Three Families Divide Jin
This was intended to be a translation of the first part of the Tongjian jishi benmo通鑑紀事本末 ("Comprehensive Mirror Chronicling Affairs from Beginning to End") which is a rearrangement of the Zizhi Tongjian into topics rather than a strictly chronology done by Yuan Shu (1131-1205) . However I quickly realized that for this particular topic there is no rearrangement done, as the ZZTJ after starting the chronicle in 403 BC with the elevation of Wei, Zhan and Han immediately launches into an extended retrospective. So I guess it's actually just a translation of the beginning of the ZZTJ. I have reluctantly decided to skip Sima Guang's long commentary at the start, and after the death of the Elder of Zhi in the interest of actually completing anything. Note that "Han" here refer throughout to the Warring states era state of Han韓 rather than the later Han漢 empire.
Three Families Divide Jin
23rd Year of King Weilie of Zhou [403 BC], began to instruct Jin's great men Wei Si, Zhao Ji, and Han韓 Qian to be Marquises.
Earlier, Count Xuan of Zhi wanted to use Yao as heir. Zhi Guo said:
He is not as good as Xiao. That which people find worthy with Yao are five, that which he does not match up in is one. His beautiful temple-hair, his tallness and large size are admirable. That he shoots and drives with the strength of his feet is worthy. That his skill and craft are fully provided is worthy. That his artful writings are articulate and graceful is worthy. That he is strong, resolute, decisive and daring is worthy. It is like this, but he is extremely inhumane. In case he used his five worthy qualities to climb past people, but uses his inhumaneness to act against them, who would be able to treat with him? If in the end [you] install Yao, the Zhi lineage will surely be wiped out.
He did not listen. Zhi Guo separated from the family with the Grand Scribe, and became the Fu clan.
[Wei Zhao says: Count Xuan of Zhi was the Jin dignitary Xun Li's son, Shen. Yao was Count Xuan's son, [known as] the Elder of Zhi. His posthumous title was Count Xiang. Zhi Gao was a kinsman of the Zhi clan. Xiao was Count Xuan's common-born son.]
Among Count Jian of Zhao's sons, the elder was called Bolu and the younger Wuxu. He wanted to set up the heir, nu did not know who should be installed. He therefore wrote a speech with teachings and admonishing in two letters, and gave them to his two sons, saying:
Vigilantly familiarize yourself with it!
After three years, he asked about it. Bolu and not been able to study his speech. He demanded his letter, but he had already lost it. He asked Wuxu, he recited his speech with great practice. He demanded his letter, he produced it from within his sleeves and laid it before him. And so Count Jian considered Wuxu to be worthy, and installed him as heir.
Count Jian sent Yin Duo to be at Jinyang. He inquired, saying:
Use it as silk from a cocoon? Or use it as a protecting shield?
Count Jian said:
A protecting shield!
Yin Duo reduced the number of his households. Count Jian spoke to Wuxu, saying:
If the state of Jin has difficulties, regardless of Yin Duo being of little importance, and regardless of Jinyang being far away, be sure to use is as somewhere to return to.
[Hu Sansheng says: “To extract the people's vital bounty is like pulling a silk thread from a cocoon.”]
When Count Xuan of Zhi passed, Count Xiang of Zhi had the government. He feasted Count Kang of Han and Count Huan of Wei at Lantai. The Elder of Zhi made fun of Count Kang and insulted Duan Gui. Zhi Guo heard about it, and admonished, saying:
If a ruler does not prepare against difficulties, difficulties will surely arrive!
The Elder of Zhi said:
Difficulties will be due to me. I will not be in difficulties, who would dare to raise them up!
He replied, saying:
Not so. The Book of Xia has this: “One man makes three mistakes, will his enemies be made clear? The unseen must be planned for.” In all cases the Lordly Man is able to pay attention to small things, and for that reason he has no large worries. Now the ruler in a single feast then has shamed a lord of men and his minister. Again to not make preparations but say “they do not dare to raise up difficulties”, nothing then is impossible. If black flies, ants, wasps and scorpions are all able to injure a person, then how much more a lord and his minister.
He did not listen.
The Elder of Zhi requested land from Count Kang of Han. Count Kang intended not to give it. Duan Gui said:
The Elder of Zhi is fond of gains and is headstrong. If we do not give it, he will attack us. It is not as good as giving it. That one is accustomed to obtaining land, and will surely request it from other people. [If] other people will not give it, he will surely turn against them with troops. Afterwards we will obtain our escape from worries and wait for a reversal in affairs.
