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#the thousand year capital city Luoyang

tendaysofrain · 2 years

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Since many people enjoyed the Peach Blossom Springs build by Epicwork, here are some more builds that they’ve made over the years, along with some historical background on the builds, if anyone is interested:

The Thousand-Year Capital City - Luoyang (千年帝都·洛阳)

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In ancient times, Luoyang served as capital city in Xia dynasty/夏朝 (2070 BC - 1600 BC; the existence of this dynasty is debated among scholars due to insufficient archaeological evidence), Shang dynasty/商朝 (1600 BC - 1046 BC; Luoyang was one of the two capital cities), Western Zhou dynasty/西周 (1046 BC - 771 BC; Luoyand was again one of two capital cities), Eastern Zhou dynasty/东周 (770 BC - 256 BC), Western Han dynasty/西汉 (briefly starting from 202 BC), Eastern Han dynasty/东汉 (25 AD - 220 AD), Kingdom (dynasty if going by the traditional official historiography) of Wei/曹魏 (220 AD - 266 AD; this is part of the famous Three Kingdoms period), Western Jin dyansty/西晋 (266 AD - 213 AD), Northern Wei dynasty/北魏 (386 AD - 534 AD; Luoyang became its capital in 494 AD), Sui dynasty/隋朝 (581 AD - 618 AD; Luoyang became the capital in 605 AD), Tang dynasty/唐朝 (618 AD - 907 AD, including the brief Zhou/武周 during which Wu Zetian was the first female emperor; Luoyang was the capital or one of the capitals starting from 657 AD), Later Liang dynasty/后梁 (907 AD - 923 AD), Later Tang dynasty/后唐 (923 AD - 937 AD), Later Jin dynasty/后晋 (936 AD - 947 AD).

The build here (minus the giant dragon statue of course) is based on Luoyang during Tang dynasty, possibly around the time when Emperor Gaozong or Wu Zetian was in power, due to the presence of the enormous standing Buddha statue (Wu Zetian believed in Buddhism, while most other emperors of Tang dynasty put more emphasis on Daoism, since they claimed to be descendants of the founder of Daoism, Laozi, whose real name was Li Er).

The Garden of Gardens - The Old Summer Palace (万园之园·圆明园)

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The Old Summer Palace or Yuanmingyuan/圆明园 was a garden constructed during Qing dynasty that incorporated elements of Chinese architecture and Western architecture. The garden used to contain many priceless artifacts, the vast majority of which were stolen by British and French forces in 1860, and the garden itself was burned to the ground and thoroughly destroyed. As a result of this purposeful destruction, only a few broken pillars remained, standing as a grim reminder to the plundering and destruction that were the results of Western imperialism.

Epicwork tried to reference old photos and historical records when recreating the garden here in this build.

The quote at the beginning of the video comes from a letter written by Victor Hugo to Captain Butler (boldened portion is the quote):

To Captain Butler

Hauteville House,

25 November, 1861

You ask my opinion, Sir, about the China expedition. You consider this expedition to be honourable and glorious, and you have the kindness to attach some consideration to my feelings; according to you, the China expedition, carried out jointly under the flags of Queen Victoria and the Emperor Napoleon, is a glory to be shared between France and England, and you wish to know how much approval I feel I can give to this English and French victory.

Since you wish to know my opinion, here it is:

There was, in a corner of the world, a wonder of the world; this wonder was called the Summer Palace. Art has two principles, the Idea, which produces European art, and the Chimera, which produces oriental art. The Summer Palace was to chimerical art what the Parthenon is to ideal art. All that can be begotten of the imagination of an almost extra-human people was there. It was not a single, unique work like the Parthenon. It was a kind of enormous model of the chimera, if the chimera can have a model. Imagine some inexpressible construction, something like a lunar building, and you will have the Summer Palace. Build a dream with marble, jade, bronze and porcelain, frame it with cedar wood, cover it with precious stones, drape it with silk, make it here a sanctuary, there a harem, elsewhere a citadel, put gods there, and monsters, varnish it, enamel it, gild it, paint it, have architects who are poets build the thousand and one dreams of the thousand and one nights, add gardens, basins, gushing water and foam, swans, ibis, peacocks, suppose in a word a sort of dazzling cavern of human fantasy with the face of a temple and palace, such was this building. The slow work of generations had been necessary to create it. This edifice, as enormous as a city, had been built by the centuries, for whom? For the peoples. For the work of time belongs to man. Artists, poets and philosophers knew the Summer Palace; Voltaire talks of it. People spoke of the Parthenon in Greece, the pyramids in Egypt, the Coliseum in Rome, Notre-Dame in Paris, the Summer Palace in the Orient. If people did not see it they imagined it. It was a kind of tremendous unknown masterpiece, glimpsed from the distance in a kind of twilight, like a silhouette of the civilization of Asia on the horizon of the civilization of Europe.

This wonder has disappeared.

One day two bandits entered the Summer Palace. One plundered, the other burned. Victory can be a thieving woman, or so it seems. The devastation of the Summer Palace was accomplished by the two victors acting jointly. Mixed up in all this is the name of Elgin, which inevitably calls to mind the Parthenon. What was done to the Parthenon was done to the Summer Palace, more thoroughly and better, so that nothing of it should be left. All the treasures of all our cathedrals put together could not equal this formidable and splendid museum of the Orient. It contained not only masterpieces of art, but masses of jewelry. What a great exploit, what a windfall! One of the two victors filled his pockets; when the other saw this he filled his coffers. And back they came to Europe, arm in arm, laughing away. Such is the story of the two bandits.

We Europeans are the civilized ones, and for us the Chinese are the barbarians. This is what civilization has done to barbarism.

Before history, one of the two bandits will be called France; the other will be called England. But I protest, and I thank you for giving me the opportunity! the crimes of those who lead are not the fault of those who are led; Governments are sometimes bandits, peoples never.

The French empire has pocketed half of this victory, and today with a kind of proprietorial naivety it displays the splendid bric-a-brac of the Summer Palace. I hope that a day will come when France, delivered and cleansed, will return this booty to despoiled China.

Meanwhile, there is a theft and two thieves.

I take note.

This, Sir, is how much approval I give to the China expedition.

Regrettably, none of the priceless artifacts that were stolen had been returned by any of the countries involved, and instead became a major part of the museum collections of various Western countries. The small portion of artifacts that had returned to China were mostly bought from auctions by Chinese people. To this day, British and French mainstream media refuse to fully acknowledge the plundering and destruction of Yuanmingyuan.

Lijiang, the Ancient Mystic City (中国风·丽江古镇)

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I thought the translation for the title should’ve been “the Ancient Mystical City”, but it’s okay. This is Epicwork’s first Chinese architecture-style build that became popular. This build is based on the real life Old Town of Lijiang (丽江古镇), which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The real life Old Town of Lijiang has architecture that incorporated features of Han culture and Naxi culture.

Finally, a build that doesn’t really fit the topic of this blog, but personally I really liked it, and just in time for October...

Devil Island (恶魔岛)

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The cathedral in this build is based on Duomo di Milano.

#epicwork china #minecraft builds #the thousand year capital city Luoyang #the garden of gardens The Old Summer Palace #the ancient mystic city Lijiang #devil island #luoyang #the old summer palace #lijiang #old town of lijiang #chinese architecture #gothic architecture #chinese history #chinese culture #minecraft #yuanmingyuan #Youtube

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bookofjin · 1 year

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Records of Jiankang (280 - 311)

The Jiankang Shilu by Xu Song (c. 760) is a history covering the six dynasties that located their capitals at Jianye/Jiankang: Wu, (Eastern) Jin, Song, Qi, Liang, and Chen. It is written in the annalistic style with a main chronology interspersed with short biographic sketches (sometimes these are not so short).

I've skipped past Wu for now, to the earliest origins of Eastern Jin.

Xiaowu [sic] of Western Jin's 1st Year of Taikang [280 AD], he pacified Wu, and therefore abolished Jianye建業, restoring it to be Moling. He divided off Danyang's southern commandery to be Xuancheng commandery, and returned the management to Moling, locating it 6 li south-east of the county. The crossing [?] at Changle Bridge is the ancient Danyang commandery. He used Zhou Jun as Inspector of Yang province, and under his command were 19 commanderies and 70 counties.

3rd Year of Taikang [282 AD], he divided off north of the Qinhuan River to be Jianye建鄴, south of the river became Moling county, still located on the land of the Qin town [?]. However Jianye建鄴 county is within the former capital city's Xuanyang Gate, 2 li east of the present county city, east of ancient Carriage Street.

[Emperor Hui's] 2nd Year of Tai'an, Summer, 5th Month [2 June 303 – 30 June 303], Zhang Chang, a Man of Yiyang, raised troops, titled [himself] Han, and declared it the 1st Year of Shenfeng. He sent General Shi Bing to rob Yang province, the various commanderies were fully lost. Bing following that repaired the palace of Jianye and lived there.

Note: Cao Xian's Annals of Yang province: Hui of Jin's 2nd Year of Yongning [302 AD], there was a stone [shi石] which came floating to Jianye. It entered from the Qinhuai's Xiajia Lake, and climbed the banks for more than 200 paces. Among the hundred families everyone said: “A stone comes, a stone comes. Arriving at the next year, Shi Bing as a result entered Yang province, and thereupon occupied its lands.

Winter, 12th Month [25 December 303 – 23 January 304], the General who Conquers the East, Liu Zhun, sent the General of the Right and Chancellor of Guangling, Chen Min, to cross the Jiang. He attacked and routed Shi Bing at Jianye.

2nd Year of Yongxing, 12th Month [1 January 306 – 30 January 306], Chen Min also occupied Jianye, titling himself Inspector of Yang province. He made use of Gu Rong as Intendant of Danyang, and used Gan Zhuo and Zhou Qi as Generals. Min suggested his functionaries and aides to advance him to be Duke of Chu, and added the rites of the Nine Bestowals.

At the time the Libationer to the King of Donghai, Hua Tan, heard about it. He sent a letter to Rong about Chen's rights and wrongs, telling him:

Min is a common talent without far-reaching schemes. Formerly Qi's Wang Zhu was [a commoner in] cloth clothes, still he did not bend to Yan. How much more so, Sir, when fame is heavy and rank is evident, to accept kindness from the state and yet make faction with faithless dissenters, setting each other up in official posts?

Rong received the letter and was greatly ashamed. He planned with Gan Zhuo and others, saying:

If the affairs of Jiangdong are to be achieved, [we] must complete them together. However, when observing the shape and conditions, what are they like? Min is wholly an ordinary talent, his government orders are contradictory, his sons and brothers are proud and aloof, his defeat is certain! We accepted his offices and salaries. On the day of his affairs' defeat, when they send the various armies from west of the Jiang to pack up the heads to be sent off to Luoyang, the label will say “Heads of the disobedient traitors Gu Rong and Gan Zhuo”. Is it only one person whose shame will reach ten thousand generations!

Zhuo and others considered it so. Thereupon they and Rong made plans. They dispatched messengers to secretly report to the General who Conquers the East, Liu Zhun, to cause him to lead soldiers and approach the Jiang. Min ordered his younger brother Chang to command troops and resist him, and he sent Gan Zhuo to station at Hengjiang. Gu and Qi took the opportunity of Zhuo's troops to kill Chen Chang, cut the bridge, and fully gathered the ships to the south of the Huai River. Min set out himself with the army to approach the shore of the great pontoon [?]. Rong used a feather fan to signal them, and Min's multitudes scattered and dispersed. Min fled north on a single horse, Qi and others pursued and beheaded him in Jiangbiao [lit. “the layer outside the Jiang”, i.e. the south].

Chen Min, courtesy name Lingtong, was a native of Lujiang. AS young he was able and competent, and was appointed Foreman Clerk of the Granary Section to the Masters of Writing. When the King of Zhao, Lun, usurped in rebellion, the righteous troops lacked food. They used Min as Supply Controller of Guangling to make use of water transport on the Jiang and Huai to aid the Central Provinces. During the chaos of Zhang Chang, he sent Shi Bing to hasten towards Shouchun. The Commander-in-Chief, Liu Zhun, made plans with Min to rout Bing and others, and due to his merits he was designated Chancellor of Guangling. At the time Emperor Hui moved west and the Four Regions were altogether fought over. Min thereupon had a desire for occupying Jiangdong.

Emperor Huai's 1st Year of Yongjia [307 AD], the King of Donghai, Yue, held the government.

Autumn, 7th Month [15 August – 13 September 307], he used the King of Langye, Rui, as General who Calms the East, Commander-in-Chief of the Various Army Affairs of Yang Province South of the Jiang. He employed Wang Dao's strategy, and crossed the Jiang to garrison Jianye. He chastised Chen Min's remaining partisans and cleaned up Jiangbiao. He relied on Wu's old capital city, repaired it and then lived there. The Taichu Palace became his office building.

Note: The Taichu Palace was originally the palace of Wu. Jin pacified Wu, and then afterwards when Shi Bing made chaos, it burnt down and was swept away entirely. Chen Min pacified Shi Bing and occupied Yang province. He relied on Taichu's old foundations to start constructing office buildings. When Zhongzong first crossed the Jiang, he because of that lived on this land.

He set up the office of Interior Clerk of Danyang, and used Gu Rong as Army Marshal and He Xun as Assistant Aide. Wang Dun, Wang Dao, Zhou Yi, Diao Xie, and Dai Rousi became his belly and heart, thighs and forearms. He connected with guests and visitors, was courteous to famous worthies, and inquired into and asked about manners and customs.

5th Year of Yongjia, Summer, 6th Month [3 July – 31 July 311], Liu Yao robbed Luoyang, the Imperial Capital was lost, and Emperor Huai suffered dust at Pingyang. The Minister of Works, Xun Fan, circulated a document under Heaven, pushing forward the King of Langye as master of the alliance.

#jksl05

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leahsfiction · 1 year

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Song of the Bronze Immortal Leaving the Han - Li He

Foreword: In the 8th month of the 1st year of the Qinglong Era (237 AD), Emperor Ming of Wei ordered his palace official to move an immortal of the Emperor Wu of Han (d. 87 BC) south by cart. This immortal, holding a dew-plate, had been installed in front of the palace hall.

The immortal started its journey once the palace official dismantled and removed the plate, whereupon it shed silent tears.

Upon which Li Changji, scion of the Tang royal house, composed "Song of the Bronze Immortal Leaving the Han." [1]

In fall the youth Liu came lightly by his flourishing mausoleum[2], One heard his horse whinny in the night; he left no trace at dawn.

The rich scent of autumn is hemmed by osmanthus[3] and balustrades, Thirty-six palaces, all, mossing over jade-green.[4]

The procession begins its thousand miles, led by the man of Wei, Out the East Gate, a sour wind like arrows to the eye.

The Han moon was lured outside the royal walls in vain; Our tears turn to drops of lead in imperial solemnity.

Fading orchids in mourning garb[5] line the Xianyang road, If the heavens too could feel, the heavens would grow old.

Bearing our plate of dew alone through moonlit desolation, River and city[6] far behind, the voice of waves grown small.

Li He, Tang superstar "demonic poet", wrote this poem en route from Chang'an to Luoyang -- the same route the statue was taking. (The statue, in actual history, never made it to Luoyang and got left in Ba City, due to the troublesome size or manifested tears, who knows.) The poet was leaving the capital bc he had to quit his post due to chronic illness. (You can see more of my research notes in my tumblr tag for this poem.)

1: I've inserted the corresponding Gregorian dates, but this is all Li He's own foreword contextualizing the poem.

There are 3 dynasties, 3 nested layers of history, at play here.

Emperor Wu ("martial") - birth name Liu Che - the Han dynasty flourished under his rule due to all the conquering and wealth; like many emperors before and after him, he became obsessed with attaining immortality. hence the poet calling his statue "bronze immortal". According to the commentary in my 1983 Chinese-lang Tang anthology by one 朱世英 Zhu Shiying, the statue this emperor commissioned of himself was enormous: 20m (丈) tall and 10m (围) in circumference. The "dew-plate" is a dish designed to collect morning dew as an offering to the heavens (in hopes of exchange for immortality?) - they're found on top of some Buddhist pagodas also.

Emperor Ming - birth name Cao Rui, grandson of the Cao Cao - 300 years later in the Wei dynasty, he ordered people to remove many Han artifacts from the imperial palace to Luoyang, an expensive and dangerous affair, replacing them with his own commissioned statues, etc etc. The "palace official" refers to a court eunuch - not sure if this is meant to be a specific person.

Li Changji, scion of the Tang royal house - the poet himself (Changji was his courtesy name). i wasn't able to find a genealogy but i do know his was a minor branch of the Tang dynasty founding line; he was quite poor and unsuccessful at getting a good court position (poets is the same). You can read more wild facts about his life on his wikipedia page.

The Tang poet is imagining the statue in the Wei remembering the living Han emperor. History repeats. Rulers grow dissolute and wasteful. Dynasties break, unite, then break again.

2: This first couplet seems unmoored from the rest of the poem. Is it a ghostly vision? a memory? The youth Liu, Liu-lang, is a ballsy way of referring to Emperor Wu. He's visiting his own royal tomb, Maoling Mausoleum (it's on wiki - highly rec the satellite photos, it's still standing), literally translated as "flourishing mausoleum". He started constructing it in his 2nd year of rule - he was 16 years old.

3: 桂树：Commonly mistranslated as "cassia" (chinese cinnamon) due to its prominence in traded goods, but in poetic context usually means 桂花 osmanthus - the smell is peaches, not cinnamon. The blooms are associated with the much-vaunted imperial examinations in eighth month (around September); sort of the equivalent to the greek laurel.

4: 三十六宫土花臂：A difficult line to fit in english metre, because "thirty-six palaces" takes up the entire first half of the original line. And then the second half is an odd phrase probably coined by Li He - "earth flower jade-green".

5: I know my friend has explained this one already but I just need to yell again about how many images are packed into two characters, 衰兰 "withered orchids". (a) 衰 pronounced shuai, "frail," "old." The flowers are withering because it's autumn. (b) shuai, "reduced." There are few flowers left, and the flowers represent the crowd seeing the procession off. Barely anyone cares about the statue in this new dynasty. (c) pronounced cui, "mourning garments." Now this is a bit of a stretch, but I'm imagining the orchids as white with brown edges (the withering) - as in white and sackcloth mourning clothes. They're symbols of mortality they're the last few loyal mourners they're moved by emotion and thus are able to age, unlike the unfeeling heavens in the next line.

6: Originally says 渭城 "Wei City" in the poem, i.e. city on the Wei river, i.e. Chang'an. Both the Wei and Jing are famous rivers - Chang'an sits near where they touch. There's a nice parallelism b/t the sound of the waves growing small (or faint) and the heavens not growing old in this stanza that not many existing translations point out.

#poetry #translation #my translation #gushiwensday #li he #金铜仙人辞汉歌

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harunurrashid017 · 4 months

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Ancient supply chain

One of the titles of our articles is "Talk about Ancient and Modern Times". Here we will talk about the ancient supply chain. We can think about HE Tuber what the supply chain looked like ten years ago, what management tools were available, and how goods were shipped. Think again about how those predecessors "played" the supply chain a hundred years ago, or even a thousand years ago. The ancient Silk Road and Zheng He's voyages to the West are all typical supply chains and the wisdom of the ancients. Let’s take the ancient Silk Road to analyze what the ancient supply chain was like.

Ancient Silk Road If you study history, you will know that the ancient Silk Road was actually divided into two parts, land and sea. The land is the one we usually talk about. It was also promoted by Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions. It started from the ancient capital Chang'an (or Luoyang) and passed through Eurasia, reaching Rome. This road connected ancient Eastern and Western civilizations. From the transportation methods of the ancient Silk Road, including camels, horses, carriages and manpower, we can see that it mainly relied on human and animal power. This shows that in terms of logistics, it was very backward compared to modern times. At the same time, in terms of communication conditions, it can only be passed by flying pigeons or fast horses, and it is difficult to guarantee the timeliness. There are also many restrictions on commodities, regions, productivity, etc. 2. Characteristics of ancient supply chains From the previous introduction, we can summarize the characteristics of ancient supply chains. There will be many restrictions. Due to geographical conditions and transportation restrictions, the ancient supply chain used some human and animal power. These transportation methods are very restricted by geographical conditions, weather conditions, etc., and are inefficient and have long transportation cycles. Management is relatively simple. This is due to limited information transmission and poor information exchange in all links of the supply chain. For some coordinated management and decision-making, we can only rely on experience and judgment. The lack of timely communication will lead to inconsistent management. Ability to adopt simple management. The scope of trade was not large. Although the ancient Silk Road connected the Eurasian continent, it was actually just a line, and it was difficult. It did not cover the surrounding areas, mainly some important cities and trade centers, such as Urumqi in the northwest. At that time Many surrounding areas have not participated, which makes the market size of the ancient supply chain relatively small, slow to expand, and limited in number of participants.

Advantages and disadvantages of ancient supply chains It is said that everything has two sides, and everything is relative. It has advantages and disadvantages. I think the advantage of the supply chain is not only to promote the economic development at that time, but more importantly, to carry out some cultural and ideological exchanges and do some exploration through the supply chain in that relatively closed era. 1) Summarize the advantages: Promoting economic development must be the first priority. The supply chain itself is a business and economic exchange. All regions can optimize the allocation of resources and promote economic growth. The circulation of products between regions is trade. The supply chain promotes trade exchanges between regions, allowing specialty products from each region to circulate to other regions, allowing people to enjoy these benefits and enrich their lives. Cultural exchange and inheritance, the supply chain is not only the circulation of goods, but also promotes the exchange and inheritance of culture, technology, and ideas from various places. In this process, the collision and integration of different cultures injected vitality into the development of ancient civilization. Promoting geographical exploration, ancient supply chains also promoted the development of geographical exploration. In order to meet trade needs, caravans and explorers continued to open up new trade routes, promoting the accumulation and expansion of geographical knowledge. 2) The shortcomings are still due to the underdevelopment of some information and backward methods, such as: Due to inconvenient transportation and low efficiency, limited by the transportation and technical conditions at the time, the transportation efficiency of the ancient supply chain was low, and the logistics speed and transportation capacity were limited, resulting in long commodity circulation cycles and slow market response. Information is opaque and difficult to transmit. In ancient times, there was a lack of modern communication means, and information transmission was inconvenient. Information communication among supply chain participants was not smooth, which could easily lead to an imbalance between supply and demand and increase transaction costs and risks. Affected greatly by the natural environment, the ancient supply chain was highly dependent on the natural environment. Factors such as weather changes and natural disasters may have a greater impact on the supply chain and cause poor stability. Lack of standardization and standardized management. Ancient supply chain management lacked standardized and standardized means, resulting in uneven product quality and chaotic market order, which is not conducive to the long-term development of the supply chain.

