as the heir to the Zhao family. Instead, he believed that the descendants of his older brother Bolu should rightfully inherit the position. As a result, Viscount Zhao Xiang granted the land of Dai to Bolu‘s son, appointing him as Lord Dai Cheng. Sadly, Lord Dai Cheng passed away at a young age.
Viscount Zhao Xiang selected the son of Lord Dai-Cheng, named Zhao Huan, as the new heir to the Zhao family. However, upon Viscount Zhao Xiang‘s death, his younger brother Viscount Huan, named Zhao Jia, expelled Zhao Huan from his position and took his place as the family heir. Regrettably, Viscount Huan‘s reign was short-lived as he passed away within a year.
The people within the Zhao Family held the belief that Viscount Huan as the family heir had not been the true intention of Viscount Zhao Xiang. Taking matters into their own hands, they took decisive action by killing Viscount Huan‘s son and reinstating Zhao Huan as the head of the Zhao family. From that point on, he became known as Viscount Zhao Xian. Notably, Viscount Zhao Xian‘s son, referred to as Marquis Zhao Lie, is the Zhao Ji mentioned at the beginning of this book.
As for the other two Marquises mentioned, Wei Si and Han Qian, they have their own lineage and connections. Wei Si, one of the three Marquises, is the grandson of Viscount Wei Huan and is referred to as Marquis Wei Wen. On the other hand, Viscount Han Kang‘s son is named Han Qizhang, or Viscount Han Wu. Viscount Han Wu, in turn, named his own son Han Qian, who is recognized as the Marquis Han Jing among the three Marquises granted titles by the King of Zhou.
Marquis Wei Wen, known for his reverence for knowledge, extended invitations to two esteemed scholars, Bu Zixia and Tian Zifang, to be his teachers. Additionally, he held a deep respect for another scholar named Duan Ganmu, who declined the offer to become his teacher. Despite this, Marquis Wei Wen continued to show his admiration for Duan Ganmu by paying a respectful salutation every time he passed by the scholar’s house. His sincere gestures demonstrated his appreciation for intellectual pursuits.
Due to his reputation as a patron of learning, intellectuals from far and wide were drawn to work for Marquis Wei Wen. They recognized the value he placed on intellectual pursuits and were eager to contribute their knowledge and skills to his court.
On one occasion, Marquis Wei Wen was enjoying a lively drinking party with his courtiers when a sudden rain shower began. Undeterred by the weather, Marquis Wei Wen expressed his desire to arrange chariots and venture into the woods. Perplexed by his decision, his assistants questioned why they should go out in the rain when they were already having a good time. Marquis Wei Wen explained, “I just remembered that I had made an appointment with the administrator of the forest to go hunting. We must honor our commitments, even if we are currently engaged in leisurely activities.” He insisted on going to his hunting appointment and canceled it in person.
The state of Han approached Marquis Wei Wen, seeking troops for a campaign against the state of Zhao. However, Marquis Wei Wen declined the request, stating, “Zhao is my brother state. We cannot oblige.” In a similar fashion, when the state of Zhao requested troops from Marquis Wei Wen for a campaign against the state of Han, he provided the same response. Initially, both Han and Zhao were disappointed with the Marquis’s refusal.
However, their disappointment turned into deep respect for the state of Wei when they discovered that both states had received the same answer. The consistent stance taken by Marquis Wei Wen showcased his unwavering loyalty to his friends and his commitment to maintaining harmonious relationships. The other states recognized and appreciated the integrity and principle that Marquis Wei Wen displayed.
As a result, the state of Wei emerged as the strongest among the three states that derived from the state of Jin. Its unwavering loyalty and the respect it garnered from other states solidified its position of superiority.
General Yue Yang of the Wei state successfully led a campaign and conquered the state of Zhong Shan. Marquis Wei Wen bestowed the conquered territory upon his son, Prince Ji. Seeking validation for his actions, Marquis Wei Wen questioned his assistants, asking them how he was performing as a lord. To this inquiry, all of his assistants responded by praising him as a gracious lord, except for Ren Zuo.
Ren Zuo voiced his dissent, pointing out that Marquis Wei Wen had conquered Zhong Shan and granted it to his son instead of his younger brother. Ren Zuo argued that this act contradicted the notion of being a gracious lord. Marquis Wei Wen was unhappy, and Ren Zuo got out quickly.
Later, Marquis Wei Wen posed the same question to Zhai Huang, who echoed the sentiment that he was indeed a gracious lord. Curious about Zhai Huang‘s reasoning, Marquis Wei Wen inquired further. Zhai Huang replied: ”I hear that the subordinates are out-spoken when their lord is gracious. I heard that Ren Zuo spoke out the other day, therefore, I thought that you were gracious.” Amused by Zhai Huang‘s response, Marquis Wei Wen instructed him to invite Ren Zuo back. Welcoming Ren Zuo at the door, Marquis Wei Wen treated him with utmost respect and honored him as a distinguished guest.
Reflection by Rio Grande 
Leave a comment