Count Kang said:
Good.
He sent messengers to bring a town of ten thousand families to the Elder of Zhi. The Elder of Zhi was pleased. Again he demanded land from Count Huan of Wei. Count Huan intended not to give it. Ren Zhang said:
What is the reason for not giving?
Count Huan said:
He has no reason to exhort land is the reason for not giving.
Ren Zhang said:
He has no reason to exhort land, the various great men will surely be afraid. Us giving him land, and the Elder of Zhi will surely be haughty. When that one is haughty, he will make light of his foes. When these are afraid, they will be affectionate with each other. Use troops of those affectionate with each other and wait for a person to make light of his foes, and the Zhi clan's lifespan will surely not be long. The Book of Zhou says: “If you want to defeat him, you must for the moment assist him. If you want to take from him, you must for the moment give to him. What the ruler [said] is not as good as giving it to him, and so make haughty the Elder of Zhi. Afterwards we can chose who to make contact with and make plans against the Zhi clan. What recourse is there in for us alone to be the Zhi clan's target!
Count Huan said:
Good.
Then he gave him a town of ten thousand families.
The Elder of Zhi also demanded the lands of Cai and Gaolang from Count Xiang of Zhao [i.e. Wuxu who had succeed his father, Count Jian.] Count Xiang did not give it. The Elder of Zhi was angry, and led the forces of Han and Wei to attack the Zhao clan. Count Xiang wanted to set out, and said:
Where can we flee?
His followers said:
Changzi is nearby, moreover the walls are thick and complete.
Count Xiang said:
The people exhausted their strength completing them. To also be wrecked and die defending them, who of them will be with us!
The followers said:
Handan's granaries and armouries are full
Count Xiang said:
[We] extracted the people's vital bounty to fill it. Also because of that to kill them, who of them will be with us! Those at Jinyang belonged to the Previous Ruler and were treated generously by Yin Duo. The people will surely be agreeable.
Therefore he fled to Jinyang.
The three families used the people of the state to besiege and flood him, that of the city walls which was not immersed measured three ban [3 ban = 6 chi]. They submerged stoves to produce frogs, and the people had no rebellious thoughts. The Elder of Zhi went to the water. Count Huan of Wei steered and Count Kang of Han was on his right side in the carriage. [A traditional chariot had a crew of three. The noble, the driver, and the bodyguard on the right.] The Elder of Zhi said:
I have now learned water can be used to destroy a person's state.
Count Huan elbowed Count Kang. Count Kang trod on the back of Count Huan's foot. By using the Fen River he could flood Anyi, and with the Jiang River he could flood Pingyang.
Xi Ci spoke to the Elder of Zhi, saying:
Han and Wei are certain to turn against you.
The Elder of Zhi said:
My Count, how can you know that?
Xi Ci said:
It is due to people's affairs [I] know it. In all cases troops from Han and Wei have been used to attack Zhao. When Zhao perishes, the difficulties are sure to reach Han and Wei. Now the pledge is to win against Zhao and then divide its land into three. The walls that are not immersed measures three ban. People and horses eat each other. The city will surrender within days, yet the two Counts have no joyful resolve, but have an anxious appearance. If they are not turning against you, then why?
Next day, the Elder of Zhi reported Xi Ci's words to the two Counts. The two Counts said:
This is a case of a slanderous person intending to be the Zhao clan's wandering persuader, making the ruler be suspicious of the two families and negligent in the attack on the Zhao clan. If not so, why in that case are the two families not profiting from morning to evening by dividing the fields of the Zhao clan, but intend to be in precarious difficulty in an affair with no possibility for success!
The two Counts went out. Xi Ci entered and said:
Why did my ruler report your subject's words to the two Counts?
The Elder of Zhi said:
Sir, how did you know that?
He replied, saying:
Your subject saw them looking at your subject in particular, and then scurried away, and [I] knew your subject had obtained their feelings.
The Elder of Bo did not make amends, and Xi Ci requested to be sent to Qi.
Count Xiang of Zhao sent Zhang Mengtan to furtively go out and see the two Counts. He said:
Your subject has heard that when the lips are gone, the teeth are cold. Now the Elder of Zhi leads Han and Wei to attack Zhao. When Zhao is destroyed, Han and Wei will be next.