The value of ancient supply chains In other words, the meaning is actually a bit like the advantages of the supply chain, which is its sublimation. We can talk about it from several aspects.

Economic value: The ancient supply chain promoted the production, circulation and trading of commodities, and promoted the development of the ancient economy. Through the operation of the supply chain, goods from various places can be exchanged, meeting people's diverse needs and promoting market prosperity. Cultural value: Along with the circulation of commodities, ancient supply chains also promoted the spread and exchange of culture. Culture, art, technology, etc. from different regions are spread through the supply chain, enriching the cultural connotation of various places and promoting the progress of civilization. Social value: The development of ancient supply chains also promoted social changes and progress. Take our ancient Silk Road as an example. Its opening promoted exchanges and cooperation between the East and the West, deepened people's understanding of the outside world, and promoted social progress and openness. Historical value: As an important carrier of historical development, ancient supply chains provide valuable historical materials for our study of ancient economies and societies. By studying ancient supply chains, we can gain a deeper understanding of the economic status, cultural development, social life and other aspects of ancient society.

#HETuber #video #sharing #watch #upload

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harunur01780 · 4 months

Text

Characteristics of ancient supply chains

Think again about how those predecessors "played" the supply chain a hundred years ago, or even a thousand years ago. The ancient Silk Road and Zheng He's voyages to the West are all typical supply chains and the wisdom of the ancients. Let’s take the ancient Silk Road to analyze what the ancient supply chain was like.

1. Ancient Silk Road

If you study history, you will know that the ancient Silk Road was actually divided into two parts, land and sea. The land is the one we usually talk about. It was also promoted by Zhang Qian's mission to the Western Regions. It started from the ancient capital Chang'an (or Luoyang) and passed through Eurasia, reaching Rome.

This road connected ancient Eastern and Western civilizations. From the transportation methods of the ancient Silk Road, including camels, horses, carriages and manpower, we can see that it mainly relied on human and animal power. This shows that in terms of logistics, it was very backward compared to modern times. At the same time, in terms of communication conditions, it can only be passed by flying pigeons or fast horses, and it is difficult to guarantee the timeliness.

There are also many restrictions on commodities, regions, productivity, etc.

2.Ancient supply chain

From the previous introduction, we can summarize the characteristics of ancient supply chains.

There will be many restrictions. Due to geographical conditions and transportation restrictions, the ancient supply chain used some human and animal power. These transportation methods are very restricted by geographical conditions, weather conditions, etc., and are inefficient and have long transportation cycles.

Management is relatively simple. This is due to limited information transmission and poor information exchange in all links of the supply chain. For some coordinated management and decision-making, we can only rely on experience and judgment. The lack of timely communication will lead to inconsistent management. Ability to adopt simple management.

The scope of trade was not large. Although the ancient Silk Road connected the Eurasian continent, it was actually just a line, and it was difficult. It did not cover the surrounding areas, mainly some important cities and trade centers, such as Urumqi in the northwest. At that time Many surrounding areas have not participated, which makes the market size of the ancient supply chain relatively small, slow to expand, and limited in number of participants.

3. Advantages and disadvantages of ancient supply chains

It is said that everything has two sides, and everything is relative. It has advantages and disadvantages. I think the advantage of the supply chain is not only to promote the economic development at that time, but more importantly, to carry out some cultural and ideological exchanges and do some exploration through the supply chain in that relatively closed era.

1) Summarize the advantages:

Promoting economic development must be the first priority. The supply chain itself is a business and economic exchange. All regions can optimize the allocation of resources and promote economic growth. The circulation of products between regions is trade. The supply chain promotes trade exchanges between regions, allowing specialty products from each region to circulate to other regions, allowing people to enjoy these benefits and enrich their lives.

Cultural exchange and inheritance, the supply chain is not only the circulation of goods, but also promotes the exchange and inheritance of culture, technology, and ideas from various places. In this process, the collision and integration of different cultures injected vitality into the development of ancient civilization.

Promoting geographical exploration, ancient supply chains also promoted the development of geographical exploration. In order to meet trade needs, caravans and explorers continued to open up new trade routes, promoting the accumulation and expansion of geographical knowledge.

2) The shortcomings are still due to the underdevelopment of some information and backward methods, such as:

Due to inconvenient transportation and low efficiency, limited by the transportation and technical conditions at the time, the transportation efficiency of the ancient supply chain was low, and the logistics speed and transportation capacity were limited, resulting in long commodity circulation cycles and slow market response.

Information is opaque and difficult to transmit. In ancient times, there was a lack of modern communication means, and information transmission was inconvenient. Information communication among supply chain participants was not smooth, which could easily lead to an imbalance between supply and demand and increase transaction costs and risks.

Affected greatly by the natural environment, the ancient supply chain was highly dependent on the natural environment. Factors such as weather changes and natural disasters may have a greater impact on the supply chain and cause poor stability.

Lack of standardization and standardized management. Ancient supply chain management lacked standardized and standardized means, resulting in uneven product quality and chaotic market order, which is not conducive to the long-term development of the supply chain.

4. The value of ancient supply chains

In other words, the meaning is actually a bit like the advantages of the supply chain, which is its sublimation. We can talk about it from several aspects.

Cultural value: Along with the circulation of commodities, ancient supply chains also promoted the spread and exchange of culture. Culture, art, technology, etc. from different regions are spread through the supply chain, enriching the cultural connotation of various places and promoting the progress of civilization.

Social value: The development of ancient supply chains also promoted social changes and progress. Take our ancient Silk Road as an example. Its opening promoted exchanges and cooperation between the East and the West, deepened people's understanding of the outside world, and promoted social progress and openness.

Historical value: As an important carrier of historical development, ancient supply chains provide valuable historical materials for our study of ancient economies and societies. By studying ancient supply chains, we can gain a deeper understanding of the economic status, cultural development, social life and other aspects of ancient society.

#HETuber #video #sharing #watch #upload

0 notes

harunur017 · 4 months

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Ancient supply chain

Characteristics of ancient supply chains From the previous introduction, we can summarize the characteristics of ancient supply chains. There will be many restrictions. Due to geographical conditions and transportation restrictions, the ancient supply chain used some human and animal power. These transportation methods are very restricted by geographical conditions, weather conditions, etc., and are inefficient and have long transportation cycles. Management is relatively simple. This is due to limited information transmission and poor information exchange in all links of the supply chain. For some coordinated management and decision-making, we can only rely on experience and judgment. The lack of timely communication will lead to inconsistent management. Ability to adopt simple management. The scope of trade was not large. Although the ancient Silk Road connected the Eurasian continent, it was actually just a line, and it was difficult. It did not cover the surrounding areas, mainly some important cities and trade centers, such as Urumqi in the northwest. At that time Many surrounding areas have not participated, which makes the market size of the ancient supply chain relatively small, slow to expand, and limited in number of participants.

The value of ancient supply chains In other words, the meaning is actually a bit like the advantages of the supply chain, which is its sublimation. We can talk about it from several aspects.

#HETuber #video #sharing #watch #upload

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shinygladiatorcat · 2 years

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Silk: From China to Rome, Witness the Rise and Fall of the Byzantine Empire

As we all know, silk originated in China and conquered the whole world with its gorgeous and thin characteristics. In ancient Rome aristocrats were proud to own a piece of silk, and even fought for it.

In some ancient Greek stone carvings and some unearthed pottery and paintings that have been discovered today, the figures in them are often found wearing transparent robes, which proves that silk in ancient China was sent to China by various means of transportation. Rome was loved and followed by the local Roman people.

According to historical records, the exchanges between Rome and China mainly occurred in the Eastern Han Dynasty with Luoyang as the capital, and silk also played an important role in the exchanges between China and Romania.

Speaking of this, I have to mention the Silk Road, the transportation channel for transporting silk. The Silk Road is an important channel for the exchange of production materials between China and Rome. Businessmen from the two countries through the Silk Road can bring exchange for their own items.

Sometimes, what is considered an ordinary item in China is highly sought after in Rome, and silk is also one of the representatives. Because silk was loved by many Roman nobles, the price was driven up to an unimaginable level.

And during this period, it appeared in a large number of art paintings in Rome. After that, Rome was divided into the Eastern Roman Empire and the Western Roman Empire.

Because of this, silk can also be called "soft gold" that witnessed the rise and fall of the Eastern Roman Empire, that is, the Byzantine Empire, and it was once used as a currency for foreign transactions.

Evidence of the Byzantine Empire's mad love for silk and artistic painting

Silk was the most luxurious fabric available to Europeans in the Middle Ages, and because it was expensive, it was only owned by the upper classes and the church.

Although silk has become a status symbol due to its beauty, its practicality has made it and is highly sought after: it is lightweight, stain-resistant, has excellent dyeing properties, and is cool and comfortable to wear in summer.

Silk was not for everyone, and this luxury clothing was considered a luxury even by the Roman upper class.

Take a fresco as an example, in AD 79, during the period of the ancient Roman Empire. Mount Vesue erupted, burying the entire city of Pompeii in the southwestern corner of Italy under several meters of ash.

All traces: tall garden houses, human voices and voices, all annihilated and turned into silence.

However, more than a thousand years later, in the 18th century, when people excavated it, they sighed and were delighted to find that it was precisely because of this layer of volcanic ash that everything in the city was as good as before.

Among all, the most eye-catching is the mural on the wall. On the wall of a bedroom in a villa in the ancient city, a woman in a robe is holding flowers in one hand and picking flowers in the other. Although not well-known, but because of its beauty, it was named the flower god Flora.

The Beginning and Decline of the Byzantine Silk Industry

For thousands of years, the Chinese have carefully guarded the secrets of silk manufacturing. Silk is an important part of China's economy.

Almost all villages in ancient China would be engaged in silk production or sericulture, and some of the luxurious fabrics they produced would travel along the Silk Road to Europe, where only the wealthiest could afford it.

In the sixth century, the Byzantine Empire had a very strong demand for silk, and it founded the silk industry, which produced precious and gorgeous silk fabrics with embroidered patterns, which added to the splendid colors of textiles, and the clothing and materials were rich and beautiful, almost luxurious.

According to Procopius, a prominent historian of the Byzantine Empire, Justinian questioned a pair of Indian monks who claimed to know the secrets of silkworm farming. Given that the Byzantine Empire was at war with the Persians at the time, Indian monks initially promised that they could buy silk from countries other than Persia.

Under pressure, they finally revealed the secret of silk production: silkworms spin cocoons and spin silk, and silkworms feed on mulberry leaves.

The Byzantines first established silk production in the medieval West and maintained a monopoly in this industry for hundreds of years. They set up silk factories, which were called "boudoirs" because the workers were all women.

Silk workers, like serfs, were bound by law in these factories and could not leave the factories to work or live elsewhere without the permission of the factory owners.

In addition to importing silk from India and the Far East, Western Europeans also imported silk from Byzantium. Regardless of where it came from, the fabric was very expensive and could only be used for church ceremonies and cathedral decorations, but when the Byzantine Empire began to fall into war, the Byzantine silk industry came to a virtual standstill.

In the end, the Byzantine Empire was destroyed, and the Byzantine silk industry gradually disappeared in the empire with the disappearance of the empire. Therefore, silk, which was regarded as "soft gold" by the Byzantine Empire, can be said to have witnessed the Byzantine Empire. Rise and fall.

Suzhou Double Needle Textile Technology Co., Ltd. is specialized in making silk and satin sheets. If you are interested in us, you can call +86-15262373278 or send an email to [email protected].

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darkfalcon-z · 3 years

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Enormous numbers fell by the road side and died in the ditches, and the escort plundered the fugitives and defiled the women. A wail of sorrow arose to the very sky. Dong Zhuo’s final orders as he left Capital Luoyang were to burn the whole city: Houses, palaces, temples, and everything were devoured by the flames. The capital became but a patch of scorched earth. Dong Zhuo sent Lu Bu to desecrate the tombs of the emperors and their consorts for the jewels therein, and the common soldiers took the occasion to dig up the graves of officials and plunder the cemeteries of the wealthy. The spoil of the city, gold and silver, pearls and silks, and beautiful ornaments, filled several thousand carts. With these and the persons of the Emperor and his household, Dong Zhuo moved off to the new capital in the first year of Inauguration of Tranquillity (AD 190).

I see that the Inauguration of Tranquillity is indeed aptly named.

#dong zhou #lu bu #romance of three kingdoms #dfz 3 kingdoms

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fuyonggu · 4 years

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Biography of Tao Huang (Book of Jin 57)

陶璜，字世英，丹陽秣陵人也。父基，吳交州刺史。璜仕吳曆顯位。孫皓時，交阯太守孫諝貪暴，為百姓所患。會察戰鄧荀至，擅調孔雀三千頭，遣送秣陵，既苦遠役，咸思為亂。郡吏呂興殺諝及荀，以郡內附。武帝拜興安南將軍、交阯太守。尋為其功曹李統所殺，帝更以建甯爨穀為交阯太守，谷又死，更遣巴西馬融代之。融病卒，南中監軍霍弋又遣犍為楊稷代融，與將軍毛炅，九真太守董元，牙門孟幹、孟通、李松、王業、爨能等，自蜀出交阯，破吳軍於古城，斬大都督修則、交州刺史劉俊。吳遣虞汜為監軍，薛珝為威南將軍、大都督，璜為蒼梧太守，距稷，戰于分水。璜敗，退保合浦，亡其二將。珝怒謂璜曰：「若自表討賊，而喪二帥，其責安在？」璜曰：「下官不得行意，諸軍不相順，故致敗耳。」珝怒，欲引軍還。璜夜以數百兵襲董元，獲其寶物，船載而歸，珝乃謝之，以璜領交州，為前部督。璜從海道出於不意，徑至交阯，元距之。諸將將戰，璜疑斷牆內有伏兵，列長戟於甚後。兵才接，元偽退，璜追之，伏兵果出，長戟逆之，大破元等。以前所得寶船上錦物數千匹遺扶嚴賊帥梁奇，奇將萬餘人助璜。元有勇將解系同在城內，璜誘其弟象，使為書與系，又使象乘璜軺車，鼓吹導從而行。元等曰：「象尚若此，系必去志。」乃就殺之。珝、璜遂陷交阯。吳因用璜為交州刺史。

Tao Huang, styled Shiying, was a native of Moling county in Danyang commandary. His father, Tao Ji, served as Eastern Wu's Inspector of Jiaozhou. Tao Huang himself also served Wu in several conspicuous posts.

During the reign of Sun Hao, Wu's Administrator of Jiaozhi, Sun Xu, was greedy and cruel, a blight upon the common people. And around the same time, the Overseer, Deng Xun, came to Jiaozhi, where he forced the people to round up three thousand peacocks and to send them to Moling (Jianye). The two of them imposed great hardships and distant travels upon the local people, who all began to consider rebelling against them. And when in the end, one of the commandary officials, Lü Xing, killed Sun Xu and Deng Xun, the people of the commandary all supported him. Emperor Wu of Jin recognized Lü Xing as Jing's General Who Maintains The South and Administrator of Jiaozhi. But Lü Xing was soon killed by his Merit Manager, Li Tong. So Emperor Wu appointed the General Who Establishes Tranquility, Cuan Gu, as the new Administrator of Jiaozhi. When Cuan Gu also died, Emperor Wu sent Ma Rong of Baxi commandary to replace him. And after Ma Rong passed away from illness, the Directing-General of Nanzhong, Huo Yi, sent Yang Ji of Jianwei commandary to succeed him. So Yang Ji, the general Mao Jiong, the Administrator of Jiuzhen, Dong Yuan, several Generals of the Standard, Meng Gan, Meng Tong, Li Song, Wang Ye, and Cuan Neng, and others marched out of the Shu region to attack Jiaozhi commandary. They routed the Wu army at Gucheng and took the heads of Wu's Grand Commander, Xiu Ze, and their Inspector of Jiaozhou, Liu Jun.

Wu appointed Yu Si as General Who Directs The Army, Xue Xu as General Who Awes The South and Grand Commander, and Tao Huang as Administrator of Cangwu. Tao Huang was sent to oppose Yang Ji, and they fought at the Fen River. But Tao Huang was defeated and fell back to defend Hepu, having lost two of his subcommanders.

Xue Xu berated Tao Huang, telling him, "Didn't you say that you were going to thrash the enemy? Yet now you've lost two officers. Whose fault is that?"

Tao Huang huffed, "I only lost because my forces wouldn't coordinate with each other."

This did nothing to soothe Xue Xu's anger, and he was planning to lead the rest of the Wu army away and abandon the region. But during the night, Tao Huang led several hundred soldiers to launch a surprise attack against Dong Yuan; he captured Dong Yuan's treasure fleet and then returned to base. Xue Xu then apologized to him for his earlier anger, and he yielded command of Jiaozhou to Tao Huang, while he served as Commander of the Vanguard.

Tao Huang advanced by an unexpected sea route to approach the city of Jiaozhi. Dong Yuan mustered his forces to oppose Tao Huang in the field. The Wu generals wanted to advance to battle, but Tao Huang suspected that Dong Yuan had placed ambush troops to hide behind isolated walls in the area, so he organized a rearguard of halberdiers. The two armies had barely clashed when Dong Yuan pretended to retreat, and as Tao Huang pursued him, Jin ambush troops indeed emerged. But the halberdiers were able to deal with them, and Tao Huang greatly routed Dong Yuan and the other local Jin leaders.

Tao Huang took several thousand bolts of brocade from the treasure fleet he had earlier captured from Dong Yuan and sent them to a bandit leader in Fuyan, Liang Qi, who then brought more than ten thousand followers to support Tao Huang.

Dong Yuan had a certain bold general within Jiaozhi, Xie Xi. Tao Huang enticed Xie Xi's younger brother Xie Xiang into writing a letter to Xie Xi, and he had Xie Xiang ride around the city in Tao Huang's light carriage, beating the drums and offering directions. Dong Yuan and the other Jin leaders said to one another, "If Xie Xiang is already acting like this, Xie Xi is sure to lose his resolve to oppose Wu as well." So they killed Xie Xi.

In the end, Xue Xu and Tao Huang took Jiaozhi. Wu then officially appointed Tao Huang as Inspector of Jiaozhou.

璜有謀策，周窮好施，能得人心。滕修數討南賊，不能制，璜曰：「南岸仰吾鹽鐵，斷勿與市，皆壞為田器。如此二年，可一戰而滅也。」修從之，果破賊。

Tao Huang was calculating and clever, fully generous and magnanimous, and able to gain the hearts of the people.

Several times, Teng Xiu had campaigned against southern bandits, but he had been unable to properly subdue the region. Tao Huang advised him, "The people on the south bank of the river crave our salt and our iron. You should cut off all trade with them to deny them these things. This will soon ruin their farming implements, and within two years, they will crumble after just one battle." Teng Xiu did as he advised, and he indeed crushed the bandits.

初，霍弋之遣稷、炅等，與之誓曰：「若賊圍城未百日而降者，家屬誅；若過百日救兵不至，吾受其罪。」稷等守未百日，糧盡，乞降，璜不許，給其糧使守。諸將並諫，璜曰：「霍弋已死，不能救稷等必矣，可須其日滿，然後受降，使彼得無罪，我受有義，內訓百姓，外懷鄰國，不亦可乎！」稷等期訖糧盡，救兵不至，乃納之。修則既為毛炅所殺，則子允隨璜南征，城既降，允求復仇，璜不許。炅密謀襲璜，事覺，收炅，呵曰：「晉賊！」炅厲聲曰：「吳狗！何等為賊？」允剖其腹，曰：「復能作賊不？」炅猶罵曰：「吾志殺汝孫皓，汝父何死狗也！」璜既擒稷等，並送之。稷至合浦，發病死。孟幹、爨能、李松等至建鄴，皓將殺之。或勸皓，幹等忠於所事，宜宥之以勸邊將，皓從其言，將徙之臨海。幹等志欲北歸，慮東徙轉遠，以吳人愛蜀側竹弩，言能作之，皓留付作部。後幹逃至京都，松、能為皓所殺。幹陳伐吳之計，帝乃厚加賞賜，以為日南太守。先是，以楊稷為交州刺史，毛炅為交止太守，印緩未至而敗，即贈稷交州，炅及松能子並關內侯。

Before, when Huo Yi had sent Yang Ji, Mao Jiong, and others to assume command, he had warned them, "If the enemy besieges your city, and you surrender before a hundred days have passed, your families and dependents will be executed. But if you hold out for more than a hundred days and there is still no hope of reinforcements, and the city is thus lost, then I will accept responsibility."

During this siege, Yang Ji and the others had not yet held the city for a hundred days when the grain ran out. They begged to surrender to Tao Huang, but he would not permit it, and he even gave them grain so they could continue to resist his own siege. Tao Huang's generals all remonstrated with him for this, but Tao Huang told them, "Huo Yi is already dead, so there is certainly no hope of relief for Yang Ji and the others. We can wait until their full allotment of days has passed, and then receive their surrender afterwards. By doing so, we ensure that they have committed no offense, and it will add to our virtue. We can serve as a model to the people within, and neighboring states will also cherish us. Can this not be done?" Yang Ji and the others had grain enough to last until their set period had expired, and as reinforcements had still not come, Wu accepted their surrender.

Xiu Ze had been killed by Mao Jiong. Xiu Ze's son Ziu Yun had accompanied Tao Huang during this southern campaign. After the city surrendered, Xiu Yun asked for permission to kill Mao Jiong to avenge his father's death, but Tao Huang would not permit it. However, Mao Jiong secretly plotted to kill Tao Huang. But the plot was discovered, and Mao Jiong was arrested. He was denounced as a "Jin bandit!" But he sternly retorted, "You dogs of Wu! Who is the bandit here?"

Xiu Yun cut open Mao Jiong's stomach, saying, "Still intending to play the rebel any longer?"

Mao Jiong continued to revile him even as he died, saying, "I wished I could have killed your Sun Hao! Your father died like a dog!"

