Ancestry and Fall of the Chen and Qi States: A Chronicle from the Thirty Families of Shiji

Chen Hu Gong’s Full History

Chen Hu Gong, also known as Chen Man, was a descendant of Emperor Shun, one of the ancient Chinese emperors. In ancient times, when Shun was still a commoner, Emperor Yao married his two daughters, who lived in the area near the Wei River (now the Huai River), which later became the source of the family name, the Gui surname.

After Shun passed away, the throne passed to Yu, who founded the Xia Dynasty. Shun’s son, Shang Jun, was granted a feudal state. The state’s continuity was uncertain during the Xia Dynasty. However, after the Zhou King Wu overthrew the Shang Dynasty, they sought the descendants of Shun and found Gui Man, who was granted the state of Chen to continue the worship of Emperor Shun. He became known as Hu Gong, or Duke Hu of Chen.

After Hu Gong’s death, his son, Shen Gong Xi Hou, succeeded him. When Shen Gong passed away, his brother, Xiang Gong Gao Yang, took over. Upon Xiang Gong’s death, Shen Gong’s son, Tu, ascended to the title of Duke Xiao. When Duke Xiao passed away, his son, Shen Gong Yu Rong, succeeded him, reigning during the time of King Li of Zhou.

Shen Gong Yu passed away, and his son, You Gong Ning, took over the reign. In the twelfth year of You Gong’s reign, King Li of Zhou fled to Zhi, marking a time of turmoil in the Zhou Dynasty.

By the twenty-third year, You Gong passed away, and his son, Li Gong Xiao, succeeded him. In the sixth year of Li Gong’s reign, King Xuan of Zhou came to the throne. Thirty-six years later, Li Gong passed away, and his son, Wu Gong Ling, succeeded him. Wu Gong reigned for fifteen years before passing, and his son, Yi Gong Yue, ascended the throne. During this time, King You of Zhou came to power. After three years, Yi Gong passed away, and his brother, Ping Gong Xie, succeeded him. During the seventh year of Ping Gong’s reign, King You of Zhou was killed by the Quanrong tribe, and the capital was moved eastward. It was during this period that Qin was established as a feudal state.

After twenty-three years, Ping Gong passed away, and his son, Wen Gong Yu, ascended the throne. In the first year of Wen Gong’s reign, he married a woman from the state of Cai, and they had a son named Tuo. Ten years later, Wen Gong died, and his eldest son, Huan Gong Bao, took the throne.

Huan Gong reigned for twenty-three years before the ruler of Lu, Duke Yin, took office. In the twenty-sixth year of Huan Gong’s reign, the ruler of Wei killed their ruler, Zhou Yu. In the thirty-third year, Lu assassinated its ruler, Duke Yin.

In the thirty-eighth year, on the Jiaxu and Jichou days of the first month, Huan Gong Bao passed away. His brother, Tuo, took over as ruler. However, due to his mother’s background in Cai, Tuo was seen as a controversial figure, and the Cai people had him kill five of his fathers to ensure his own ascension. He became known as Duke Li. Huan Gong’s death had caused internal strife in the state, with the people of the country scattering and reassembling in chaos.

The History of Duke Li and His Successors

In the second year of Duke Li’s reign, his son, Jing Zhong (also known as Duke Wan), was born. The Grand Historian of Zhou passed through Chen, and Duke Li asked him to consult the I Ching (Book of Changes) for an omen. The hexagram drawn was “Guan” (Observation), representing the “light of the country” and the importance of serving the king. It was interpreted that Chen might lose its country, and it could be taken over by another nation, possibly the descendants of the Ji clan, who were descendants of Taiyue. The interpretation also suggested that the prosperity of Chen was in decline, and its future would be uncertain.

Duke Li married a woman from Cai, and the people of Cai and the Cai family caused trouble. Duke Li frequently visited Cai and was accused of indulging in debauchery. After seven years, Duke Li was assassinated by the Cai people, with the help of his three sons from his late wife. The eldest son, Yue, the middle son, Lin, and the youngest son, Chujiu, plotted together. They had Duke Li killed and placed Yue on the throne, thus he became known as Duke Li. However, Duke Li’s reign lasted only five months, and his younger brother, Lin, succeeded him, becoming Duke Zhuang.