The two Counts said:
In our hearts we know that it is so. [We] fear if the affair is not be carried out when the plan leaks, then the calamity would become extreme.
Zhang Mengtan said:
The plan goes out from the two Counts' mouths, and goes in your subject's ears. What is the harm!
The two Counts therefore furtively made a pledge with Zhang Mengtan, that on the appointed day they would dispatch [their forces]. Count Xiang sent people at night to kill the functionary who guarded the dikes, and then breach the water to flood into the Elder of Bo's army. The Elder of Bo's army put a stop to water but was in disorder. Han and Wei flanked and then struck them, Count Xiang commanded his solders to assault them in front. They greatly defeated the Elder of Bo's multitudes, and thereupon killed the Elder of Bo and entirely wiped out the members of the Zhi clan. Only Fu Guo survived.
The three families divided the fields of the Zhi clan. Count Xiang of Zhao lacquered the Elder of Zhi's head, and used it as a drinking vessel. The Elder of Bo's subject Yu Rang wished to get revenge on him. He therefore pretended to be a punished criminal, tucked a spoon-head dagger, and entered within Count Xiang's palace to plaster the lavatory. Count Xiang went to the lavatory, felt his heart race. He search it and captured Yu Rang. His left and right wished to kill him. Count Xiang said:
The Elder of Zhi died without descendants, and yet this person wishes to revenge him, truly a right-principled gentleman. I will respectfully release him, and that is all.
He therefore let him go. Yu Rang again lacquered his body to become leprous, and swallowed charcoal to become mute. He went to beg at the market, his wife did not recognize him. He went to see his friend. His friend recognized him, and he began sobbing at him, saying:
Due to Sir's talents, [if you were] to serve Zhao Meng as a subject, [you] would surely obtain affection and favour. Sir would then have what [you] wished to have, would that not be easy? Why then make yourself miserable like this? The search for vengeance, would not also be difficult!
Yu Rang said:
Then [I] would have given my pledge as a subject while also seeking to kill him, this is to have two hearts. Overall, what I am doing is extremely difficult, that is all. However, what I am doing perhaps might shame those in later generations Under Heaven who are subjects with two hearts in their breasts.
Count Xiang set out and Yu Rang hid under a bridge. Count Xiang arrived at the bridge, and his horse startled. He searched it and got Yu Rang, and consequently killed him.
Count Xiang, because Bolu had not been installed, although he had five sons, was not willing to set up an heir. He ennobled Bolu's son at Dai. He was called Lord Cheng of Dai and passed young. He installed his son Huan as the Zhao clan's heir. Count Xiang passed, and his younger brother, Count Huan, expelled Huan, and installed himself. After one year, he passed. The people of the Zhao clan said:
Count Huan's instalment was not Ruler Xiang's idea.
Therefore they together killed his son[s]. They then welcomed Huan# and installed him. This was Count Xian. Count Xian begot Ji, this was Marquis Lie. Wei Si was the grandson of Count Huan Wei, this was Marquis Wen. Count Kang of Han begot Count Wu. Count Wu begot Qian. This was Marquis Jing.
Marquis Wen of Wei used the Bu Zixia and Tian Zifang as teachers. Always when he passed by the cottage of Duangan Mu, he was certain to bow toward the front crossbar [on his chariot]. Many of the Four Regions' worthy gentlemen reverted to him. Marquis Wen was dranking wine with the crowd of subjects. They were having fun but then it was raining. He called for his carriage, wanting to go out into the wilderness. Left and right said:
Today we are drinking and having fun, and the sky is also raining. Why would my lord go?
Marquis Wen said:
I had an appointment to hunt with the gamekeeper. Though we are having fun, how could [I] not meet with someone at the appointed time.
Then he left and and put a stop to it himself.
Han [wanted] to borrow a force from Wei to attack Zhao. Marquis Wen said:
This Orphan and Zhao are brothers. [I] do not dare to hear the instruction.
Wei [wanted] to borrow a force from Wei to attack Han. Marquis Wen responded to them in the same way. The two states were both angry and left. Later they understood Marquis Wen was reconciling them, and both came to court in Wei. Wei hence was first to be great among the Three Wei. The various feudal princes were unable to contend whit them.
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