Tao Huang then detained Yang Ji and the others and sent them off as prisoners. Yang Ji made it as far as Hepu, where he developed an illness and passed away; Meng Gan, Cuan Neng, Li Song, and the others went to Jianye, where Sun Hao killed them. At first, someone had advised Sun Hao that Meng Gan and the others had been loyal to their duties and out to be pardoned in order to encourage further defections to Wu by other Jin border generals, so Sun Hao had followed this advice and had only been planning to exile the captives to Linhai commandary. But Meng Gan and the others, who wanted to return north, had no wish to be exiled so far away to the east. And since the people of Wu had a craving for the "slanted bamboo" crossbows of the Shu region, the captives claimed that they knew how to craft these crossbows, so Sun Hao had allowed them to remain with local garrisons. But later, when Meng Gan escaped and fled back to the Jin capital (at Luoyang), Sun Hao had Li Song and Cuan Neng killed. Meng Gan explained to Emperor Wu a strategy for how to campaign against Wu, so Emperor Wu granted him generous gifts and rewards and appointed him as Jin's Administrator of Rinan.

Jin had earlier appointed Yang Ji as Inspector of Jiaozhou and Mao Jiong as Administrator of Jiaozhi. But their seals and ribbons of office had never arrived before the two of them were defeated by Wu. So Yang Ji was posthumously appointed as Inspector, and the sons of Mao Jiong, Li Song, and Cuan Neng were all appointed as Marquises Within The Passes.

九真郡功曹李祚保郡內附，璜遣將攻之，不克。祚舅黎晃隨軍。勸祚令降。祚答曰：「舅自吳將，祚自晉臣，唯力是視耳。」逾時乃拔。皓以璜為使持節、都督交州諸軍事、前將軍、交州牧。武平、九德、新昌土地阻險，夷獠勁悍，曆世不賓，璜征討，開置三郡，及九真屬國三十餘縣。征璜為武昌都督，以合浦太守修允代之。交土人請留璜以千數，於是遣還。

Wu's Merit Manager of Jiuzhen commandary, Li Zuo, had caused the commandary to defect to Jin. Tao Huang sent a general to attack Jiuzhen, but the city did not fall at once.

Li Zuo's uncle Li Huang had accompanied the Wu army to Jiuzhen, and he urged Li Zuo to surrender. But Li Zuo replied, "Uncle, you are a general of Wu; I am a subject of Jin. We can only both do our utmost and see what results."

Eventually, the city was taken. Sun Hao appointed Tao Huang as Commissioner Bearing Credentials, Commander of military affairs in Jiaozhou, General of the Front, and Governor of Jiaozhou.

The natural terrain of the regions of Wuping, Jiude, and Xinchang was rugged and difficult, and the Lao and other peoples living there were wild and fierce and for generations had refused to submit to the authority of Wu. Tao Huang campaigned against these regions, and he organized the area into three commandaries, forming more than thirty counties altogether when combined with the Dependent State of Jiuzhen.

Tao Huang was summoned away to serve as Commander of Wuchang; the Administrator of Hepu, Xiu Yun, was to replace him as Governor of Jiaozhou. But thousands of people from Jiaozhou asked that Tao Huang be permitted to stay, so he was sent back.

皓既降晉，手書遣璜息融敕璜歸順。璜流涕數日，遣使送印綬詣洛陽。帝詔復其本職，封宛陵侯，改為冠軍將軍。

When Sun Hao surrendered to Jin (in 280), he handwrote a letter and sent Tao Huang's son Tao Rong to bring the letter to Tao Huang, calling on Tao Huang to submit to Jin. Tao Huang wept for several days before sending a messenger to bring his seal and ribbons of office to Luoyang. Emperor Wu issued an edict confirming Tao Huang in his existing positions; he also appointed him as Champion General and as Marquis of Wanling.

吳既平，普減州郡兵，璜上言曰：交土荒裔，鬥絕一方，或重譯而言，連帶山海。又南郡去州海行千有餘里，外距林邑才七百里。夷帥范熊世為逋寇，自稱為王，數攻百姓。且連接扶南，種類猥多，朋黨相倚��負險不賓。往隸吳時，數作寇逆，攻破郡縣，殺害長吏。臣以尪駑，昔為故國所采，偏戍在南，十有餘年。雖前後征討，翦其魁桀，深山僻穴，尚有逋竄。又臣所統之卒本七千餘人，南土溫濕，多有氣毒，加累年征討，死亡減耗，其見在者二千四百二十人。今四海混同，無思不服，當卷甲清刃，禮樂是務。而此州之人，識義者寡，厭其安樂，好為禍亂。又廣州南岸，周旋六千餘里，不賓屬者乃五萬餘戶，及桂林不羈之輩，復當萬戶。至於服從官役，才五千餘家。二州脣齒，唯兵是鎮。又甯州興古接據上流，去交址郡千六百里，水陸並通，互相維衛。州兵未宜約損，以示單虛。夫風塵之變，出於非常。臣亡國之餘，議不足采，聖恩廣厚，猥垂飾擢，蠲其罪釁，改授方任，去辱即寵，拭目更視，誓念投命，以報所受，臨履所見，謹冒瞽陳。又以「合浦郡土地磽確，無有田農，百姓唯以采珠為業，商賈去來，以珠貿米。而吳時珠禁甚嚴，慮百姓私散好珠，禁絕來去，人以饑困。又所調猥多，限每不充。今請上珠三分輸二，次者輸一，粗者蠲除。自十月訖二月，非采上珠之時，聽商旅往來如舊」。並從之。

After Wu was conquered, Jin implemented a general reduction of the size of provincial and commandary garrisons. Tao Huang sent up a letter to the Jin court, arguing, "The Jiao region is a barren frontier, a distant and contested corner of the realm; the whole area is flanked by mountains and seas, and sometimes messages must be translated before they can be expressed.

"The southernmost commandaries are more than a thousand li distant from the provincial capital (Hepu) on the coast, while being only seven hundred li from the borders of the foreign state of Linyi (Lâm Ấp). The foreign leader (of Lâm Ấp), Fan Xiong (Phạm Hùng), has repeatedly invaded the borders of this area and styled himself a King, and he constantly attacks the local people. And adjacent to Linyi is Funan, a place full of wild and fierce people; these two states are partners in mischief, and they count on their rugged terrain in order to defy the imperial authority. During the Wu era, they continually invaded and raided this province; they attacked and broke into the cities of the counties and commandaries and killed or wounded the chief local officials. Now I am no one of importance, yet the late state selected me for this post, and I served here in the south for more than ten years. But even though all through that time I led campaigns and expeditions to put a stop to the depredations of these villains, they still have their lairs and their hiding places within their deep mountains and remote caves.

"I command a nominal garrison force here of about seven thousand soldiers. But these southern lands are hot and humid, full of foul miasma, and combined with the exertions of constant campaigns and expeditions, my troops have been wasting away, so that I only have 2,420 soldiers actually fit for service.

"The thinking behind your policy of reduction of garrisons is that all the realm within the Four Seas has now been united, so that there is no place which does not submit to the central government, and so the armor should be rolled up and the blades cleaned and put away, and ritual behavior and music should be the focus of government. Yet there are already very few people in this province who take their martial duties seriously, and if you indulge them with ease and pleasure, that will surely lead to trouble and turmoil.

"The southern coast of Guangzhou runs for more than six or seven thousand li, and it contains more than fifty thousand households that have not yet submitted to the government. And in Guilin commandary, there are another ten thousand such malcontents as well. Even those households which are submissive enough to comply with corvee labor demands still only amount to about five thousand. These two provinces are as lips and teeth to one another, and they have only the soldiers to guard them. Furthermore, Ningzhou and Xinggu are positioned on the upper reaches of the river, only a thousand and six hundred li from Jiaozhi commandary, and the people there could advance against us by land and by water, mutually shielding and supporting each other. This is no time for the provincial garrison here to be reduced; it would only be a display of our isolation and weakness. The disasters of wind and dust arise from things that are unexpected.

"I was merely the remnant of a fallen state, and I was hardly worth any regard. Yet Your Majesty, displaying saintly grace and generous treatment, condescended to grant me a role and rank, to overlook my crimes and faults, and to confirm me in my positions. Thus I was able to exchange shame for favor, to wipe my eyes and see clearly once more. So I had sworn to devote my life to consider how best to repay such grace as you have shown me. Approaching the abyss and treading on thin ice, I have presumed to carefully present my foolish thoughts for your consideration."

He also wrote, "The ground and soil of Hepu commandary is stony and rough, unsuited for agricultural cultivation. The people can only make their living by collecting pearls, which merchants used to come here to exchange for rice. Yet during the Wu era, there was a strict ban on the collecting of pearls, due to fears that the best pearls would be scattered out among the common people, and this ban led to hunger and suffering among the populace. Nor have the people here ever been able to fulfill the various tax quotas imposed on them. Thus I now ask that the people be allowed to pay two-thirds of the best quality pearls and one-third of the middling quality pearls as taxes, while keeping the roughest kinds for themselves. I also ask that during the period from the tenth to the second months, which is not the time suitable for collecting the best pearls, that merchants be allowed to come here to conduct trading as they once did."

Both of these requests were accepted.

在南三十年，威恩著於殊俗。及卒，舉州號哭，如喪慈親。朝廷乃以員外散騎常侍吾彥代璜。彥卒，又以員外散騎常侍顧秘代彥。秘卒，州人逼秘子參領州事。參尋卒，參弟壽求領州，州人不聽，固求之，遂領州。壽乃殺長史胡肇等，又將殺帳下督梁碩，碩走得免，起兵討壽，禽之，會壽母，令鴆殺之。碩乃迎璜子蒼梧太守威領刺史，在職甚得百姓心，三年卒。威弟淑，子綏，後並為交州。自基至綏四世，為交州者五人。

Tao Huang was in the south for thirty years, and his power and mercy were felt near and far. When he passed away, the whole province rose in mourning for him, as though they had lost one of their own relatives.

The court appointed one of the Cavaliers In Regular Attendance Without Assignment, Wu Yan, to succeed Tao Huang. After Wu Yan passed away, they appointed another Cavalier, Gu Mi, to succeed him. When Gu Mi passed away, the people of the province forced Gu Mi's son Gu Can to take control of provincial affairs. But when Gu Can soon passed away, his younger brother Gu Shou sought to take control; the people of the province refused him at first, but when he insisted, he was granted his way. Gu Shou then killed the Chief Clerk, Hu Zhao, and others. He was planning to kill the Commander of the Tent, Liang Shuo, as well, but Liang Shuo fled and was able to escape. Liang Shuo then raised troops to campaign against Gu Shou, and he captured him; he also found Gu Shou's mother and compelled her to poison herself.

Liang Shuo then welcomed the Administrator of Cangwu, Tao Huang's son Tao Wei, to be the new acting Inspector. Tao Wei served in this role for three years, during which he greatly gained the hearts of the people, before he too passed away. And Tao Wei's younger brother Tao Shu and Tao Wei's son Tao Sui both later served as Inspectors of Jiaozhou as well. Thus the Tao family had five members who each served as Inspectors, across four generations, from Tao Ji down to Tao Sui.

璜弟濬，吳鎮南大將軍、荊州牧。濬弟抗，太子��庶子。濬子湮，字恭之；湮弟猷，字恭豫，並有名。湮至臨海太守、黃門侍郎。猷宣城內史，王導右軍長史。湮子馥，於湖令，為韓晃所殺，追贈廬江太守。抗子回，自有傳。

Tao Huang's younger brother Tao Jun was Wu's Grand General Who Guards The South and Governor of Jingzhou.

Tao Jun's younger brother Tao Kang was Superintendent of the Crown Prince's Household.

Tao Jun's sons Tao Yan, styled Gongzhi, and Tao You, styled Gongyu, both became prominent as well: Tao Yan rose in office as high as Administrator of Linhai and Gentleman-Attendant of the Yellow Gate, and Tao You became Interior Minister of Xuancheng and Chief Clerk to Wang Dao when Wang Dao was General of the Right.

Tao Yan's son Tao Fu served as Prefect of Yuhu. He was killed by Han Jiong (during Su Jun's rebellion), and posthumously appointed as Administrator of Lujiang.

Tao Kang's son Tao Hui has his own biography.

#Eastern Wu #Wu #Three Kingdoms #Sanguo #Jin Dynasty #Western Jin #Chinese History #China #Book of Jin #Jinshu

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implexis · 12 years

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4th Century, 301 to 400

301 Perhaps as early as now, or maybe into the following century, Samoans have traveled across 2000 miles (3200 km) of ocean to the Marquesas Islands, and in their boats, navigating by the sun and stars, Polynesians migrate from there to the Hawaiian Islands. At some unknown date in the coming centuries they will arrive at uninhabited Easter Island, about 3,200 kilometers (2,000 miles) southeast of the Marquesas Islands.

305 To better rule the Roman Empire, Diocletian has created four vice-emperors – military men who are to govern separate sections of the empire. Diocletian has attempted to restore Rome's ruined economy by fixing prices. Everyone has been ordered to remain at his present occupation and location – adding to what will someday be a part of feudalism. Diocletian has attempted another purge of Christians, but their numbers are too vast, and the persecutions drag on. Because of ill-health, he abdicates, leaving his vice-emperors in charge.

311 In China, Empress Jia has slaughtered many. Civil war has weakened the country, and, spotting the weakness, a tribal army arrives at the capital, Luoyang. The tribal army slaughters thousands. It is the beginning of rule by Xiongnu chieftains in northern China.

312 The armies of two sons of former vice-emperors fight each other. The army of Constantine wins, and Constantine becomes emperor of the western half of the Roman Empire. Constantine's mother is a Christian.

313 The Edict of Milan, agreed to by Constantine and the emperor of the eastern half of the empire, Licinius, makes Christianity a legal faith.

317 Chinese flee from the Xiongnu in northern China. The Jin emperor, Yuan, sets up rule in southern China at the city of Jiankang (Nanjing).

320 Economically, local areas in India have been functioning at world class levels, but India has been fragmented politically. The ruler of Magadha, Chandra Gupta, extends his power in the Ganges Valley.

321 Constantine makes the day of the sun god Sol Invictus (Sunday) a holy day and a day of rest for Christians.

322 By around now saddles and stirrups are in use at least for a few in China. A representation of a rider with these exists in a Jin Dynasty tomb.

324 Constantine defeats the eastern emperor and becomes emperor of all the empire. He prefers the more Christianized eastern half of the empire and founds a new capital in the east called New Rome, eventually to be known as Constantinople (in the 1900s to be changed to Istanbul).

325 Christianity is receiving state support, new churches, more wealth and more elaborate rituals. Christianity's bishops defer to the authority of Constantine, who wants to heal divisions within the Church. Constantine presides over the Church's first ecumenical (general) council, at Nicea, to decide the nature of Jesus Christ. Bishop Arius and Arian Christianity lose. The doctrine of the Trinity is accepted.

333 Constantine widens the gap between Christianity and Judaism, decreeing that Christians of Jewish heritage will either break all ties with Judaism or be executed.

337 According to Bishop Eusebius, with Constantine at his death-bed, Constantine chooses baptism. Bishop Eusebius is the Church's leading theoretician, a scholar of history and theology. He has written of the Roman Empire as having arisen to prepare the way for the arrival of Jesus Christ and to unify the world under the authority of God. He associates Rome with God's eternal order and peace.

351 A German named Ulfilas, who was converted to Christianity in Constantinople, has turned forty. He has translated the Bible and is doing missionary work among his fellow Goths outside the empire. As a result, Goths entering the empire are largely Christian.

357 Chandra Gupta's son, Samudra Gupta is halfway through his forty-five years of rule. He is extending the Gupta empire.

363 Constantine's grandson becomes emperor. Disillusioned by bloodshed within the family of Constantine, and a secret admirer of Hellenistic culture, he is to be known as Julian the Apostate. Lacking the hostility felt by Christians toward Jews, he rescinds a law that forbids marriage between Christians and Jews. He rescinds the law that bans Jews from entering Jerusalem, and he abolishes privileges that have been bestowed upon the Christian clergy.

367 Emperor Julian is killed while fighting an army of the Sassanid Empire. Christians rejoice at news of his death and express their belief that Julian's death was the work of God. The Sassanid king, Shapur II, is devoted to Zoroastrianism and has been attempting to exterminate his empire's Christians.

372 A monk introduces Mahayana Buddhism to the Kingdom of Goguryeo (Koguryo) in northern Korea, and the king of Goguryeo welcomes Buddhism and patronizes it.

378 Christians are back in power. Germans have been invading the Roman Empire. The Christian emperor of the eastern half of the empire, Valens, is defeated by Christianized Germans called Goths, at Adrianople.

380 The co-emperors Gratian and Theodosius publish their edict that the doctrine of the Trinity is to be the official state religion.

384 Buddhism spreads to the royal family of Paekche (Baekche) (southern Korea) and to Silla (central Korea). These two Korean states make Buddhism their state religion.

388 The Sassanid king, Shapur III, has ruled for five years and has lifted the persecutions of Christians, believing they are of more value to him working and paying taxes. Zoroastrian priests are upset.

390 The three Korean states, Koguryo, Paekche (Baekche) and Silla have adopted Buddhism as their state religion. Buddhist prayers are offered for the well-being of their kingdom, for recovery from illness and for the conception of children. Aristocrats leave the animist shamans to those they considered unsophisticated. Soldiers fight wars not only for their king but for the Way of the Buddha.

391 Emperor Theodosius the First sanctions the destruction of the great pagan temple of Serapeum at Alexandria, Egypt, dedicated to Alexandria's protector deity, Serapis.

393 Theodosius bans pagan worship. He proclaims Christianity the religion of his Roman Empire. He abolishes the Olympics. This is the last year of the Olympic games until the middle of the 19th century.

395 Christian emperors have been persecuting pagans, Jews and Arian Christians. Christian mobs have been attacking what are described as works of the devil. Pagan temples have been robbed of their treasures. Libraries have been destroyed, causing the disappearance of many writings. Emperor Theodosius, who has described heretics as insane, dies. Augustine is named bishop of Hippo (in North Africa).

400 On the plains of what someday will be called the United States, the bow and arrow is replacing the spear, the bow and arrow giving hunters and warriors a greater striking distance. Bantu speaking people have been migrating through the territory of other peoples and they have reached the southern tip of the African continent.

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bookofjin · 2 years

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Rise of Sixteen States: 308

Wang Mi goes on a trip.

8 February 308 – 27 January 309

(Jin's 2nd Year of Yongjia)

(Han's 1st Year of Yongfeng)

(Cheng's 3rd Year of Yanping)

(Liu Yuan & Wang Mi)

1st Year of Yongfeng [308 AD] Spring, 1st Month [8 February – 8 March], the King of Han, Yuan, dispatched the General who Consoles the Army, Cong, and others, ten generals, to go south and occupy Taihang, and the General who Assists the Han, Shi Le, and others, ten generals, to go down east into Zhao and Wei.

Wang Mi withdrew to assemble the absconded and dispersed. The multitudes were again greatly excited. Gou Xi joned with them in battle, but was not able to overcome. Mi advanced the troops to rob Taishan, Lu state, Qiao, Liang, Chen, Runan, Yingchuan, Xiangcheng etc. commanderies

Summer, 4th Month, dinghai [19 May], he entered Xuchang, opened the offices and armouries, and took the instruments and canes.

At places that were lost and gone, he very much killed the wardens and prefects, and had a multitude of several ten thousand. The Imperial Court was not able to exercise authority. The various commandery wardens wanted all to run away and leave.The Grand Tutor, [the King of Donghai,] Yue, dispatched his Marshal, Wang Bin, to lead 5 000 armoured soldiers to enter and guard the Imperial City.

5th Month [5 June – 4 July], Mi entered from Huanyuan, and defeated the Public Army at Yibei [or “north of the Yi”].

The Imperial District greatly shook. The palace and city gates were shut in daylight. The Minister over the Masses, Wang Yan, and others led the hundred officials to resist and defend.

On renxu [23 June], Mi arrived at Luoyang, he stayed at the Jinyang Gate. A decree used Wang Yan [as] Commander-in-Chief of All Army Affairs of Conquering and Chastising.

On jiazi [25 June], Yan, together with Wang Bin and others, set out to fight.

On yichou [26 June], Mi burnt the Jianchun Gate and went east. Yan dispatched the General of Guards of the Left, Wang Bing to pursue him. They fought at the Seven Li Brook, and again defeated him. He therefore crossed the He to return to Liu Yuan. He went with Wang Sang from Zhi Pass to Pingyang. Yuan heard and was greatly pleased. He dispatched his Palace Attendant and concurrent Imperial Clerk Grandee, Jiao Ying, to deliver a letter to Mi, which said:

Since the General has merit not of this generation, and surpasses the virtue of the times. Because of that [we] have this greeting, that is all. While waiting to gaze on the General's arrival, Your Orphan now has newly journeyed to the General's official residence, to straight away dust off the mat and cleanse the beakers, and respectfully wait on the General.

When Mi saw Yuan, he recommended declaring the venerated title. Yuan spoke to Mi, saying:

Your Orphan originally spoke to the General like Dou Zhougong, that was all. Now [you] truly are my Kongming and Zhonghua. Liezu had a saying: “I having the General is like the fish having water”.

Hence he appointed Mi Colonel Minister of Retainers, concurrently Palace Attendant and Specially Advanced. Mi firmly declined.

Autumn, 7th Month [3 August – 1 September], phoenixes assembled at Puzi. The Imperial Chancellor, Liu Xuan, and others, 64 people, sent up [to assume] the venerated title.

On jiachen [4 August], Liu Yuan robbed Pingyang. The Grand Warden, Song Chou, fled to the capital city. The Grand Administrator of Hedong, Lu Shu, battled powerfully and died there.

Winter, 10th Month, jiaxu [2 November], Liu Yuan usurped the title of August Emperor in the southern suburbs. A great amnesty and changed the inaugural to Yongfeng [“Perpetual Phoenixes”].

11th Month [30 November – 28 December], used his son the General of Guards, He, as Great General, and the [General who] Consoles the Army, Cong, as Great General of Chariots and Cavalry. his junior kinsman the [General who] Establishes the Martial, Yao, as Dragon-Prancing Great General.

On bingwu [4 December], Han's Commander-in-Chief of All Army Affairs in the Centre and Outside, Great Marshal and acting Imperial Chancellor, the Worthy King of the Right, Xuan, passed on.

12th Month, yihai [2 January 309], Yuan used his Great General, Liu He, as Great Marshal, ennobled King of Liang, the Prefect of the Masters of Writings, Liu Huanle, as Great Minister over the Masses, ennobled King of Chenliu, the Empress' father, the Imperial Clerk Grandee, Huyan Yi, as Great Minister of Works, ennobled Duke of Yanzhou commandery. The imperial clan, considering the close and estranged as equals, were wholly ennobled kings of commanderies and counties. Those with a different family name, differentiated by their deeds and schemes, were all ennobled dukes and marquises of commanderies and counties.

(Shi Le & Wang Mi)

(JS104, Chronicle of Shi Le: Liu Yuan sent Liu Cong to attack Huguan. He instructed Le to be in command of 7 000 as Chief-Controller of the Vanguard. Liu Kun dispatched Army-Protector Huang Xiu to save Huguan. Le defeated Xiu at Baitian, and Xiu died there. Le thereupon captured Huguan. Yuan instructed Le, together with Liu Ling, Yan Pi, and others, seven generals, to lead a multitude of 30 000 to rob the various ramparts and fortifications of Wei commandery and Dunqiu. They captured many of them and made use of the rampart masters as Generals and Chief Commandants. They chose the strong and large as army soldiers, and the old and weak to secure the earthen walls like before. The army had no private plundering and the hundred families held them dear.

When Yuan usurped the title, he dispatched envoys to confer on Le Holding the Tally and Great General who Pacifies the East; Colonel, Chief-Controller and King like before. Le combined the armies to rob Ye. Ye was vanquished. He Yu ran to Weiguo. He seized the Grand Warden of Wei commandery, Wang Cui, at the Three Terraces. He advanced to attack Zhao commandery, and murdered Ji Province's Chief Commandant of the Western section, Feng Chong. He attacked the beg-for-life [leaders] She Ting and Tian Yin at Zhongqiu, and killed both of them.)

(JS100, Biography of Wang Mi: [Wang Mi] was sent to accompany Liu Yao to rob Henei, and again with Shi Le to attack Linzhang.

At the beginning of Yongjia [307 – 313], he robbed Shangdang and besieged Huguan. The King of Donghai, Yue, dispatched the Interior Clerk of Huainan, Wang Kuang, and the Grand Warden of Anfeng, Wei Qian, and others to chastise him. When Mi fought with them between Gaodu and Changping, he greatly defeated them. The dead were six or seven out of ten.

Yuan advanced Mi to Great General who Conquers the East, ennobled Duke of Donglai. He and Liu Yao, Shi Le, and others attacked Wei commandery, Ji commandery, and Dunqiu, and captured more than fifty fortifications, all were mustered as army soldiers. Again he and Le attacked Ye. The General who Calms the North, He Yu, abandoned the city and ran.)

(JS005, Annals of Emperor Huai: 2ndYear of Yongjia, Spring, 2nd Month, gengzi [3 April], Shi Le robbed Changshan. Jin's General who Calms the North, Wang Jun chastised and routed him.

3rd Month [8 April – 6 May], Liu Yuan invaded Ji commandery and roughly had the lands of Dunqiu and Henei.

9thMonth [2 October – 30 October], Shi Le robbed Zhao commandery. The General who Conquers the North, He Yu, fled from Ye to Weiguo.

Winter, 10th Month, jiaxu [2 November], Liu Yuan usurped the title of Emperor at Pingyang, still calling [his state] Han.

11th Month, jiyou [7 December 308], Shi Le robbed Ye. The Grand Warden of Wei, Wang Cui, was defeated in battle, and died there.)

3rd Year, 7thMonth [22 August – 20 September 309], Liu Yuan dispatched his son Cong and Wang Mi to rob Shangdang, they besieged Huguan. The Inspector of Bing province, Liu Kun, sent troops to aid them, they were defeated by Cong. The Interior Clerk of Huainan, Wang, Kuang, and Generals Shi Rong and Cao Chao and fought with Cong, and were also defeated. Chao and Rong died there. The Grand Warden of Shangdang, Pang Chun, used the commandery to surrender to the thieves.

(In 313 what was left of the Jin court renamed the city of Ye to Linzhang to avoid the personal name of the new emperor, Sima Ye, posthumously Emperor Min. But the new name does not seem to have caught on in the north, presumably because the Jin empire no longer controlled Ye by that point. And just below the city is again referred to as Ye. Quite likely JS100 uses both northern and southern sources, directly or indirectly, which has created this inconsistency.)

(It seems impossible to reconcile the sources at this point. If we ignore the reference in JS100 in to Shi Le Linzhang as a duplicate from a different source, the accounts in JS104 and JS100 are overall pretty similar, though note that JS104 does not mention of Wang Mi at this point. Both Shi Le and Wang Mi take part in military operations in Shangdang, including the siege of Huguan, possibly under the overall leadership of Liu Cong. It was after this according to JS104 that Liu Yuan took imperial titles, and at his ascension Shi Le was rewarded with higher titles. Wang Mi also receives new titles after the fall Huguan, though there is no direct reference in JS100 to Liu Yuan declaring himself emperor. Then the Han commanders descend onto the plain, plunder several commanderies, and take the surrender of the many locally organized fortifications that had sprung up in these chaotic times – these might have been helpful against roving bandits but stood no chance against more organized forces. JS104 and JS100 both specifically refer to the recruitment of these local defenders as “army soldiers” 軍士. Then Shi Le and Wang Mi proceed to attack Ye, and the Jin commander, He Yu, abandons the city and flees. JS104 continues to say that Shi Le then “advanced to attack Zhao commandery”.

JS004 records under the 2nd Year of Yongjia, 2ndMonth, that Shi Le plundered in Changshan but was defeated by Wang Jun this is not in JS104. In the 3rd Month, Liu Yuan attacked Ji commandery. Based on JS100 it seems plausible that this attack was led by Liu Yao, and “Liu Yuan invaded” is just short for “Liu Yuan sent Liu Yao to invade”. 9th Month, Shi Le invades Zhao commandery and He Yu abandons Ye, apparently before the city is under direct attack. 10th Month, Liu Yuan declares himself emperor. 11th Month, Shi Le captures Ye, Jin's Grand Warden, Wang Cui, dies during the fall of the city. 3rdYear of Yongjia, 7th Month, Han forces attack Shangdang and besiege Huguan. A relief army under Wang Kuang is defeated by Wang Mi and the commandery surrenders.

So the fall of Shangdang, which according to JS104 took place before Liu Yuan declared himself emperor, in JS005 only takes place the following year. ZZTJ disputes that it was the 7th Month but agrees with JS005 on the year, so I will save that argument for later. Then Shi Le, after being defeated in Changshan, enters Zhao commandery, He Yu flees, Liu Yuan declares himself, emperpor, Shi Le takes Ye, which was in Wei commandery. This appear to directly contradict JS1004 where the sequence goes Shi Le takes Huguan, Liu Yuan declares himself emperor, Shi Le and others captures various forts in Wei and Dunqiu, Shi Le attacks Ye which falls, He Yu flees, Shi Le advances into Zhao.

It's not entirely impossible to merge the accounts in JS005 and JS105 together. There could have been fighting in Shangdang in both 308 and 309 and maybe some of the battles in 308 got confused with battles in 309. It is quite possible that after sacking Ye, Shi Le moved back into Zhao. But I don't feel like making an attempt right now. Therefore the map below follows the account in JS005 where this contradicts JS104. My previous post in this series included a section from JS104 on how Shi Le suborned the men of a Wuhuan leader located in Leping. From a base in Leping, Shi Le would have been well-positioned to plunder Changshan and Zhao, and move south from there against Ye. If at the same time the armies of Wang Mi and Liu Yao were plundering in Ji, Wei and Dunqiu, the defenders of Ye would appear to have been in a pretty bad position.

As a final note, I should perhaps add that the maps are intended as illustrations to the text. They are not intended to mean that Han were in full control of the territory within its “borders”. The Jin state had collapsed and in the countryside what had replaced it was not a new Han state, but various local “rampart masters” and similar who submitted to every real army passing by.)

(Liu Xuan)

Liu Xuan, courtesy name Shize, was plain, blunt and with few words. He was fond of studying, and cultivated purity. His teacher was Sun Yan of Le'an. He was deeply focused on gathering thoughts, not resting day or night, and was fond of the Mao Poetry and Mr Zuo's Traditions. Yan always commended him, saying:

If Xuan had met Wu of Han, he would have exceeded Jin Midi.

When his studies were complete, he turned back. He did not set out from the village gates probably for several years. Always when reciting the Book of Han, when he reached the Biographies of Xiao He and Deng Yu, he not once did not turn around to chant them, saying:

A man of great talent, if he met the Two Founders, in the end he would not make the Two Excellencies alone hold first place in pleasing before [the ruler].

The Inspector of Bing province, Wang Guang, spoke about him to Emperor Wu. The Emperor summoned him to audience. He praised his divination replies, and because of that said:

When I had not yet seen Xuan, I said Guang's words were empty and that was all. Now I have seen him advancing and halting with manners and decorum, he can truly be said to be like a jade sceptre. Observing his natural quality, he is more than able to console and assemble his home section.

He therefore used Xuan as Chief Controller of the Right Section, and specially gave him a red cloth curved canopy. He managed the officials purely and respectfully, and for that the section cherished him.

Yuan became king [because of] Xuan's plans. For that reason he especially received respect and esteem, in merit and kinship he had no equal. In army and state, inside and outside, there was nothing he had not sole control of.

(Liu Cong)

When Yuan claimed the great title, he designated him Great Marshal, ennobled as King of Chu.

(Li Xiong)

3rd Year of Yanping, Winter, 12thMonth [29 December 308 – 27 January 309], Cheng's Prefect of the Masters of Writing, Yang Bao, passed on.

(The source text for the anecdotes below refers to Yang Bao as “Chancellor”, this may have been a posthumous conferral.)

Earlier, Li Xiong's thoughts were on his summons reaching distant regions, [but] what used by the state was insufficient. For that reason the various generals always advanced with gold, silver and precious treasure, and very much were thereby obtaining their offices. The Chancellor, Yang Bao, remonstrated, saying:

Your Majesty is the master of Under Heaven, and must net and catch the Four Seas. Why are [you] using offices to buy gold!

Xiong apologized with humble phrases.

Later Xiong was once drunk on alcohol and pushed the Prefect of the Palace Writers, and caned the Prefect of the Grand Officials Bao advanced to say:

The Son of Heaven is clement and benevolent, the various vassals splendid and sublime. How can [you] be the Son of Heaven and yet bet drunk!

Xiong promptly let them go.

Xiong had no affairs and set out for a short while. Bao from behind him grasped a lance and galloped his horse past Xiong. Xiong was curious and asked him. He replied, saying:

In all cases the weight of governing Under Heaven is like Your Subject riding a hateful horse and holding a lance. Hurry it on and worry about wounding yourself. Slow it down and fear its loss. Hence the horse galloped and was not controlled.

Xiong realized and promptly returned.

Before this, the southern lands in repeated years had famine and plague, the dead numbered a million. The Colonel of the Southern Yi, Li Yi, firmly defended and did not surrender. Xiong enticed the Yi of Jianning and sent them to chastise him. Yi passed on from illness and the city was lost. They killed more than 3 000 strong soldiers, and sent off the wives and daughters, a thousand mouths, to Chengdu.

(HYGZ04 dates Li Yi's death to 306 under somewhat different circumstances that what described here. As Li Xiong was not really involved and this is getting long enough, I have not included it here.)

(Yiwen Leiju quoting the Book of Li Xiong of Shu: During the reign of the Martial [wu] August Emperor, Xiong, in the 3rd Year of Grand Cheng, a white crow with a red foot came soaring. The Emperor asked Fan Xian [i.e. Fan Changsheng] about it. Xian said:

The crow has the right-princeliness of returning back with food. Surely there are distant people who hold dear your kindness and come. As a result drifting people from Guanzhong request to surrender.)

(HYGZ08: 2nd Year [of Yongjia], decreed to write a record of [Luo] Shang's merit in chastising [Li] Te], and added to him Cavalier in Regular Attendance, Commander-in-Chief of the two provinces, and advanced his fief to Marquis of Yiling. Since his oldest son Yu had taken on Chief Commandant of Attending Chariots, designated his second son Yan as Chief Commandant of Cavalry.

Since Liang# province had been smashed and ruined by Xiong, Jin then used Huangfu Shang as Liang# province. Shang was unable to go to his office. Then they used the Interior Clerk of Shunyang, Zhang Guang of Jiangxia, as Inspector. He was seated at Xincheng. The people of Hanzhong were pressured by Li Feng's robbing and plundering, and ran east to Jing and Mian.)

(Huangfu Shang had been appointed to Liang# province back in 303 by Sima Ai, and was killed fighting Sima Yong. So this part of the entry is either erroneous or misplaced.)

(JS057: [The Inspector of Jing province, Liu] Hong petitioned that [Zhang] Guang had unusual achievements. He moved to General of Talented Officials and Inspector of Liang# province. … Guang did not manage to go to the province, and halted in Weixing. He therefore joined with the various commandery wardens to together plan to advance and take it. [Zhang] Yan recited a speech, saying:

Hanzhong is desolate and defeated, quashed by the nearby great thieves. The affair of overcoming them again, must wait for a gallant hero.

[Du] Zhengchong [HYGZ's Du Mengzhi] said:

Zhang Yan accepted the thieves' gold and silver. He did not timely advance to chastise, he impeded the troops and delayed against the robbers. What caused the loss of Hanzhong was in fact Yan's crimes.

Guang hence let out his anger, he berated Yan, ordered him out, beheaded him and had [the body] make the rounds. He soothed and consoled the desolate and broken, the hundred families happily submitted. Guang hence came back to garrison Hanzhong.)

(Note that HYGZ08 dates Zhang Guang occupation of Hanzhong to 311, but it seemed more fitting to conclude Zhang Yan Du Mengzhi/Zhengchong's story here. And who can say when this particular meeting actually took place.)

(Zhang Gui)

Soon after Wang Mi robbed Luoyang. Zhang Gui dispatched Beigong Chun, Zhang Zuan, Ma Fang, Yin Jun, and others to lead the provincial army to strike and rout him. They also defeated Liu Cong in Hedong. At the Imperial City they sang about it, saying:

Liang province's great horses, travel across Under Heaven. Liang province's owls on high, bandits and thieves melt away. Owls on high flying freely, the terror kills people.

The Emperor was joyful about his loyalty, and advanced his fief to Duke of Xiping commandery. He did not accept.

(Murong Hui)

Beginning of Yongjia [c. 307 – 308], Hui declared himself Great Shanyu of the Xianbei.

#chinese history #r16s

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brookstonalmanac · 3 years

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Birthdays 12.22

AD 69 – Vespasian is proclaimed Emperor of Rome; his predecessor, Vitellius, attempts to abdicate but is captured and killed at the Gemonian stairs. 401 – Pope Innocent I is elected, the only pope to succeed his father in the office. 856 – Damghan earthquake: An earthquake near the Persian city of Damghan kills an estimated 200,000 people, the sixth deadliest earthquake in recorded history. 880 – Luoyang, eastern capital of the Tang dynasty, is captured by rebel leader Huang Chao during the reign of Emperor Xizong. 1135 – Nearly three weeks after the death of King Henry I of England, Stephen of Blois claims the throne and is privately crowned King of England. 1216 – Pope Honorius III approves the Dominican Order through the papal bull of confirmation Religiosam vitam. 1769 – Sino-Burmese War: The war ends with an uneasy truce. 1788 – Nguyễn Huệ proclaims himself Emperor Quang Trung, in effect abolishing on his own the Lê dynasty. 1790 – The Turkish fortress of Izmail is stormed and captured by Alexander Suvorov and his Russian armies. 1807 – The Embargo Act, forbidding trade with all foreign countries, is passed by the U.S. Congress, at the urging of President Thomas Jefferson. 1808 – Ludwig van Beethoven conducts and performs in concert at the Theater an der Wien, Vienna, with the premiere of his Fifth Symphony, Sixth Symphony, Fourth Piano Concerto (performed by Beethoven himself) and Choral Fantasy (with Beethoven at the piano). 1851 – India's first freight train is operated in Roorkee, to transport material for the construction of the Ganges Canal. 1864 – American Civil War: Savannah, Georgia, falls to the forces of General Sherman. 1885 – Itō Hirobumi, a samurai, becomes the first Prime Minister of Japan. 1888 – The Christmas Meeting of 1888, considered to be the official start of the Faroese independence movement. 1890 – Cornwallis Valley Railway begins operation between Kentville and Kingsport, Nova Scotia. 1891 – Asteroid 323 Brucia becomes the first asteroid discovered using photography. 1894 – The Dreyfus affair begins in France, when Alfred Dreyfus is wrongly convicted of treason. 1920 – The GOELRO economic development plan is adopted by the 8th Congress of Soviets of the Russian SFSR. 1921 – Opening of Visva-Bharati College, also known as Santiniketan College, now Visva Bharati University, India. 1937 – The Lincoln Tunnel opens to traffic in New York City. 1939 – Indian Muslims observe a "Day of Deliverance" to celebrate the resignations of members of the Indian National Congress over their not having been consulted over the decision to enter World War II with the United Kingdom. 1940 – World War II: Himara is captured by the Greek army. 1942 – World War II: Adolf Hitler signs the order to develop the V-2 rocket as a weapon. 1944 – World War II: Battle of the Bulge: German troops demand the surrender of United States troops at Bastogne, Belgium, prompting the famous one word reply by General Anthony McAuliffe: "Nuts!" 1944 – World War II: The Vietnam People's Army is formed to resist Japanese occupation of Indochina, now Vietnam. 1948 – Sjafruddin Prawiranegara established the Emergency Government of the Republic of Indonesia (Pemerintah Darurat Republik Indonesia, PDRI) in West Sumatra. 1963 – The cruise ship Lakonia burns 180 miles (290 km) north of Madeira, Portugal with the loss of 128 lives. 1964 – The first test flight of the SR-71 (Blackbird) takes place at Air Force Plant 42 in Palmdale, California, United States. 1965 – In the United Kingdom, a 70 mph speed limit is applied to all rural roads including motorways for the first time. 1968 – Cultural Revolution: People's Daily posted the instructions of Mao Zedong that "The intellectual youth must go to the country, and will be educated from living in rural poverty." 1974 – Grande Comore, Anjouan and Mohéli vote to become the independent nation of Comoros. Mayotte remains under French administration. 1974 – The house of former British Prime Minister Edward Heath is attacked by members of the Provisional IRA. 1978 – The pivotal Third Plenum of the 11th National Congress of the Communist Party of China is held in Beijing, with Deng Xiaoping reversing Mao-era policies to pursue a program for Chinese economic reform. 1984 – "Subway vigilante" Bernhard Goetz shoots four would-be muggers on a 2 express train in Manhattan section of New York, United States. 1987 – In Zimbabwe, the political parties ZANU and ZAPU reach an agreement that ends the violence in the Matabeleland region known as the Gukurahundi. 1989 – Communist President of Romania Nicolae Ceaușescu is overthrown by Ion Iliescu after days of bloody confrontations. The deposed dictator and his wife Elena flee Bucharest in a helicopter as protesters erupt in cheers. 1989 – Berlin's Brandenburg Gate re-opens after nearly 30 years, effectively ending the division of East and West Germany. 1990 – Lech Wałęsa is elected President of Poland. 1990 – Final independence of Marshall Islands and Federated States of Micronesia after termination of trusteeship. 1996 – Airborne Express Flight 827 crashes near Narrows, Virginia, killing all six people on board. 1997 – Acteal massacre: Attendees at a prayer meeting of Roman Catholic activists for indigenous causes in the small village of Acteal in the Mexican state of Chiapas are massacred by paramilitary forces. 1997 – Hussein Farrah Aidid relinquishes the disputed title of President of Somalia by signing the Cairo Declaration, in Cairo, Egypt. It is the first major step towards reconciliation in Somalia since 1991. 1999 – Just after taking off from London Stansted Airport, Korean Air Cargo Flight 8509 crashes into Hatfield Forest near Great Hallingbury, killing all four people on board. 2001 – Burhanuddin Rabbani, political leader of the Northern Alliance, hands over power in Afghanistan to the interim government headed by President Hamid Karzai. 2001 – Richard Reid attempts to destroy a passenger airliner by igniting explosives hidden in his shoes aboard American Airlines Flight 63. 2008 – An ash dike ruptured at a solid waste containment area in Roane County, Tennessee, releasing 1.1 billion US gallons (4,200,000 m3) of coal fly ash slurry. 2010 – The repeal of the Don't ask, don't tell policy, the 17-year-old policy banning homosexuals serving openly in the United States military, is signed into law by President Barack Obama. 2012 – Bashir Ahmad Bilour of Awami National Party and eight others are killed in a Pakistan Taliban bomber suicide attack in Dhaki Nalbandi area near Qissa Khwani Bazaar. 2016 – A study finds the VSV-EBOV vaccine against the Ebola virus between 70 and 100% effective, thus making it the first proven vaccine against the disease. 2017 – United Nations Security Council Resolution 2397 against North Korea is unanimously approved. 2018 – A tsunami caused by an eruption of Anak Krakatau in Indonesia kills at least 430 people and injures almost a thousand more.

#Birthdays

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xiahoumiaocai · 6 years

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How much do you know about the 8 princes of Jin china? I know ther'es a lot of greedy grabby princes about but who do you think the true heroes villains of that time-period were?

Boy, am I glad someone asked me this. Yes, I know a lot about this period, and it is probably one of my favourite periods. Many people dismiss this era as being one of avaricious and malevolent princes, but I actually find that many of these people were fascinating. And, contrary to popular belief, it was more than just princes bickering over power for a couple decades, although it’s quite easy to understand why someone could make this mistake.

No.1 hero? Sima Ai, Prince of Changsha[n].

I don’t think it would be quite right to compose a list of the heroes of this age without putting him somewhere up there at the top. Sima Ai was the younger brother of Sima Wei, and participated in some of his activities. I’m not even going to get started on his antics, but Sima Ai was only fourteen years old following his very influential and sole full-blood brother. He can be forgiven. As an adult, he decided to act against Sima Jiong, the regent who had been monopolising power. He was initially used by Sima Yong as a scapegoat for justifying his own rebellion, but Sima Ai was able to defeat Sima Jiong. Sima Ai made no attempts to monopolise power as his predecessors had done, and insisted on acting as co-regent together with Sima Ying. Even when Sima Ying and Sima Yong plotted against him, he attempted to prevent his commander, Huangfu Zhong, from advancing, and made numerous attempts to make peace with his brother (whose allies he had been thwarting continuously). However, he was betrayed and seized by his subordinate, Sima Yue, and executed by Zhang Fang.

Which brings us to Zhang Fang, the greatest villain of the age.

Zhang Fang was a general who allied himself with Sima Yong. He was responsible for most of the bitterness between many of the princes and the most significant accelerant of chaos. He captured Sima Jiong’s general Xiahou Shi and his followers, and executed them all - by cutting them in half by the waist (the same way Qin Chancellor Li Si went). Later, when Sima Yong had found himself against Sima Ai, Zhang Fang was sent to attack Huangfu Shang (Zhong’s younger brother) and able to arrive at Luoyang. There, he plundered the city and the towns around, resulting in about 40 thousand deaths, and possibly much more, the majority of these being civilians. He wasn’t even able to capture it. He then had Sima Ai burned to death. While dealing with Liu Chen’s rebellion, Zhang Fang abducted ten thousand slave girls from Luoyang and supplied his armies by killing some of them, and many other civilians, and mixing their flesh with horse meat and beef. Liu Chen was also cut in half by the waist once captured too. When the crown prince welcomed him back to the capital, Zhang Fang immediately deposed him and Emperor Hui’s empress, and continued to allow his soldiers to pillage the land. He then relocated the capital to Chang’an, but not before permitting one final plunder, allowing his soldiers to seize any women they wanted from the city and imperial harem. All the ornaments and treasures that had been accumulated by Han, Wei and Jin were also stolen so that there was nothing remaining. The only reason why he didn’t burn Luoyang to the ground was because he wanted to avoid any comparisons to Dong Zhuo (following advice given to him by a man called Lu Zhi, no less). A bit late, anyhow, and Zhang Fang was worse than Dong Zhuo, in my humble opinion. He was even the reason why Sima Yue (in emulation of Yuan Shao and Cao Cao) made a call-to-arms for warlords and generals around the empire to oppose Zhang Fang’s power. The situation had grown so bad that even Sima Yong was forced to act against him, sending Zhi Fu to assassinate Zhang Fang in his camp in a vain attempt to appease the coalition. By this point, the empire was irreversibly weakened, and the likes of Liu Yuan and Shi Le were able to sweep in and take over the situation.

This period is home to an assortment of heroes and talents, such as:

Sima Xin, Huangfu Shang, Huangfu Zhong, Liu Hong, Tao Kan, Sima Yao, Liu Qiao, Liu Kun, Sima Mao, Wang Jun, Wei Huacan, Sima Xiao, Liu Qiao, Wang Rong, Feng Song, Murong Hui, Sima Yue, Liu Zhun, Li Te, Li Xiong, Zhang Gui, Yang Yao, Wei Guan, Sima Liang, Wang Dao, Liu Yuan, Liu Cong, Sima Rui, Lu Zhi, Gongsun Hong, Qi Sheng, Jia Nanfeng, Liu Wen, Yang Xi, Wen Xian, Pei Wei, Zhang Hua, Sima Yu, Gou Xi, Tian Hui, Hai Xi

and a variety of villains and troublemakers, such as:

Yang Jun, Sima Jiong, Sima Lun, Sun Xiu, Rong Hui, Meng Guan, Liu He, Shi Le, Gongshi Fan, Sima Xiao, Sun Hui, Xu Chao, Shi Yi, Lu Ji, Sima Yong, Sima Ying, Zhang Lin, Zhang Heng

There are many others. I know a lot about these guys, and a lot of information has recently been translated, so I’m learning more too. Feel free to ask me about anything.

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topfygad · 4 years

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China Itinerary: How to Spend 2 Weeks in China

When planning a trip to China, there are probably a handful of destinations you’re dying to check off your bucket list in just 2 weeks in China. Maybe you want to explore the colorful Buddhist temples, lotus-filled ponds, and adorable baby pandas chewing on bamboo stalks. Or perhaps you imagine walking through the bustling metropolis of towering skyscrapers and modern high rises.

Or maybe you simply crave the aromatic taste of traditional Chinese foods like pan-fried dumplings and crispy Peking duck.

And the truth is, you can do all these things with just 2 weeks in China. Although two weeks will barely scratch the surface, there is still so much to do. As one of the oldest and fasting growing civilizations in the world, China is teeming with adventures for every type of traveler.

Due to the recent coronavirus outbreak in China, we at TravelFreak do not recommend traveling to China at this time. The U.S. Department of State has issued a statement warning against all travel to Hubei Province and restricting travel elsewhere in China.

How to Get Around China

Generally speaking, air travel is the fastest way to get around the country. Because cities and distances can be far apart, you can save a lot of time and energy by flying. The only downside is that domestic flights can be expensive, especially if booked last minute.

And while domestic flights can be faster and more convenient, traveling by bullet train is another popular method of transportation in China. Bullet trains usually run between most major tourist cities and provide a fast, comfortable way to travel long distances.

If you’re on a budget, traveling by standard railway is a cost-efficient way to go. However, local trains are often uncomfortable and extremely slow. The journey takes twice as long compared to bullet trains, which means you could be stuck in the same seat for over 24 hours.

Tickets for both types of trains can be booked the day of, but since they can quickly sell out, it’s recommended to purchase seats 20-30 days in advance.

The cheapest and most common transportation method is by bus. However, taking the bus is only practical if you are traveling to a city that’s not served by an airport or train station. Poor road conditions and unbearable traffic can make the bus journey extremely stressful.

A Sleeper bus is also available for long distance China trips, but bed space is often narrow and crowded. And while most bus coaches have bathrooms on-board, we can’t attest that they’ll be clean or even in service.

For a wide selection of train, bus and flight tickets during your China itinerary, we recommend booking directly with 12go.asia.

China Itinerary: See the Best of China in 2 Weeks

With 22 different provinces and dozens of beautiful cities, China is one of the largest countries in the world. And even if you plan an action-packed China trip, a few days in China simply won’t do it justice.

But as a first (or second) time visitor, 2 weeks in China is a reasonable amount of time to get an overview of the entire country. And if you have more time to spare, you can always stay a few days longer in each city to gain a richer understanding of the area. It’s more rewarding to spend your trip soaking in the culture rather than seeing it from the inside of a bus or plane!

Day 1 – 4: Visit Historical and Cultural Landmarks in Beijing

The Great Wall, Mutianyu, Beijing, China

China’s capital is a bustling city overflowing with 3,000 years of culture and history. Home to some of China’s most iconic landmarks, Beijing is slowly revolutionizing itself to become an international world leader.

And around every corner, you can see how Beijing manages to blend both ancient histories with modern culture together.

Climb the Great Wall of China

No trip to the capital city would be complete without trekking the Great Wall of China, one of the seven wonders of the world. Winding through 5,500 miles of rugged mountains, the Great Wall of China is a rare glimpse into one of China’s most fascinating pieces of architecture.

A word of advice: Skip the Badaling section and head straight for Mutianyu or Jinshanling. While these spots are further away, they’re more authentic and way less crowded than the commercial, tourist trap of Badaling. That’s why you should definitely go during your China itinerary.

Explore the Forbidden City

The Forbidden City was once home to ruling Imperial emperors of both the Ming and Qing Dynasties. And although you won’t find any royal families wandering around today, the Forbidden City remains the largest palace complex in the entire world.

But with over 900 buildings and almost 9,000 individual rooms, you can’t explore everything within the Forbidden City. However, you shouldn’t miss a tour of the Hall of Supreme Harmony, the Palace of Heavenly Purity, and the Imperial Gardens.

If you’re not entirely exhausted, we recommend a short walk up to the neighboring Jingshan Park. From the top, you’ll be rewarded with panoramic views over the Forbidden City.

Relax at the Summer Palace

The Summer Palace is a beautiful park and easy day trip getaway from the bustle and congestion of the city. Built as a summer escape for the Imperial family, this park boasts a variety of Buddhist temples, landscape gardens and tree-lined lakes.

The park grounds are centered around Kunming Lake, the perfect destination for a picnic lunch or relaxing boat ride. Make sure to tour Longevity Hill, a scenic viewpoint with colorful pavilions and grand halls.

Where to Stay in Beijing

Although the capital is one of the more expensive places to stay in China, you can still find accommodation for every type of budget during your China itinerary.

Just like in most major cities, there are large, international chains in Beijing. These places have amenities such as swimming pools, restaurants with western breakfast and business centers.

But if you’re looking to step outside your comfort zone, you can spend a few days in one of the traditional hutongs. Hutongs are one-story residential buildings have been converted to inns. For an authentic, Beijing experience, hutongs are a unique accommodation experience right in the city.

Luxury Hotels: Hotel Eclat Beijing , Legendale Hotel Wangfujing Beijing , Shangri-La Hotel Beijing , InterContinental Beijing Sanlitun

Boutique Hotels: Beijing Pudi Hotel , Beijing Double Happiness Hotel , Michael’s House Beijing , Sofu Hotel

Mid-Range Hotels: Ming Courtyard , Jade Hotel , Capital Hotel , Kelly’s Courtyard Hotel

Hostels: Peking International Youth Hostel , Chinese Box Courtyard Hostel , The Great Wall Box House , Leo Hostel

How to Get from Beijing to Xi’an

The easiest (and most comfortable) way to reach Xi’an from Beijing is by bullet train. The train leaves from Beijing West Station and takes only 4.5 – 6 hours in total. Speeding through the country at 186 mph, you’ll have the opportunity to see other picturesque villages like Zhengzhou, Luoyang and Huashan from your window.

Taking a two-hour flight from Beijing to Xi’an is also possible. But with the check-in and security, it ends up taking the same amount of time as the high-speed train.

If you’re on a budget, then taking the sleeper train to Xi’an is a great option. You can choose between shared bunks or a separate compartment throughout your China itinerary. But best of all, you’ll save the cost accommodation when opting for this 12-hour train ride!

Check out routes and prices using the form below.

Day 4 – 6: Explore the Imperial Capital of Xi’an

On the famous Xi’an wall in China

Few places in China are as culturally diverse as Xi’an. As the starting point on the Silk Road, Xi’an became an influential city home to emperors, warriors, merchants, and artists. But besides the Silk Road, most of the city’s history can be seen through its distinct architecture, making Xi’an a must stop destination in China for a few days.

Admire the Terracotta Warriors

When in Xi’an, you must tour the tomb of the terracotta warriors. Over 8,000 life-size soldiers and horses were buried more than 2,000 decades ago to protect Qin Shi Huang, the first emperor of China, in the afterlife.

And while there are still thousands of soldiers left to excavate, the terracotta army is a rare journey into the world of Ancient China.

What’s more impressive is each warrior has a different face. The level of detail on the armor, footwear, hairstyles and facial expressions is nothing short of remarkable. No two soldiers are the same, which you’ll see during your China itinerary tour!

Eat Your Heart Out in the Muslim Quarter

Although there’s no shortage of mouth-watering snacks in China, Xi’an’s Muslim Quarter is a food lover’s paradise. The sheer number of snack food stalls along the silk road can be overwhelming at first.

Here, you can find everything from beef skewers, dumplings, noodle bowls, spicy sandwiches, and local pastries. Try the Yangrou Paomo, a typical Xi’an stew made from lamb and served steaming hot with chunks of unleavened bread.

And while you’ll have an endless supply of traditional Xi’an foods at your fingertips, don’t expect any pork. After all, you are in a Muslim neighborhood!

Cycle Along the Ancient City Wall

For some of the best, panoramic views of Xi’an, stand atop the imperial 40-foot city walls that surround the city center. Built-in 1370 as a defense fortification system, the city walls were also constructed with a moat, drawbridges, steel gates and watchtowers.

Walking along the city wall is possible, but the best way to get around with a bike tour. It takes roughly two hours to cycle the perimeter of the city. Your reward: sweeping views of both modern day and ancient Xi-an from every angle.

Conquer Mt. Huashan

You won’t read about this in your travel guide! If you want to check a dangerous albeit thrilling adventure off your bucket list during your China itinerary, then hike Mt. Huashan, one of China’s most treacherous mountains. Located a few hours outside Xi’an, Mt. Huashan is famous for breathtaking views, granite peaks, and of course, it’s adrenaline-filled plank walk.

With only a thin harness chaining you to safety, you can scale the side of the 2,000-foot cliff by shuffling across a 1-foot wide, wooden plank. And while we can’t guarantee you won’t have a panic attack, we can vouch for the exceptional scenic views.

Where to Stay in Xi’an

Hotels in Xi’an are more affordable than other big cities in China, such as Beijing or Shanghai. For this reason, you should have no problem finding a clean, decent place to stay for a few days.

For first time visitors to this silk road city, consider staying within the city walls. Not only are you within walking distance to most major attractions, but you can also easily take a public bus to the terracotta warriors or other outlying neighborhoods.

And when it comes to different types of accommodation, Xi’an is home to a wide variety of hostels, hotels, and luxury resorts for every budget.

Luxury Hotels: Sofitel Legend People’s Grand Hotel Xi’an , Shangri-la Hotel Xi’an , Gran Melia Xi’an Hotel

Boutique Hotels: Eastern House Boutique Hotel , Xi’an 52 Hezi Hotel , Time Tunnel Designer Hotel , Simple Palace

Mid-Range Hotels: Grand Park Xi’an , CitiGO Hotel Gaoxin Xi’an , Ramada by Wyndham Xi’an Bell Tower , Xi’an Grand Soluxe International Hotel

Hostels: Xi’an 7 Sages Belltower Boutique Youth Hostel , Han Tang Inn Hostel , Han Tang House , Shuyuan International Party Hostel

How to Get from Xi’an to Guilin

For transport, you have two realistic options to get from Xi’an to Guilin. The fastest way is to take a two-hour flight south to Guilin Liangjiang International Airport, which is roughly 20 miles outside the city center. If you’re short on time, then flying from Xi’an is the best option.

The other, more time-consuming option is to take a bullet train. It runs only during the day and takes around 11 hours to reach the city.

Check out your options using the form below.

Day 6 – 8: Be One With Nature in Guilin

If you want to tour rolling hills, steep mountains, and tranquil lakes, then make sure to add this ancient city in the south to your China itinerary. Famous for its dramatic landscapes, Guilin is lightyears away from the hectic crowds of China’s bigger cities. It’s the perfect place to relax and explore China’s scenic and breathtaking countryside.

Admire the Buddhist Sun and Moon Pagodas

Situated in the heart of this spectacular city are the two Buddhist Sun and Moon Pagodas. The Sun Pagoda is built from copper and glows a bright, warm gold when illuminated at night. The smaller but equally impressive Moon Pagoda is made from marble and shines a bright white color.

The two Buddhist pagodas are connected by an underground tunnel that runs under Shan Lake. Although you can ride to the top of the pagodas, the best view is from the banks of the lake at night! This is a must-do tour to add to your China itinerary.

Be Dazzled Inside Reed Flute Cave

The Reed Flute Cave is one of China’s most spectacular natural phenomenons. As you take a tour underground, you’ll uncover dark caverns and rugged limestone formations that have existed over the last 180 million years!

But most impressively, the giant stalactites and stalagmites are illuminated by thousands of colorful, neon lights. This sparkling attraction brings the cave to life, and shows the beauty of the natural formations from a unique perspective!

Walk Along the Longsheng Rice Terraces

Cascading down the sides of sloping hills, the bright green, terraced rice paddies are one of Guilin’s natural gems. And with miles of tiered terraces, you’ll understand why people often refer to it as the country’s Dragon’s Backbone.

To fully explore everything the Longsheng Rice Terraces has to offer, consider taking a tour from Dazhai to Ping’an (or vice versa). It takes around 4 or 5 hours and winds you through the rice paddies and small, rural villages.

It’s important to note that the terraces are several hours outside the city center, so be prepared to take a full day trip.

Where to Stay in Guilin

Most of the attractions are outside the city, and you can easily find somewhere away from the hustle and bustle. However, staying in the city puts you in the center of restaurants and bars. Either way, try and snag a room with a view of the natural surroundings!

There are also plenty of international and western brand chains. And while these options are more expensive than smaller, local hotels, the price is still affordable compared to other cities in this China itinerary.

Luxury Hotels: The Wing Hotel Guilin , Guilin Bravo Hotel , Sheraton Guilin Hotel, The White House Hotel Guilin

Boutique Hotels: Joli Vue Boutique Hotel Guilin , Aroma Tea House , Sky Garden Inn , Elephant Truck Hill Hotel

Mid-Range Hotels: Lijiang Waterfall Hotel , Guilin Bravo Hotel Grand Wing , Guilin Lakeside Inn , Guilin Oasis Inn

Hostels: Guilin Central Wada Hostel , Sky Palace Hostel , This Old Place International Youth Hostel, Ming Palace International Hostel

How to Get from Guilin to Yangshuo

Due to their close proximity, you’ll have a variety of options to get to Yangshuo. A private car or taxi may be the most expensive option, but it can get you door to door in under 90 minutes.

A public bus can also shuttle you between both cities. The bus ride also takes under 90 minutes, and leave from the airport, bus station, or railway station.

However, we recommend taking the bullet train from to Yangshuo for this China itinerary. It’s roughly the same price as the bus and gets you into Yangshuo in just 25 minutes. Keep in mind that the train station is 20 miles outside the city center, which means you’ll have to take a taxi to your hotel.

Day 8 – 10: Soak in the Countryside in Yangshuo

This small and charming town will be one of the most beautiful spots on your itinerary. But despite its rural location, it’s remained a popular tourist destination for visitors since the 80’s.

And although you’ll find plenty of international and western places in the city center, you come to Yangshuo for the scenic countryside. It’s the perfect jumping off point on this itinerary for exploring the natural beauty of China’s landscape.

Explore West Street

Yangshuo’s oldest road is also its most famous. Paved with cobblestones and mixing both western and Qing Dynasty architecture, West Street is a lively hub for tourists and locals alike. It’s a buzzing oasis right in the middle of the Chinese countryside!

And, it’s is also home to Yangshuo’s large backpacking community. There are plenty of hostels, western restaurants, and karaoke bars to keep you entertained for several days. And for those looking to spend the night dancing, drinking, and listening to live music, this bustling district has you covered.

Bamboo Raft down the Li River

Hop aboard a private bamboo raft and tour the spectacular Li River. You can stop by different villages, dine at river-side cafes, or relax with a book to read while you soak in your surroundings. But despite the name, these bamboo rafts are made from plastic piping, which makes for a faster (and safer) ride.

The landscape is nothing short of breathtaking as your boat glides seamlessly through the river and the rugged, limestone cliffs. And with only the sound of the humming engine to distract you, you just might find a bit of tranquility and peace on a day trip down the Li River.

Climb to the Top of Moon Hill

This unusual rock formation is named after the giant moon-shaped hole carved into the arch of the cave. As you stand below it, you can marvel at the jagged stalactites that protrude down from the arch. Rock climbing is also a popular sport at Moon Hill, with over 14 distinct climbing routes available.

And for a closer view of the arch, you can ascend the 1,000 marble steps towards the top. But if you’re eager to catch a glimpse of the entire valley, you can continue the climb to the summit for the best sweeping views.

Where to Stay in Yangshuo

If you choose to spend a few days in the city center, you’ll find many hostels and hotels on the busy West Street. Since Yangshuo is a popular backpacker destination, you should have no problem finding a clean and reasonably priced dorm bed for a few days.

On the other hand, staying in one of the neighboring villages can offer a unique experience. Many resorts or inns provide a peaceful, countryside retreat away from the crowds.

Luxury Hotels: Yangshuo Li River Resort , Yangshuo Mountain Retreat , Yangshuo Hidden Dragon Villa Hotel , VISION Hotel

Boutique Hotels: Yangshuo C Source West Street Residence , Amari Yangshuo , Yangshuo Mountain Nest Boutique Hotel , Humble Inn Boutique Residence

Mid-Range Hotels: West Street Hotel , Bamboo House Resort , Guifu Holiday Hotel , Yangshuo Moondance Hotel

Hostels: En Attendant Godot Youth Hostel , The Hidden House , Yangshuo Sudder Street Guesthouse , Mountain Stream

How to Get from Yangshuo to Shanghai

While there are several ways to get from Yangshuo to Shanghai, we strongly recommend taking a bullet train or plane. The main bullet train leaves from Guilin Railway Station and takes between eight and nine hours, while the flight is around two hours.

Although a standard train might save you a few bucks, it can take upwards of 25 hours, which can be a nightmare journey if you can’t snag a sleeper bed!

Day 10 – 14: Be Dazzled by the Metropolitan Skyline of Shanghai

In the south, Shanghai is an urban oasis, teeming with neon lights, skyscrapers, and enough entertainment to satisfy every taste. Here, the architecture is diverse, the shopping is plentiful, and the cuisine is served fresh and piping hot.

And while it feels more like glamorous and western than most places in China, Shanghai is still a buzzing cultural hot spot. Fusing ancient traditions with modern ideas, Shanghai is the perfect destination to end your journey in China.

Stroll Along the Bund

Walking on Shanghai’s waterfront boulevard boasts some of the best views of the city. Situated south from cosmopolitan high-rises of Pudong, the Bund is the perfect place for a leisurely stroll. Not to mention, it’s also one of the best sites for people watching!

Filled with performers, tai-chi enthusiasts, and photographers, the Bund is lively at all hours of the day.

And when the sun goes down, the neon skyscrapers reflect off the Huangpu River and illuminate the night sky. Taking an evening dinner cruise is one of the best ways to experience the sparkling magic of Shanghai’s skyline.

Spend an Evening in Tianzifang

Tianzifang is a charming art district teeming with designer pop-up shops, hidden cafes and trendy restaurants. As you navigate through the labyrinth of narrow alleys and stone-framed houses, you’ll stumble across some of the coolest shops in Shanghai.

At night, students, trendsetters, and tourists flood the roads looking for cocktails, snacks, and fun times in general. Because of it’s cozy, quaint atmosphere, you’ll forget you’re even in Shanghai!

Shop on Nanjing Lu

The blazing lights of Shanghai’s most prominent shopping district can be, to put it simply, overwhelming. Luxury department stores, knock-off markets, textile shops and malls line this crowded pedestrianized area. Nevertheless, it’s an exciting and authentic Shanghainese experience that you can’t keep away from.

Nanjing Lu is a shopper’s oasis and stretches south from the Bund all the way to People’s Square. But even if you’re not into shopping, you can still enjoy the boisterous and chaotic atmosphere!

Slurp Some Xiaolongbao

Commonly known to most people as a soup dumpling, xiaolongbao is a traditional Shanghainese snack that can be found almost everywhere in the city. These cooks stuff succulent dumplings with ground pork, green onion, and ginger before folding them (with precisely 18 creases) and steaming them in a bamboo basket.

The most popular restaurant is Nanxiang, which is located in YuYuan Gardens. While it can be jam-packed (and touristy), they’ve been making xiaolongbao for over 100 years, so you know you’re getting the good stuff! You can’t miss this place during your 2 weeks in China.

Where to Stay in Shanghai

As China’s largest city, Shanghai has a large variety of hostels and hotels to choose from. You can find chic boutiques in the French Concession, opulent resorts on the bund and even dorm rooms tucked away down an alley.

While you can score good deals on rooms, the average cost of a hotel in Shanghai can be high.

Luxury Hotels: Shanghai Mariott Hotel City Center , Sofitel Shanghai Hyland , Radisson Blu Hotel Shanghai New World , Le Royal Meridien Shanghai

Boutique Hotels: The Yangtze Boutique Shanghai , SSAW Boutique Hotel Shanghai Bund , Les Suites Orient , Shanghai Chi Chen Boutique Hotel

Mid-Range Hotels: Shanghai Fish Inn East Nanjing Road , Riverview Hotel on the Bund , Majesty Plaza Shanghai , City Hotel Shanghai

Hostels: Shanghai Blue Mountain Bund Youth Hostel , Shanghai Meego Yes Hotel , Rock&Wood International Youth Hostel, Mingtown Etour International Youth Hostel

Ending Your Trip in Shanghai

Sadly, all great vacations must come to an end. And after two exhilarating weeks in China, it’s time to head back through one of Shanghai’s two international airports.

Remember to give yourself enough time to check in luggage and get through customs at the airport. Lines tend be longer compared to other airports, and can take upwards of two hours.

But as your plane soars past the city lights of Shanghai and over the Pacific Ocean, you’ll have plenty of incredible memories to take back home with you.

How Much Will 2 Weeks in China Cost?

The cost of your trip to China doesn’t necessarily depend on where you travel, but how you travel.

The Cost of Transportation in China

Getting to and around China is likely to be your biggest expense. Depending on where you’re traveling from, international flights into Beijing or other major cities can cost around $600 to $1,500 per seat.

Once you’re in the country, you’ll have a variety of options to travel from city to city. Domestic flights can save time and energy, but they will almost always cost more than ground transportation. On the other hand, trains are much more affordable (especially the slower, regional trains) and can be nicer than other ground travel options for your 2 weeks in China.

Taxis are also relatively cheap, even in big cities like Beijing and Shanghai. But most places are well connected by subway, which is affordable and surprisingly easy to navigate.

The Cost of Accommodation in China

Accommodation costs vary greatly depending on the type of place you are staying. Luxury hotels can cost almost as much as they do in western countries but come with all the comforts that you’d expect.

If you’re on a budget, you’ll find plenty of mid-range hotels in every city for your trip to China. These can cost anywhere from $30 to $100 a night and are usually reasonably spacious and clean.

Hostels are a popular choice if you want to spend the least amount for accommodation. In big cities, you can find shared dorm rooms for around $20, while smaller towns can be as low as $10 a night.

The Cost of Food and Drinks in China

Everyone around the world knows China for its cuisine, and you can find a range of restaurants when traveling through the country.

Snack food is delicious, cheap, and can be found on almost every corner. From dumplings to meat skewers to pancakes, these snacks are a great way to sample the local culture while also sticking to a budget. Best of all, it will only cost you a few bucks!

Keep in mind that international or western restaurants will almost always cost more than Chinese restaurants. The only exceptions are Chinese delicacies like Peking duck, shark fin soup, and other luxury seafood dishes.

Travel Insurance in China

Travel insurance is one of the most important, if not the most critical thing to have on your China itinerary. Whether you come down with a bad case of food poisoning or break your leg in a scooter accident or during another activity in China itinerary, you’ll be glad to have travel insurance.

Not only does travel insurance in China cover the cost of your medical treatments, but it also protects you against other incidents that might occur.

Your $800 iPhone that some thief swiped from your pocket on the train? Or that thunderstorm that canceled your flight to Beijing? Travel insurance covers both of those situations, too.

The last thing you want is to have thousands of dollars in medical bills or pay for your lost or stolen goods straight out of pocket. And since it only costs a fraction of your total trip, there’s no excuse to travel without it.

There are plenty of travel insurance companies to choose from, but some policies and benefits are better than others. We recommend World Nomads, the leading travel insurance for all types of backpackers and travelers.

Click here for our full World Nomads review or fill out the form below for a free quote!

Final Thoughts

China is brimming activities for every type of traveler. From the great outdoors to the Great Wall, you can spend a memorable 2 weeks in China.

This China itinerary highlights the main attractions for a two-week trip, but you should feel free to make it your own! Take that last-minute trip to the neighboring village for a few days, explore the back alleys of the city and get off the beaten path. You never know what awaits you around every corner.

Because really, there’s no right or wrong way to see China.

source http://cheaprtravels.com/china-itinerary-how-to-spend-2-weeks-in-china/

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medproish · 6 years

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The 31-year-old man, wanted by police, had thought playing a numbers game would be enough to allow him to fade into anonymity.

The population of China is a staggering 1.4 billion people, give or take a few million.

More than 45 million of them live in Jiangxi province in southeast China, and 5 million of those people are concentrated in Nanchang, the province’s capital.

On the night of April 7, nearly 60,000 people — or roughly 1 percent of the city’s population — had gathered at the Nanchang International Sports Center for a concert by Cantopop legend Jacky Cheung.

Who could ever locate a single person in such a crowd?

And so it was there, amid the sea of faces in a packed stadium, with everyone’s attention presumably turned to the stage, that the fugitive assumed he was safe from authorities.

But in the middle of an upbeat electronic song about summer romance, a pair of police officers began descending the aisles, according to footage posted on the Chinese video sharing site Miaopai. Soon, they had arrived at the row they were looking for and apprehended the 31-year-old.

Before Cheung had finished singing the refrain, officers were escorting the man out of the show.

The man, identified only by his surname Ao, was reportedly wanted for “economic crimes,” according to Kan Kan News. Details about Ao had been in a national database, and when he had arrived at the stadium, cameras at the entrances with facial-recognition technology had identified him — and flagged authorities, the news site reported.

[Those airport cameras tracking your face may not be legal, study finds]

“He was completely shocked when we took him away,” police officer Li Jin told Xinhua news agency. “He couldn’t fathom that police could so quickly capture him in a crowd of 60,000.”

Ao’s unlikely capture became the latest example of China’s growing use of facial-recognition technology.

As The Washington Post’s Simon Denyer reported, law enforcement and security officials in China hope to use such technology to track suspects and even predict crimes. Ultimately, officials there want to create a comprehensive, nationwide surveillance system known as “Xue Liang,” or “Sharp Eyes” to monitor the movements of its citizens:

At the back end, these efforts merge with a vast database of information on every citizen, a “Police Cloud” that aims to scoop up such data as criminal and medical records, travel bookings, online purchase and even social media comments — and link it to everyone’s identity card and face.

A goal of all of these interlocking efforts: to track where people are, what they are up to, what they believe and who they associate with — and ultimately even to assign them a single “social credit” score based on whether the government and their fellow citizens consider them trustworthy.

Images from Denyer’s visits to three technology companies showed people monitoring cars and people as they passed through an intersection. Attached to each entity were text bubbles that showed identifying characteristics: the person’s gender and home town, for example.

[Opinion: China’s new surveillance state puts Facebook’s privacy problems in the shade]

“Surveillance technologies are giving the government a sense that it can finally achieve the level of control over people’s lives that it aspires to,” Adrian Zenz, a German academic who has researched ethnic policy and the security state in China’s western province of Xinjiang, told Denyer.

Many have voiced their concerns about the ethical ramifications of such a system.

Human Rights Watch has a page dedicated to mass surveillance and the use of “big data” in China.

Maya Wang, a senior researcher at the group, said in February that China was aggregating data about its citizens to build policing programs in Xinjiang — and then using the information they had gathered to target ethnic minorities in the western Chinese province.

“For the first time, we are able to demonstrate that the Chinese government’s use of big data and predictive policing not only blatantly violates privacy rights, but also enables officials to arbitrarily detain people,” Wang wrote. “People in Xinjiang can’t resist or challenge the increasingly intrusive scrutiny of their daily lives because most don’t even know about this ‘black box’ program or how it works.”

As for Ao, the man caught at the Jacky Cheung concert, he said he thought he would be safe in a crowd of tens of thousands, Kan Kan News reported. He and some friends had bought the concert tickets, and Ao had driven with his wife about 60 miles to see the show, according to the news site.

“If I had known [I would be caught], I wouldn’t have gone,” he said.

Police officers display AI-powered smart glasses in Luoyang, China, on April 3, 2018. (Reuters)

In China, facial recognition is sharp end of a drive for total surveillance

A Chinese couple died in a car crash. Four years later, their child was born.

A teen checked into an Internet-addiction camp in China. He was dead two days later.

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The post A suspect tried to blend in with 60000 concertgoers. China's facial-recognition cameras caught him. appeared first on trend views word.

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fuyonggu · 4 years

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Cao Jiong’s “Discourse on the Six Dynasties”

This essay appears in the Wenxuan or Literary Selections, in Chapter 52, the second chapter on Discourses.

Cao Jiong was a distant relative of the Wei royal family; he was two generations senior to Cao Fang, so he may have been a cousin to Cao Pi. We are told that he did not attach his own name to this essay, but claimed it was the work of Cao Zhi, who had an established reputation as a literary genius; the true author was only cleared up during the early Jin dynasty, when Cao Zhi's son confirmed that Cao Jiong and not his father had written it. Since Cao Jiong mentions in the essay that the Wei dynasty had existed for "twenty-four years" by then, he probably wrote it in 244 or 245.

It was the policy during the Wei dynasty for members of the royal clan other than the Emperor and the Crown Prince to be kept entirely from power. Although many of them were granted nominal titles and fiefs, they wielded no real power or influence and were kept under strict supervision by the court. In this essay, Cao Jiong argues forcefully against this policy. Drawing upon numerous historical examples, he makes the case for greatly empowering the imperial clan to provide greater security in the realm and ensure that the Emperor and his immediate family will be safe from rebellion and usurpation. Since at the time he wrote this, the reigning Emperor, Cao Fang, was still a young child, the real target of the essay was one of Cao Fang's regents, Cao Shuang, who was the de facto ruler. However, Cao Shuang did nothing to follow the advice presented here, and the imperial clan remained powerless to prevent the coup of Sima Yi a few years later and the gradually usurpation of the Sima clan that ultimately led to the end of Wei.

Yet Cao Jiong had not written this essay in vain, for ironically, it found a ready audience in the form of the founding ruler of the subsequent Jin dynasty, Sima Yan or Emperor Wu. The many historical examples were only further bolstered by the immediate example of the fate of Wei, which had indeed been powerless to stop Emperor Wu's ancestors from seizing the throne. Determined not to make the same mistake, Emperor Wu went far in the other direction: he greatly empowered a large number of his own relatives and entrusted them with civil authority and control of military forces. Initially, the policy was a success: it prevented the attempted usurpations of the father of Emperor Wu's wife, Yang Jun, of his son's wife, Jia Nanfeng, and of his uncle, Sima Lun. Yet in the end, Emperor Wu's policy was one of many factors that led to the civil strife of the War of the Eight Princes, when a great number of the Princes fought for control of the realm. Perhaps one bright spot was that one of the Princes, Sima Rui or Emperor Yuan, was still able to refound a diminished version of Jin in the south afterwards.

A shorter version of this post without source text or notes is available here.

六代論曹元首

Discourse on the Six Dynasties

By Cao Yuanshou

〈論夏、殷、周、秦、漢、魏也。〉〈魏氏春秋曰：曹冏，字元首，少帝族祖也。是時，天子幼稚，冏冀以此論感悟曹爽，爽不能納，為弘農太守。少帝，齊王芳也。〉

(These "six dynasties" were Xia, Yin (Shang), Zhou, Qin, Han, and Cao-Wei.

The Annals of the Clans of Cao-Wei states, "Cao Jiong, styled Yuanshou, was a kinsman of the Young Emperor, two generations his senior." The Young Emperor was the Prince of Qi (Cao Fang).

At the time that Cao Jiong wrote this discourse, the Son of Heaven was still young and tender, and Cao Shuang was in control of the government. Cao Jiong hoped that the arguments he set forward here would move Cao Shuang and awaken him to the seriousness of the situation. But Cao Shuang could not follow Cao Jiong's advice, and instead he sent him away to serve as Administrator of Hongnong.)

昔夏殷周之歷世數十，而秦二世而亡。何則？三代之君與天下共其民，故天下同其憂；秦王獨制其民，故傾危而莫救。夫與人共其樂者，人必憂其憂；與人同其安者，人必拯其危。先王知獨治之不能久也，故與人共治之；知獨守之不能固也，故與人共守之。兼親疏而兩用，參同異而並進。是以輕重足以相鎮，親疏足以相衛，并兼路塞，逆節不生。及其衰也，桓文帥禮；苞茅不貢，齊師伐楚；宋不城周，晉戮其宰。王綱弛而復張，諸侯傲而復肅。二霸之後，寖以陵遲。吳楚憑江，負固方城，雖心希九鼎，而畏迫宗姬，姦情散於胸懷，逆謀消於脣吻，斯豈非信重親戚，任用賢能，枝葉碩茂，本根賴之與？

Among the dynasties of ancient times, Xia, Yin (Shang), and Zhou each lasted for dozens of generations, while Qin perished after only two. Why was this? Because the lords of those three dynasties shared control of the people of the realm, thus the lords of the realm saw the sovereign's concerns as their own concerns, while the kings of Qin monopolized control of the people, thus in times of danger and distress no one was willing to come to their aid. Those with whom you share your joys will likewise sympathize with your sorrows; those you make your peers in peace will be your saviors when danger comes. The ancient kings knew that the sovereign who reigned alone could not ensure an orderly realm for long, thus they shared power with others in order to obtain stability; they knew that the ruler who defended the realm alone could not guard it forever, thus they shared responsibility with others in order to attain security. Both their intimate relatives and their distant kinfolk were employed; both members of their clan and outsiders from other surnames were advanced. Those of more or less power worked together to protect each other; those of the same or different blood acted in concert to shield one another. There were neither instances of "total annexation", nor were "traitorous impulses" allowed to fester.

Even when the Zhou dynasty was in decline, Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin still treated the King with respect and acted on his behalf. When the state of Chu refused to present its tribute of grass and thatch to the King, the state of Qi led an army to punish them; when the state of Song refused to help build walls around the King's capital at Chengzhou (Luoyang), the state of Jin executed their minister. Though the King's laws became lax and loose for a time, they were once again enforced; though the feudal lords become arrogant for a season, they were once more reverent.

It was said that "after the age of these two Hegemons (Dukes Huan and Wen), the feudal lords became boorish and remiss". Indeed, the states of Wu and Chu were defiant, trusting in the Yangzi to be their bulwark and the stout square walls of their cities to be their rampart. Yet though in their hearts they sought to "inquire after the Nine Tripods" (as though they had more right to dominion than the King), even then they feared to go so far as to outright threaten or oppress the royal clan. Wicked feelings scattered in the breast; treasonous plots died on the lips. Was it not because the King had trusted and empowered his kinfolk and relatives and employed and used the worthy and able? Don't the branches and the leaves grow great and luxurious because the roots and the stem depend upon them?

〈紀年曰：凡夏自禹以至于桀，十七王。殷自成湯滅夏以至于受，二十九王。大戴禮曰：殷為天子二十餘世，而周受之。周為天子三十餘世，而秦受之。秦為天子，二世而亡，何﹖殷周有道而長，秦無道而暴也。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：孝宣帝稱曰：與我共此者，其唯良二千石乎？〉〈班固漢書贊曰：昔周盛，則周、召相，其治致刑措，衰則五伯扶其弱，與共守之。〉〈賈誼過秦曰：秦并兼諸侯山東三十郡。漢書，主父偃說上曰：今以法割削諸侯，則逆節萌起。〉〈齊桓、晉文。〉〈左氏傳曰：齊侯伐楚，楚子使與師言曰：不虞君之涉吾地，何故？管仲對曰：爾貢苞茅不入，王祭不共，無以縮酒，寡人是徵。又曰：晉魏舒合諸侯之大夫于翟泉，將以城成周，宋仲幾不受功，曰：滕、薛、郳，吾役也，為宋役亦職也。士伯怒曰：必以仲幾為戮。乃執仲幾歸諸京師。〉〈漢書曰：二霸之後，寖以陵遲。〉〈左氏傳，屈完對齊侯曰：楚國方城以為城，漢水以為池。又曰：楚子觀兵于周疆，問鼎之大小輕重焉，王孫滿對曰：周德雖衰，天命未改，鼎之輕重，未可問也。〉〈班固漢書述曰：公族蕃滋，枝葉碩茂。〉

(According to the historical records, the Xia dynasty had seventeen kings, from Yu the Great to Jie; the Yin (Shang) dynasty had twenty-nine kings, from Cheng Tang and his conquest of Xia down to their surrender of the Mandate of Heaven. The Book of Rites of Master Dai states, "The lords of Yin (Shang) were Sons of Heaven for more than twenty reigns, before Zhou inherited the Mandate from them; the lords of Zhou were Sons of Heaven for more than thirty reigns before they too surrendered the right. But Qin ruled for only two reigns before it fell. Why was this? Because Yin and Shang ruled with principle, thus they long endured; Qin ruled without principle, and so it was destroyed."

In the Book of Han's Biographies of Upright Officials, Emperor Xuan is quoted as saying, "The reason why the people are able to tend to their fields in peace and have no mournful lamentations or hearts filled with hatred is because of good governance and careful examination. I do not rule alone; it is the Administrators of the commandaries and the other Two Thousand Bushel salary officials who do the ruling with me."

In the preface to the Book of Han's Table of the Feudal Lords, Ban Gu remarks, "When the Zhou dynasty was ascendant, the Dukes of Zhou and Shao served as chief ministers, and they governed so well that punishments were greatly reduced; when the Zhou dynasty was in decline, the Five Lords (the Five Hegemons) aided the young rulers and shared the governance of the realm with them."

Cao Jiong uses the expressions "total annexation" and "traitorous impulses". The first of these quotes from Jia Yi's essay The Faults of Qin: "Qin totally annexed the lands of the feudal lords east of the mountains and organized their former domains into thirty commandaries." The second quotes from a petition from Zhufu Yan to Emperor Wu of Han: "Now is the time to use the law to cut the lands of the feudal lords down to size, so that no traitorous impulses may arise."

Cao Jiong refers to "Huan and Wen"; he means Duke Huan of Qi and Duke Wen of Jin.

Regarding Chu's failure to send tribute, the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals states, "When the Marquis of Qi led a campaign against Chu, the Viscount of Chu sent envoys to speak to the Qi commander and ask, 'Just what has caused you to trespass on our lands?' Guan Zhong told them, 'You have failed to send in your tribute of grass and thatch, causing the King's sacrificial offerings to be insufficient and the royal wine to be lacking. Thus we are punishing you.'"

Regarding Song's failure to build the walls of Chengzhou, the same source states, "Jin, Wei, and Shu assembled the chief ministers of the feudal lords at Diquan, planning to build the walls of the King's capital at Chengzhou. But Zhongji of Song, who felt that Song would gain no merit for participating in this labor, objected, 'Has Song not already done such work at Teng, Xue, and Ni? Let that count as our share.' This angered Shi Bo of Jin, who said, 'We must slay Zhongji for this.' And they arrested Zhongji and brought him back to the capital."

Cao Jiong quotes from the Book of Han in speaking of the feudal lords becoming "boorish and remiss".

The Zuo Commentary states, "Qu Wan said to the Marquis of Qi, 'Chu perceives the square walls of their cities as their rampart and the Han River as their moat.'"

Regarding the act of "inquiring after the Nine Tripods", which were a symbol of Zhou's right to rule, the Zuo Commentary states, "The Viscount of Chu was reviewing his troops at Zhoujiang. He inquired about the size and weight of the royal Tripods. Wangsun Man told him, 'Though the virtue of Zhou may be in decline, the Mandate of Heaven has not passed from them. The weight of the Tripods is not for you to ask about.'")

自此之後，轉相攻伐。吳并於越，晉分為三，魯滅於楚，鄭兼於韓。暨乎戰國，諸姬微矣，唯燕衛獨存。然皆弱小，西迫強秦，南畏齊、楚，救於滅亡，匪遑相卹。至於王赧，降為庶人，猶枝幹相持，得居虛位。海內無主，四十餘年。秦據勢勝之地，騁譎詐之術，征伐關東，蠶食九國。至於始皇，乃定天位。曠日若彼，用力若此，豈非深根固蔕，不拔之道乎？易曰：「其亡其亡，繫于苞桑。」周德其可謂當之矣。

But from that time on, incessant fighting broke out between the states. Wu was taken over by Yue, and Jin split into three; Lu was conquered by Chu, and Zheng was annexed into Hann. Although originally most of the families of the feudal lords had come from the royal Ji family, by the time of the Warring States era, most of these royal relatives were long gone, and only in the states of Yan and Wey did they still rule. What was left of the King's domain was small and pathetic, threatened by powerful Qin to the west and menaced by fearsome Qi and Chu to the south; though they sought deliverance from their destruction, there was no one left to take pity on them. And even after King Nan was deposed to become a commoner, still the branches of the state grasped at each other's power, squabbling over an empty title. For more than forty years, the land within the Seas had no master.

The state of Qin occupied a powerful and influential region and was crafty at the arts of lying and deceit. Thus they were successful in their campaigns against the lords east of the mountains and were able to nibble the Nine States down to nothing. And by the time of the First Emperor, the imperial throne was once again filled. Yet when Qin employed force like this and a lack of virtue like that, how could they expect to last? In what sense did they have deep roots or a thick stem, to prevent themselves from being yanked up?

The Book of Changes states, "Though they cry 'perish, perish', he plants himself firm like a mulberry." Zhou was virtuous, and their longevity was because of it; such a verse could well describe them.

〈史記曰：越王勾踐自會稽歸，拊循其士民伐吳，大破之，吳王自殺。又曰：魏武侯、韓哀侯、趙敬侯滅晉後，而三分其地。又曰：楚考烈王伐滅魯。又曰：韓哀滅鄭，并其國。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：暨于王赧，降為庶人，用天年終，號位已絕於天下，尚猶枝葉相持，莫得居其虛位。海內無主，四十餘年也。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：秦據勢勝之地，騁狙詐之兵，蠶食山東，一切取勝。賈誼過秦曰：九國之師遁逃而不敢進。〉〈尚書曰：天位艱哉。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：至始皇乃并天下。以德若彼，用力如此，其艱難也。〉〈老子曰：有國之母，可以長久，是謂深根固蔕，長生久視之道。班固漢書贊曰：所以親親賢賢，褒表功德，深根固本，為不可拔者也。〉〈周易否卦之辭也。鄭玄曰：苞，植也。否世之人，不知聖人有命，咸云其將亡矣，其將亡矣，而聖乃自繫於植桑，不亡也。王弼曰：心存將危，乃得固也。〉

(The Records of the Grand Historian mentions the destruction of the states mentioned here: "King Goujian of Yue returned from Kuaiji, then organized and led his officers and troops to campaign against Wu. He greatly routed them, and the King of Wu killed himself."

And, "Marquis Wu of Wei, Marquis Ai of Hann, and Marquis Jing of Zhao killed the descendants of the ruler of Jin, then partitioned Jin into three states."

And, "King Xiaolie of Chu campaigned against Lu and conquered it."

And, "Marquis Ai of Hann conquered Zheng and annexed its lands."

In the preface to the Book of Han's Table of the Feudal Lords, Ban Gu remarks, "After King Nan was deposed to become a commoner, so that the Heavenly calendar was ended and the royal title and position were cut off for the realm, still the branches of the state grasped at each other's power, though none of their squabbling could gain them the empty title. For more than forty years, the land within the Seas had no master."

And, "The state of Qin occupied a powerful and influential region and practiced the strategies of ambush and deceit. Thus they were were able to nibble the lands east of the mountains down to nothing and conquer all."

And, "By the time of the First Emperor, Qin had annexed all the realm. By virtue had Zhou ruled, by force had Qin; their position was indeed perilous."

And, "When the ruler treats their kin as kin and the worthy as worthy, and when they appreciate and extol the accomplished and the virtuous, then the state will be like a plant that has deep roots and a firm stem, and cannot be pulled up."

In The Faults of Qin, Jia Yi remarked, "The leaders of the Nine States shrank back and hid from Qin, not daring to advance against them."

The Book of Documents states, "What a perilous place, the Heavenly seat!"

The Daodejing states, "He who possesses the mother of the state may continue long. His case is like that (of the plant) of which we say that its roots are deep and its flower stalks firm: - this is the way to secure that its enduring life shall long be seen."

Cao Jiong quotes from the Fifth Nine Undivided verse of the Book of Changes. Zheng Xuan's commentary to that verse states, "The term 苞 means 'plant'. The ignorant people, unaware that the sage ruler still possesses the Mandate, all proclaim that the state is about to 'perish, perish'. Yet the sage ruler binds themself fast like a plant or a mulberry tree, and they perish not." Wang Bi's commentary states, "The heart is preserved though disaster looms, thus the state endures.")

秦觀周之弊，將以為以弱見奪，於是廢五等之爵，立郡縣之官，棄禮樂之教，任苛刻之政。子弟無尺寸之封，功臣無立錐之土，內無宗子以自毗輔，外無諸侯以為蕃衛。仁心不加於親戚，惠澤不流於枝葉，譬猶芟刈股肱，獨任胸腹；浮舟江海，捐棄楫櫂。觀者為之寒心，而始皇晏然，自以為關中之固，金城千里，子孫帝王萬世之業也。豈不悖哉！是時，淳于越諫曰：「臣聞殷、周之王，封子弟功臣，千有餘歲。今陛下君有海內，而子弟為匹夫，卒有田常六卿之臣，而無輔弼，何以相救？事不師古而能長久者，非所聞也。」始皇聽李斯偏說而絀其義。至身死之日，無所寄付，委天下之重於凡夫之手，託廢立之命於姦臣之口，至令趙高之徒，誅鋤宗室。胡亥少習剋薄之教，長遵凶父之業，不能改制易法，寵任兄弟，而乃師謨申商，諮謀趙高，自幽深宮，委政讒賊，身殘望夷，求為黔首，豈可得哉？遂乃郡國離心，衆庶潰叛，勝廣唱之於前，劉項斃之於後。向使始皇納淳于之策，抑李斯之論，割裂州國，分王子弟，封三代之後，報功臣之勞，土有常君，民有定主，枝葉相扶，首尾為用，雖使子孫有失道之行，時人無湯武之賢，姦謀未發，而身已屠戮，何區區之陳項，而復得措其手足哉？故漢祖奮三尺之劍，驅烏集之衆，五年之中，而成帝業。自開闢以來，其興功立勳，未有若漢祖之易者也。夫伐深根者難為功，摧枯朽者易為力，理勢然也。

When the First Emperor of Qin considered the decline of Zhou, he felt that it was the weakness of the Zhou kings that had caused them to lose power. Thus he abolished the old system of the Five Noble Titles and organized the realm into commandaries and counties instead, and he threw out the methods of teaching the people through music and ritual behavior in favor of imposing stern and harsh government. His younger relatives received not an inch of land as fief, and his accomplished ministers had not a spade of land to call their own. Within, there were no royal relatives who might assist the state, and without, there were no feudal lords who might shield the realm from harm. He did not show a benevolent heart towards his flesh and blood, nor extend any kindness towards those who might have served as his branches and leaves. He was like a person who cuts off their own arms and legs, content to live as a mere torso; he was like a ship which, before crossing a wide river or a deep ocean, throws away its oars. There were many whose hearts turned cold when considering the danger of such a situation. Yet the First Emperor remained serene, believing that the capital area of Guanzhong was such an impenetrable region, a "bastion of golden walls and a thousand li", that his descendants would rule as sovereigns for ten thousand generations. Wasn't it ridiculous?

At the time, Chunyu Yue tried to remonstrate with him. He told the First Emperor, "I have heard that the Kings of Yin and Zhou granted fiefs to their relatives and their accomplished ministers, and their dynasties lasted for more than a thousand years. Now Your Majesty has become lord of all the realm within the Seas, yet your relatives are no more than commoners. Someday our dynasty might face the same threat of usurpation as happened with Tian Chang in Qi or the Six Ministerial Clans in Jin, yet Your Majesty has not provided for any powerful subjects who might help to guide affairs in the capital; who would step in to save the royal family? I have never once heard of any state which failed to heed the teachings of the ancients in these matters and yet long endured."

But the First Emperor dismissed these principles and heeded the advice of Li Si instead. And thus, on the day of his death, there was no one to whom he could entrust the future of the state. The weighty decisions of the realm were left in the hands of a miscreant, and the power to decide who and who would not inherit the throne was left to the words of a wicked subject. People like Zhao Gao were even able to bring about the slaughter and uprooting of the royal family.

Ying Huhai (the Second Emperor) had been instructed in the teachings of severity and oppression since youth, and he honored the philosophies of violent men as an adult. Rather than change the regulations and alter the laws of his father, he continued the models of Shen Buhai and Shang Yang, he consulted and plotted with Zhao Gao, he isolated himself deep within the palace, and he entrusted the governance of the realm to slanderous bandits. When at the last he met his end at Wangyi Palace, though he begged to be spared to live as a commoner, how could he have expected anyone to show him mercy?

Thus were the commandaries and the states alienated from Qin, and the people deserted and rose against them in rebellion; Chen Sheng and Wu Guang were the first to sound the call against them, and Liu Bang and Xiang Yu buried them in the end. If only the First Emperor has accepted the advice of Chunyu Yue and rejected the words of Li Si, if he had carved up the provinces and fiefs, empowered his younger relatives as Princes, granted domains to the descendants of the three dynasties (Xia, Shang, and Zhou), and repaid the deeds of his subjects by rewarding them with their own domains! Then the regions of the realm would have had settled lords and the people familiar masters. Branches and leaves could support one another; the head and the tail could work in tandem. Even if some of the successors of the Son of Heaven went astray, there were no great heroes in those days like Tang of Shang or King Wu of Zhou; the leader of any wicked plan would have been snuffed out before anything could be done, and how could the rabble of people like Chen Sheng or Xiang Yu have gotten anywhere?

When Gaozu of Han (Liu Bang) drew his three-foot sword and led his flock of crows to war, it only took five years before he had completed his imperial enterprise. In all of history, no one was ever able to achieve such a thing as easily as he did. But it was only natural. To chop down a tree with a thick trunk is a difficult undertaking, while to smash a bunch of rotten wood is easily accomplished.

〈班固漢書贊曰：秦既稱帝，患周之敗，以為諸侯力爭，四夷交侵，以弱見奪。於是削去五等。史記，李斯奏曰：置諸侯不便。始皇於是��天下以為三十六郡，置守尉監也。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：秦竊自號謂皇帝，而子弟為匹夫。內亡骨肉本根之輔，外亡尺土蕃翼之衛。莊子曰：堯、舜有天下，子孫無置錐之地。〉〈法言曰：灝灝之海，濟樓航之力也。航人無楫，如航何？通俗文：櫂，謂楫也。〉〈賈誼過秦曰：天下已定，始皇之心，以為關中之固，金城千里，子孫帝王萬世之業也。〉〈史記曰：齊簡公立田常、監止為左右相。田氏殺監止，簡公出奔。田氏執簡公于徐州，遂殺之。又曰：晉昭公卒，六卿強，公室卑。六卿謂：范氏、中行氏、智氏及趙、韓、魏也。論語，糾滑讖曰：陳滅齊，六卿分晉。尚書曰：事不師古，以克永代，匪說攸聞。〉〈史記曰：始皇崩，趙高乃與胡亥，丞相李斯陰破去始皇所封書賜公子扶蘇者，而更詐為丞相受始皇遺詔，立子胡亥為太子。更為書賜公子扶蘇死。〉〈史記曰：二世尊用趙高，申法令，乃行誅大臣及諸公子。春秋合誠圖曰：誅鋤民害。〉〈史記曰：趙高故常教胡亥書，及獄律令法事。史記，太史公曰：商君，其天資刻薄人也。〉〈史記，李斯上書二世曰：能明申、韓之術，而修商君之法，法修術明而天下亂者，未之聞也。應劭漢書注曰：申不害，韓昭侯相。衛公孫鞅，秦孝公相。李奇曰：法皆深刻無恩。史記曰：二世常居禁中，與趙高決事，事無大小，輒決於高。蒼頡篇曰：委，任之也。〉〈史記曰：二世齋望夷宮，欲祠涇，使使責讓趙高以盜事，高懼，乃陰與其女婿咸陽令閻樂謀易上。樂前，即謂二世曰：足下其自為計。二世曰：願得妻子為黔首。閻樂麾其兵進，二世自殺也。〉〈尚書曰：受有億兆夷人，離心離德。左氏傳曰：人逃其上曰潰。〉〈史記曰：吳廣為假王，擊秦。班固漢書贊曰：秦竊自號謂皇帝，而子弟為匹夫，吳、陳奮其白挺，劉、項隨而斃之。〉〈曾子曰：烏合之衆，初雖相歡，後必相咋也。〉〈漢書曰：高祖五年斬羽東城，即皇帝位於汜水之陽。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：漢無尺土之階，繇一劍之任，五年而成帝業，書傳所未嘗有焉。何則？古代相革皆承聖王之烈，今漢獨收孤秦之斃。鐫金石者難為功，摧枯朽者易為力，其勢然也。〉

(In the preface to the Book of Han's Table of Princes and Feudal Lords Not From The Liu Clan, Ban Gu remarked, "After the First Emperor declared himself Emperor, he dreaded the mistakes which Zhou had made that brought about their downfall. He felt that it had been the great power and strife among the feudal lords and the incursions and ravages of the barbarians which had weakened Zhou until it lost power. Thus the First Emperor abolished and did away with the system of the Five Noble Titles."

The Records of the Grand Historian states, "Li Si argued that it would not be beneficial to establish feudal lords to govern the regions of the realm. So the First Emperor divided the realm into thirty-six commandaries under central control, and he appointed Administrators and Commandants to govern these commandaries."

The Book of Han states, "The First Emperor of Qin presumed to call himself Emperor, yet his relatives were nothing more than commoners. Within, no members of his flesh and blood were empowered to guide the capital region; without, not an inch of ground was granted to relatives who might have defended the borders."

The Zhuangzi states, "Yao and Shun possessed the whole realm, yet their descendants had not a spade of land as their own."

Yang Xiong's Exemplary Sayings states, "To cross the vast ocean, one needs the strength of a large storied boat. But if the boatmen have no oars, how will they drive it?"

The Tongsuwen states, "The term 櫂 means 'oar'."

Jia Yi's essay The Faults of Qin states, "After the realm was settled, in his heart the First Emperor believed that Guanzhong was such an impenetrable region, a bastion of golden walls and a thousand li, that his descendants would rule as sovereigns for ten thousand generations."

The Records of the Grand Historian states, "During the reign of Duke Jian of Qi, Tian Chang and Jian Zhi served as his Chancellors of the Left and Right. The Tian clan killed Jian Zhi, and Duke Jian fled the state. The Tian clan captured Duke Jian at Xuzhou and killed him."

And, "After Duke Zhao of Jin passed away, the Six Ministerial Clans of Jin were powerful while the Duke's family was weak. These Six Clans were the Fan, Zhongxing, Zhi, Zhao, Hann, and Wei clans." The Annotations to the Analects states, "Chen was conquered by Qi, and the Six Ministerial Clans fragmented Jin among themselves."

The Book of Documents states, "That the affairs of one, not making the ancients his masters, can be perpetuated for generations, is what I have not heard."

The Records of the Grand Historian states, "When the First Emperor passed away, Zhao Gao, Ying Huhai, and the Prime Minister, Li Si, plotted together. They destroyed the will that the First Emperor had left behind, which appointed his son Ying Fusu as his successor, and instead forged a will that the First Emperor had supposedly left to Li Si, proclaiming Ying Huhai as the Crown Prince instead. Then they sent Ying Fusu a letter commanding him to kill himself."

And, "The Second Emperor honored and employed Zhao Gao and followed his thinking and advice, thus he had the great ministers and the other princes all put to death."

And, "Zhao Gao had often instructed Ying Huhai from Legalist texts, and so the Second Emperor imposed incarceration, investigations, and harsh laws."

And, "Li Si sent a letter to the Second Emperor, writing, 'I have never heard of an instance where the ruler was able to make clear the principles of Shen Buhai and Han Fei and practice the laws of Lord Shang (Shang Yang) and yet the realm fell into disorder."

And, "The Second Emperor often secluded himself within the palace; he entrusted affairs to Zhao Gao, who decided everything, no matter how great or small." The text Cangxiepian states, "The term 委 'entrust' means 'to grant a role to'."

And, "When the Second Emperor traveled to Wangyi Palace, planning to offer sacrifices to the Jing River there, he sent agents to rebuke and chastise Zhao Gao for having failed to deal with the rebellions in the realm. Zhao Gao feared for his life. So he secretly plotted with the Prefect of Xianyang, his son-in-law Yan Yue, to depose the Second Emperor. When Yan Yue stood before the Second Emperor, he told him, 'You had better take responsibility.' The Second Emperor begged, 'I am willing to live with my wife and children as mere commoners.' But Yan Yue still ordered his soldiers to advance, so the Second Emperor killed himself."

And, "Wu Guang was appointed as Acting King, and he attacked Qin."

Ying Shao's Annotations to the Book of Han states, "Shen Buhai was the Chancellor of Marquis Zhao of Hann. Gongsun Yang of Wey (Shang Yang) was the Chancellor of Duke Xiao of Qin." Li Qi remarked, "Legalism was a philosophy of strict harshness without pity."

The Hexiantu commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals has the phrase, "They slaughtered and uprooted the people, doing them harm."

Sima Qian's commentary of Shang Yang states, "He was a harsh and meager man by nature."

The Book of Documents states, "Though Shou has hundreds of thousands and millions of ordinary men, they are divided in heart and divided in practice."

The Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals states, "When people abandon their sovereign, they 潰 'desert' him."

The Book of Han states, "Wu Guang and Chen Sheng rose their white lances against Qin, and Liu Bang and Xiang Yu came after to complete Qin's destruction."

Cao Xiong describes Liu Bang's army as 烏集之衆 "a flock of crows". Zengzi states, "A flock of crows are glad to assemble at first, but eventually they will peck at each other."

The Book of Han states, "In the fifth year of his reign (202 BC), Liu Bang took Xiang Yu's head at Dongcheng, and he declared himself Emperor on the north side of the Si River."

Ban Gu's commentary in the Book of Han states, "Liu Bang was originally just one man with a sword, without an inch of land to serve as his foundation. Yet within five years, he had completed his imperial enterprise. The histories and traditions had no precedent for such a thing. How was this possible? Because the ancient dynasties had all endured by preserving the spirit of the sage kings, while Han only needed to deal with the wreckage of the isolated Qin dynasty. It is a difficult thing to cut your way through metal or stone, but simple enough to force your way through rotten wood, which is only natural.")

漢鑒秦之失，封植子弟。及諸呂擅權，圖危劉氏，而天下所以不能傾動，百姓所以不易心者，徒以諸侯強大，盤石膠固，東牟朱虛授命於內，齊代吳楚作衛於外故也。向使高祖踵亡秦之法，忽先王之制，則天下已傳，非劉氏有也。然高祖封建，地過古制，大者跨州兼域，小者連城數十，上下無別，權侔京室，故有吳楚七國之患。賈誼曰：「諸侯強盛，長亂起姦。夫欲天下之治安，莫若衆建諸侯而少其力。令海內之勢，若身之使臂，臂之使指，則下無背叛之心，上無誅伐之事。」文帝不從。至於孝景猥用朝錯之計，削黜諸侯。親者怨恨，疏者震恐，吳楚唱謀，五國從風。兆發高祖，釁成文景，由寬之過制，急之不漸故也。所謂末大必折，尾大難掉。尾同於體，猶或不從，況乎非體之尾，其可掉哉？

Gaozu reflected upon Qin's mistakes, and he granted fiefs to his younger relatives. Thus when the clan of Empress Lü Zhi monopolized power in the capital and plotted to seize control from the Liu clan, the reason why the realm did not support them or the common people lose faith in the dynasty was because the feudal lords were great and powerful and the foundation of the dynasty was firm and deep. The Marquis of Dongmou (Liu Xingju) and the Marquis of Zhuxu (Liu Zhang) upheld the dynasty from within the capital, while the Princes of Qi (Liu Xiang), Dai, Wu, and Chu acted as guardians without. If Gaozu had followed in the footsteps of Qin and forgotten the systems of the ancient kings, then the realm would have passed from their hands then and there, and the Liu clan would have been supplanted.

Yet in his granting of fiefs and domains, Gaozu went beyond what the ancient kings had done. The greatest of the Princes had territories that straddled provinces and combined regions, while the lesser ones still controlled dozens of cities. There was no distinction between the Emperor and the Princes, for they wielded power on par with that of the royal family. This was what led to the Rebellion of the Seven Princes, Wu and Chu foremost among them. Jia Yi tried to warn of the impending danger, saying, "The feudal lords have become too strong and prosperous, and if the situation continues, turmoil will arise. For those who wish to ensure peace and order in the realm, there can be no greater policy than to multiply the number of the feudal lords while diminishing the power of each one. For when the spread of power within the Seas is like the relation of the arms to the body, or of the fingers to the arms, only then will those below lack hearts of treason or rebellion and those above lack any need to attack or punish the lords." Yet Emperor Wen did not listen to his advice, and his successor Emperor Jing rashly heeded Chao Cuo's plan to directly strip territory from the feudal lords; this only brought about anger and resentment among the close relatives and fear and trembling among the distant ones, and when the Princes of Wu and Chu sounded their call of rebellion, the other five Princes joined them.

What was sown during the reign of Gaozu reached fruition during the reigns of Emperors Wen and Jing; fiefs and domains were granted more generously than had been the case in ancient times, and the attempted solution was too hasty. When the tip is too large, it breaks off; when the tail is too big, it is difficult to move. Even when the tail is proportional to the body, sometimes it is still difficult to make it move; how much more does this apply when the tail has grown beyond all reason?

〈漢書，太��崩，上將軍呂祿、相國呂產專兵秉政，謀作亂。賈逵國語注曰：權，秉，即柄字也。〉〈漢書，宋昌曰：高帝王子弟，所謂盤石之宗也。莊子曰：待膠漆而固者，是侵其德者也。范曄後漢書曰：鄭泰曰，以膠固之衆，當解合之勢。〉〈漢書，宋昌曰：諸呂擅權專制，太尉卒以滅之。內有朱虛、東牟之親，外畏吳、楚、齊、代之強。又曰：齊悼惠王肥，高祖六年立。又曰：齊悼惠王子章，高后封為朱虛侯。章弟興居為東牟侯。〉〈王逸楚辭注曰：踵，繼也。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：漢興，懲戒亡秦孤立之敗，於是封王子弟，大者跨州兼郡，小者連城數十，宮室百官，制同京師。〉〈漢書賈誼上疏之文。〉〈漢書曰：朝錯數言吳過可削，文帝寬不忍罰。及景帝即位，錯曰：高帝初定天下，諸子弱，故大封同姓。今吳謀作亂逆，削之亦反，不削亦反。於是方議削吳。吳王恐，因欲發謀舉事。諸侯既新削罰，震恐，多怨錯。及吳先��兵，膠西、膠東、淄川、濟南、楚、趙亦皆反。猥，曲也。〉〈左氏傳，楚子問於申無宇曰：國有大城，何如？對曰：末大必折，尾大不掉，君所知也。杜預曰：折，折其本也。〉

(According to the Book of Han, after Empress Lü Zhi passed away, the Supreme General, Lü Lu, and the Chancellor of State, Lü Chan, assembled troops and monopolized power, plotting to usurp control of the state.

Jia Kui's Annotations to the Discourses of the States states, "Power and authority are the handles of the state."

In the Book of Han, Song Chang remarked, "Emperor Gao (Liu Bang) made Princes of his younger relatives, forming a rock out of the royal clan. The Lü clan monopolized power and wielded authority, but in the end the Grand Commandant (Zhou Bo) was able to purge them. Within, there were the imperial relatives, the Marquises of Zhuxu and Dongmou, and without there were the powerful Princes of Wu, Chu, Qi, and Dai, whom the Lü clan feared."

The Zhuangzi states, "In employing glue and varnish to make things firm, you must violently interfere with their qualities."

In Fan Ye's Book of Later Han, Zheng Tai states, "A host bound by glue and varnish will disperse a force hastily assembled."

According to the Book of Han, the first Prince of Qi was Prince Daohui of Qi, Liu Fei, appointed in the sixth year of Liu Bang's reign (201 BC). Two of his sons were Liu Zhang and Liu Xingju, whom Empress Lü Zhi appointed as Marquis of Zhuxu and Marquis of Dongmou.

Wang Yi's Annotations to the Songs of Chu states, "To 踵 'follow in the footsteps' means 'to continue'."

Ban Gu's commentary in the Book of Han states, "When the Han dynasty began, they sought to take warning from Qin's downfall, brought about from the isolation of its rulers. So they made Princes of younger relatives. The greatest of the Princes had territories that straddled provinces and combined regions, while the lesser ones still controlled dozens of cities, and their palaces, estates, and ministries all used the same systems as those employed at the imperial capital."

Cao Jiong quotes from Jia Yi's petition to Emperor Wen as it appears in the Book of Han.

The Book of Han states, "Chao Cuo often advised Emperor Wen that the Prince of Wu had committed sufficient offenses to justify carving off part of his territory. But Emperor Wen was tolerant and could not bear to charge the Prince of Wu with any crimes. After Emperor Jing came to the throne, Chao Cuo told him, 'When Emperor Gao (Liu Bang) first settled the realm, his own sons were still young and tender, thus he granted great fiefs to other members of his clan. But by now, the Prince of Wu is plotting to commit treason and cause chaos. He is going to rebel whether you carve off part of his domain or not.' Thus Emperor Jing began discussing taking away some of the Prince of Wu's land. The Prince was afraid, thus he decided to carry out his plot and put his plans into motion. And some of the other Princes had also just had parts of their territory taken away as well, so they feared for their positions and many of them hated Chao Cuo. Thus when the Prince of Wu rose up, the Princes of Jiaoxi, Jiaodong, Zaichuan, Jinan, Chu, and Zhao rebelled as well." The term 猥 means "crooked".

In the Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals, the Viscount of Chu asks Shen Wuyu, "If the state has large cities, what trouble is it?" Shen Wuyu told him, "Great branches are sure to break the roots; a great tail cannot be moved about. You know these things." Du Yu's Annotations to the text states, "Where Shen Wuyu says that the branches will 'break', he means they will break the roots.")

武帝從主父之策，下推恩之命。自是之後，齊分為七，趙分為六，淮南三割，梁代五分遂以陵遲，子孫微弱，衣食租稅，不豫政事，或以酎金免削，或以無後國除。至於成帝，王氏擅朝。劉向諫曰：「臣聞公族者，國之枝葉。枝葉落，則本根無所庇蔭。方今同姓疏遠，母黨專政，排擯宗室，孤弱公族，非所以保守社稷，安固國嗣也。」其言深切，多所稱引。成帝雖悲傷歎息而不能用。至乎哀平，異姓秉權，假周公之事，而為田常之亂。高拱而竊天位，一朝而臣四海，漢宗室王侯，解印釋綬，貢奉社稷，猶懼不得為臣妾，或乃為之符命，頌莽恩德，豈不哀哉！由斯言之，非宗子獨忠孝於惠文之間，而叛逆於哀平之際也，徒以權輕勢弱，不能有定耳。

Emperor Wu of Han followed the strategy of Zhufu Yan, by implementing a policy of "grace", splitting up the inheritance of the feudal lords by distributing their domains among all their sons. Thus the princely fief of Qi was split into seven parts, Zhao into six, Liang and Dai into five, and Huainan was cut into three. And in later years the feudal lords were bullied and cowed, their descendants becoming ever weaker; they only received sufficient pensions and supplies to provide for themselves, but no longer took any hand in governing their fiefs. Some had their territories reduced on charges of failing to provide sacrificial wine and gold; some had their titles abolished when they died without heirs.

By the time of Emperor Cheng, the Wang clan, imperial relatives by marriage, had taken control of court affairs. Liu Xiang remonstrated with Emperor Cheng for allowing the situation to come to such a state, saying, "I have heard that the imperial clan are the branches and leaves of the state. When the branches and leaves have fallen, then the roots and the stem no longer have any support or shade. By now, your relatives of the Liu clan are all distant and remote, while the partisans of your mother's family monopolize control and keep the royal family from power. To leave the royal clan weak and helpless is no way to preserve the altars of state or ensure the succession of the imperial line." But though Emperor Cheng was moved to grief by this plea, still he was unable to implement Liu Xiang's advice.

Thus it was that in the reigns of Emperors Ai and Ping, the Wang clan's control of the court was absolute; Wang Mang passed himself off as a wise regent like the Duke of Zhou, but in truth he was a usurper like Tian Chang. Though presenting a lofty salute, he had his eyes on the throne; in a single morning, he became master of all within the Four Seas. The princes and nobles of the imperial clan all surrendered their seals and handed over their ribbons of office to him and presented tribute to the altars of state. Yet some of them, still worried that they would not be able to save the lives of themselves and their families, went so far as to invent reports of omens approving of Wang Mang's usurpation and even sang his praises to extol his grace and virtue! Was it not pathetic?

Why did these things happen? Not because the members of the imperial clan were loyal and faithful during the reigns of Emperors Hui and Wen and traitors and opportunists during the era of Emperors Ai and Ping, but simply because their power and influence had grown so weak and useless that they no longer had any hopes of securing their positions.

〈漢書，主父偃說上曰：今諸侯或連城數十，願陛下令諸侯，得推恩分子弟，以地侯之，彼人人喜得所願，上以德施，實分其國，必稍自銷弱矣。上從其計。又，班固贊曰：武帝施主父之策，下推恩之令，使諸侯得分戶邑以封子弟，不行黜陟而國自析。自是齊分為七，趙分為六，梁分為五，淮南分為三也。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：景帝遭七國之難，抑損諸侯，諸侯唯得衣食租稅，不與政事。〉〈漢書曰：列侯坐獻黃金酎祭宗廟，不如法奪爵者百六人。漢儀注，王子為侯，侯歲以戶口酎黃金於漢廟，皇帝臨受獻金助祭。大祀曰飲酎，飲酎受金，小不如斤兩色惡者，王削縣，侯免國。漢書曰：趙哀王福薨，無子，國除。〉〈漢書劉向上疏之文。〉〈漢書曰：成帝即位，向數上疏，言得失，陳法戒。書數十上，以助觀覽，補遺闕。上雖不能盡用，然嘉其言，常嗟嘆之。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：至哀、平之際，王莽知中外殫微，因母后之權，假伊、周之稱，詐謀既成，遂據南面之尊。漢諸侯王厥角稽首，奉上璽韍，唯恐在後，或乃稱美頌德，以求容媚，豈不哀哉！田常篡齊，已見上文。漢書曰：王莽廢漢藩王。廣陵王嘉獻符命，封扶策侯。又曰：郚鄉侯閔以莽篡位，獻神書言莽，得封列侯。郚音吾。〉

(In the Book of Han, Zhufu Yan advises Emperor Wu, "These days, some of the feudal lords control dozens of cities. I implore Your Majesty to issue an edict concerning the feudal lords, saying that you are going to advance the cause of good grace by distributing the inheritance among all the sons and granting each of them a fief to hold as a marquis. Then each of the sons will be pleased to accept what you offer, and you will gain a reputation for virtue. In truth, you will be splitting up the overlarge fiefs, which will weaken of their own accord." And Emperor Wu followed his strategy. In his commentary, Ban Gu remarked, "Emperor Wu implemented Zhufu Yan's plan, advancing the cause of 'grace', and commanding the feudal lords to divide their inheritances among their sons so that each would hold a title. Thus, without having to take direct action to demote or disturb any existing titles, the great fiefs broke up off their own accords. Qi was split into seven fiefs, Zhao into six, Liang into five, and Huainan into three."

And, "After Emperor Jing experienced the Rebellion of the Seven Princes, the feudal lords had their powers stripped away; they received only sufficient pensions and supplies to sustain themselves, but no longer had any role in governing their fiefs."

Regarding the tribute of sacrificial wine and gold, the Book of Han states, "The nobles had the duty of presenting gold and wine for use in sacrifices at the clan temple in the capital. A hundred and six of them were charged with having failed to fulfill this duty. According to Han traditions, the sons of Princes who did not inherit their father's title were appointed as Marquises, and they had the duty of presenting annual tributes to the capital of population registers, sacrificial wine, and gold for the ancestral temple which the Emperor would come to receive and to use to assist with the sacrifices. The great sacrifices were called the 'consumption of sacrificial wine', at which the gold was presented. If a noble failed to provide the minimum of at least two catties of gold, they would have their fief reduced if a Prince or their title abolished if a Marquis."

And, "When Prince Ai of Zhao, Liu Fu, died without heirs, his fief was abolished."

Cao Jiong quotes from Liu Xiang's petition as it appears in the Book of Han. The Book of Han states, "After Emperor Cheng rose to the throne, Liu Xiang sent him several petitions speaking of his gains and losses and explaining laws and warnings. He sent dozens of these letters to help Emperor Cheng realize and reflect upon the situation and to help amend his faults. Although Emperor Cheng was unable to follow all of Liu Xiang's advice, he still praised his words and often sighed in admiration of them."

Ban Gu's commentary in the Book of Han states, "By the age of Emperors Ai and Ping, Wang Mang knew that everyone both within the court and out in the provinces were too weak and powerless to oppose him, and he had the Empress Dowager's influence to count on. He pretended to be another Yi Yin or Duke of Zhou, all the while plotting for his designs to reach fruition so that he could face south as a sovereign and rule the realm in his own name. Han's princes and nobles all bared their heads and kowtowed to him, presenting him their seals on their knees, and some of them, fearing lest their descendants might even yet be endangered, went so far as to sing Wang Mang's praises in odes in order to curry his favor and flatter him. Was it not pathetic?"

The incident of Tian Chang usurping the state of Qi was already mentioned above.

The Book of Han states, "After Wang Mang stripped the Han princes of their titles, one of them, the Prince of Guangling, Liu Jia, presented reports of favorable omens to Wang Mang, for which he was appointed as the Marquis of Fuce ('Marquis Who Presents The Omens')."

And, "After Wang Mang usurped the throne, the Marquis of Wuxiang, Liu Min, presented him with a letter of supposedly divine approval. He was appointed as a minor marquis.")

賴光武皇帝挺不世之姿，禽王莽於已成，紹漢祀於既絕，斯豈非宗子之力耶？而曾不鑒秦之失策，襲周之舊制，踵亡國之法，而僥倖無疆之期。至於桓靈，奄竪執衡，朝無死難之臣，外無同憂之國，君孤立於上，臣弄權於下，本末不能相御，身手不能相使。由是天下鼎沸，姦凶並爭，宗廟焚為灰燼，宮室變為蓁藪。居九州之地，而身無所安處，悲夫！

It was thanks to Emperor Guangwu's peerless character and abilities that he was able to destroy the dynasty that Wang Mang had already put into place and restore the severed lineage of the Han dynasty. How else to explain this feat except that it was the work of a scion of the royal clan? Yet Emperor Guangwu failed to reflect upon the mistaken policies which had brought about Qin's downfall or to return to the old system as practiced by Zhou. Thus he trod the path of a doomed state, and he was fortunate that there was no trouble during his own reign.

But by the time of Emperors Huan and Ling, eunuchs manipulated the levers of authority. In the court, there were no servants willing to risk death for the sake of the state, and in the provinces, there were no subjects who saw the interests of the royal family as their own. Above, the sovereign stood alone, while below, his ministers grasped for power. The roots and the branches were unable to work in conjunction; the body and the hands could not help one another. Thus the realm descended into chaos like a roiling cauldron, and villains and wastrels sprang up on every side; the ancestral temples of the imperial clan were burned to ashes, and the palaces became overgrown with weeds and grasses. In all the Nine Provinces (the whole realm) there was not a single place of peace or safety. Was it not lamentable?

〈杜篤論都賦曰：于時聖帝，兼不世之姿。〉〈范曄後漢書曰：桓帝立，曹騰以定策功，遷大長秋。又曰：靈帝時，大將軍竇武謀誅中官，曹節矯詔誅武等。鄭玄尚書注曰：稱上曰衡。〉〈班固漢書序曰：漢興，懲戒亡秦孤立之敗。〉〈張超牋曰：中外雲擾，萬夫鼎沸。〉〈杜預左氏傳注曰：燼，火餘木也。〉

(Du Du's Rhapsody Discussing The Capital has the verse, "The time was ripe for a sage Emperor, with peerless character and abilities."

Fan Ye's Book of Later Han states, "After Emperor Huan rose to the throne, Cao Teng was chosen as Merit Evaluator, then was transferred to be Superintendent of the Empress' Household."

And, "During the reign of Emperor Ling, the Grand General, Dou Wu, plotted to execute the palace eunuchs. But Cao Jie forged an edict commanding Dou Wu and others to be executed."

Zheng Xuan's Annotations to the Book of Documents states, "The term 衡 means 'to claim superiority'."

Ban Gu's Prelude to the Book of Han states, "During the rise of Han, they sought to take warning from and avoid the mistakes of Qin, whose isolated sovereigns were led to their downfall."

Zhang Chao's letter states, "Those within and those without were trembling with fear; the affairs of the realm were like a roiling cauldron."

Du Yu's Annotations to the Zuo Commentary states, "燼 'Ashes' are the remnants of burnt wood.")

魏太祖武皇帝，躬聖明之資，兼神武之略，恥王綱之廢絕，愍漢室之傾覆，龍飛譙沛，鳳翔兗豫，掃除凶逆，剪滅鯨鯢。迎帝西京，定都潁邑。德動天地，義感人神。漢氏奉天，禪位大魏。大魏之興，于今二十有四年矣。觀五代之存亡，而不用其長策；睹前車之傾覆，而不改其轍跡。子弟王空虛之地，君有不使之民；宗室竄於閭閻，不聞邦國之政。權均匹夫，勢齊凡庶，內無深根不拔之固，外無盤石宗盟之助，非所以安社稷為萬代之業也。且今之州牧、郡守，古之方伯、諸侯，皆跨有千里之土，兼軍武之任，或比國數人，或兄弟並據。而宗室子弟，曾無一人間廁其間，與相維持，非所以強榦弱枝，備萬一之慮也。今之用賢，或超為名都之主，或為偏師之帥。而宗室有文者必限以小縣之宰，有武者必置於百人之上，使夫廉高之士，畢志於衡軛之內，才能之人，恥與非類為伍，非所以勸進賢能，褒異宗族之禮也。

The Grand Progenitor of our Wei dynasty, Emperor Wu (Cao Cao), was a man of wise and sage character and possessed divine martial prowess and cunning. He lamented the fact that the sovereign's laws had sunk to such a pitiful state, and he pitied the dire plight of the Han royal family. Rising like a dragon from Qiao and Pei and soaring like a phoenix from Yanzhou and Yuzhou, he purged and swept away the villains and evildoers of the land, and he cut out and annihilated the behemoths and leviathans of the realm. He welcomed the Emperor's arrival from the western capital (Chang'an) and established a new capital at Yingyi (Xu). His virtue impressed Heaven and Earth, and his righteousness touched the people and the spirits. Thus the Han royal family recognized the will of Heaven and abdicated their position to the Wei dynasty.

It has now been twenty-four years since the founding of Wei. Have we not had ample time to consider the factors which led to the rise and fall of the five dynasties before ours? Yet we do not follow the policies which would ensure our longevity. We have seen the carts in front of ours topple and fall, yet we do nothing to change our course. The younger relatives of the imperial clan hold empty titles and only nominally possess their lands, and in no sense do they preside over their people; the imperial relatives only scurry about the streets and lanes, and they are given no voice in how to govern the state. Their authority is no greater than the commoners, and their influence counts for no more than the average person. Within, the state has no deep roots to fortify it against being pulled up; without, it has no foundation of relatives and friends who could help defend it. This is no policy to preserve the altars of state for ten thousand generations.

Furthermore, the Governors of provinces and the Administrators of commandaries in our times have become the modern equivalents of the Border Lords and the feudal nobles of antiquity. They hold sway over territories of a thousand li, and they wield military as well as civil authority. Some of them control regions comparable in size to princely fiefs, and in some instances brothers from the same family all hold such offices simultaneously. At the same time, not a single one of the imperial kinfolk or the younger relatives of the crown hold any position that might check the power of these local leaders or band together to guard against them. This is no way to strengthen the trunk and weaken the branches, or provide against any emergency.

Of the worthy servants of the dynasty from other families, some have reputations so great that they are household names in the capital, and some are commanders of powerful armies. Meanwhile, even those members of the imperial clan who possess civil talents are limited to positions no greater than supervisors of small counties, while even those with martial abilities lead bands of no greater than a hundred soldiers. These are honest and lofty men, and yet their ambitions can rise no higher than to bear a yoke; they are talented and capable fellows, yet they are shamed by being lumped in with those who are not their peers. This is no way to encourage and promote the worthy and able, or praise and distinguish members of the imperial clan with ceremony.

〈晉灼漢書注曰：資，材量也。〉〈魏志曰：太祖武皇帝，沛國譙人，為兗州牧。後太祖遷都於許。許屬豫州。東京賦曰：龍飛白水，鳳翔參墟。〉〈左氏傳曰：楚子曰：古者明王伐不敬，取其鯨鯢而封以為大戮。杜預曰：鯨鯢，大魚。以喻不義之人也。〉〈魏志曰：天子東遷，敗於曹陽，太祖乃遣曹洪將兵，西迎天子還雒。董昭勸太祖都許。漢書，潁川郡有許縣。〉〈晏子曰：諺曰：前車覆，後車戒也。〉〈左氏傳曰：周之宗盟，異姓為後。〉〈班固漢書贊曰：徙吏二千石於諸陵，蓋亦強榦弱枝也。〉〈衡軛，車之衡軛也。言王者之御群臣，猶人之御牛馬，故以衡軛喻焉。畢志其內，未得騁其駿足也。〉

(Jin Zhuo's Annotations to the Book of Han states, "The term 資 means 'talents and potential'."

The Annals of Emperor Wu (Cao Cao) in the Records of the Three Kingdoms states, "Taizu, Emperor Wu, was a native of Qiao county in the Pei princely fief. He served as Governor of Yanzhou. Later, he shifted the capital to Xu, which was part of Yuzhou." The Rhapsody On The Eastern Capital has the verse, "He (Cao Cao) rose like a dragon over the Bai River and soared like a phoenix amidst the ruins."

The Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals states, "In ancient times, the wise kings campaigned against the disrespectful; they took these 鯨鯢 'leviathans' and buried them as the great punishment." Du Yu's Annotations states, "鯨鯢 'Leviathan' was a great fish. It was an expression meaning an unrighteous person."

The Annals of Emperor Wu states, "The Son of Heaven (Emperor Xian) came east, but was defeated at Caoyang. Cao Cao then sent Cao Hong to lead troops to escort him, and they welcomed the Son of Heaven to the west and brought him back to Luo (Luoyang). Dong Zhao urged Cao Cao to make Xu the capital." According to the Book of Han, there was a Xu county in Yingchuan commandary.

Yanzi states, "The proverb tells us, 'When the front cart topples, let the rear cart take warning.'"

The Zuo Commentary to the Spring and Autumn Annals states, "The house of Zhou records the names of its own kin first, and those of different surnames come afterwards."

Ban Gu's commentary in the Book of Han states, "They shifted the families of the Two Thousand Bushel salary officials to live among the various imperial tombs (in the capital region), in order to strengthen the trunk and weaken the branches."

衡軛 "Yoke" refers to the yoke of a cart. Cao Jiong was saying that princes were pulling the yokes of subjects, like an ox or a horse pulls the yoke for a human; it is an expression. And by "their ambitions can rise no higher" than this, he means they would never be able to roam free like a prized stallion.)

夫泉竭則流涸，根朽則葉枯。枝繁者蔭根，條落者本孤。故語曰：「百足之蟲。至死不僵，扶之者衆也。」此言雖小，可以譬大。且墉基不可倉卒而成，威名不可一朝而立。皆為之有漸，建之有素。譬之種樹，久則深固其根本，茂盛其枝葉。若造次徙於山林之中，植於宮闕之下，雖壅之以黑墳，暖之以春日，猶不救於枯槁，何暇繁育哉？夫樹猶親戚，土猶士民，建置不久，則輕下慢上，平居猶懼其離叛，危急將如之何？是聖王安而不逸，以慮危也；存而設備，以懼亡也。故疾風卒至，而無摧拔之憂；天下有變，而無傾危之患矣。

When the spring runs dry, it is because the groundwater has stopped flowing; when the trunk is rotten, it is because the leaves have withered. When the branches are abundant, they shelter the stem; when the twigs fall away, the trunk is left exposed. Thus it is said, "The centipede has its hundred feet; even in death, it does not collapse, for its numerous legs still keep it up." It is a little saying, but it illustrates a great principle.

Furthermore, the foundation of a stout wall cannot be laid all at once, nor can power and legitimacy be established in a single morning. In both cases, these things can be achieved only gradually and secured only over time. It is like a plant or a tree, which requires a great deal of time to grow before the roots extend deep and the trunk becomes strong, and greater still for its branches and leaves to multiply and flourish. Can someone who casts a seed among stones and thickets or beneath the palace gates expect the plant to grow fruitful and tall? Even if they surround it with blackish and rich soil and warm it by the springtime sun, they will not even be able to save it from withering. And what are the imperial relatives but trees sown by the sovereign, and what are the people but the soil which receives them? Unless the relatives be planted among them for a long time, then there will be obstinate below and disdain above. Even in peaceful times, there would still be the prospect of alienation or rebellion; how much moreso when some emergency arises?

The sage ruler does not relax during times of peace, but is always thinking of future dangers. Though their dynasty seems secure, still they make preparations to guard against threats to its destruction. Only then may they have no fear of being uprooted, though the storms and gales may blow; only then may they be assured the state will not collapse, though the realm be full of turmoil.

〈魯連子曰：百足之蟲，至斷不蹶者，持之者衆也。〉〈司馬相如諫獵書曰：此言雖小，可以喻大。〉〈文子曰：人主之有人，猶城之有基，木之有根，根深即本固，基厚即上安也。〉〈尚書曰：厥土惟黑墳。孔安國曰：色黑而墳起也。〉

(Lu Lianzi states, "The centipede has its hundred feet; even when it is severed, it does not fall down, for its numerous legs still keep it up."

Sima Xiangru likewise uses the phrase "It is a little saying, but it illustrates a great principle" in his letter to Emperor Wu of Han remonstrating against his hunting practices.

The Wenzi states, "The ruler of the people has their supporters, just as a wall has its foundation or a tree has its roots. When the roots are deep, then the trunk is sturdy; when the foundation is broad, then the wall is secure."

Cao Jiong describes the soil as 黑墳 "blackish and rich". The Book of Documents states, "The soil of this province was 黑墳." Kong Yingda's Annotations to the text states, "This meant the soil was black in color and fertile to produce growth.")

#Wei Dynasty #Jin Dynasty #Wenxuan #Literary Selections #Chinese History #Chinese Literature #China #Three Kingdoms #Sanguo

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