Duke Zhuang ruled for seven years before he passed away, and his younger brother, Chujiu, succeeded him as Duke Xuan.

In the third year of Duke Xuan’s reign, King Wu of Chu passed away, and the state of Chu grew stronger. In the seventeenth year, King Hui of Zhou married a woman from Chen.

In the twenty-first year, Duke Xuan’s consort had a favored concubine who gave birth to a son, Kuan. Duke Xuan wanted to make Kuan the heir, so he killed his crown prince, Yu Kou, who had been very close to Duke Li’s son, Wan. Fearing for his life, Wan fled to the state of Qi. Duke Huan of Qi wanted to make Wan a minister, but Wan humbly declined, stating, “As a foreign official, I am fortunate to escape with my life, and I do not dare to accept a high position.” Duke Huan made him an overseer of construction. The official divination of the Qi state, when asked about marriage with Duke Xuan’s son, said, “This is like the phoenix soaring, harmoniously singing, descended from the Gui clan and destined to rise in the Ji clan. For five generations, prosperity will be great, and after eight generations, no one will match its capital.”

In the thirty-seventh year of Duke Huan of Qi, the state of Qi attacked Cai, defeated it, then invaded Chu, reaching Shaoling. They returned and passed through Chen. A high-ranking official from Chen, Yuan Tao, did not like Qi’s passage through his state and tricked them into taking the eastern route, which angered Duke Huan, and he had Yuan Tao arrested. That same year, Duke Xian of Jin executed his crown prince, Shen Sheng.

In the forty-fifth year, Duke Xuan passed away, and his son, Kuan, succeeded him, becoming Duke Mu. After five years, Duke Huan of Qi passed away. In the sixteenth year of Duke Mu’s reign, Duke Wen of Jin defeated the Chu forces at Chengpu. That year, Duke Mu passed away, and his son, Gonggong Shuo, succeeded him. After six years, the crown prince of Chu, Shang Chen, assassinated his father, King Cheng, and took the throne as King Mu.

In the eleventh year, King Mu of Qin died, and after eighteen years, Gonggong Shuo of Chen passed away. His son, Ling Gong, succeeded him as Duke Ling. The first year of Duke Ling’s reign saw the ascension of King Zhuang of Chu. In the sixth year, Chu invaded Chen. By the tenth year, Chen had come to a peaceful agreement with Chu.

The Fall of Duke Ling and the Rise of Duke Cheng

In the 14th year of Duke Ling’s reign, he, along with his high-ranking officials, Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu, all became involved with Lady Xia Ji. They secretly wore disguises and engaged in mischievous activities at court. Xie Ye, a minister, admonished the duke, saying, “When the ruler and his ministers engage in such disorder, what example can be set for the people?” Duke Ling shared this advice with his two sons, who then requested permission to kill Xie Ye. The duke did not forbid them, and Xie Ye was murdered.

In the 15th year, Duke Ling and his sons were drinking at Xia Ji’s residence. The duke jokingly remarked to his sons, “Zheng Shu resembles you both.” The sons replied, “He also resembles you.” Zheng Shu became angry. Duke Ling, feeling the tension, left the banquet, but Zheng Shu, hiding behind the stable doors, shot and killed Duke Ling with a crossbow. Kong Ning and Yi Xingfu fled to the state of Chu, and Duke Ling’s son, the Crown Prince Wu, fled to the state of Jin. Zheng Shu then declared himself the new ruler of Chen. Zheng Shu was a former high-ranking official of Chen. Xia Ji, who was the wife of the late ruler’s brother, was also Zheng Shu’s mother.

In the first year of Duke Cheng’s reign, during the winter, King Zhuang of Chu, having avenged the death of Duke Ling, led the allied states to attack Chen. He informed Chen, saying, “Do not be alarmed; I am only punishing Zheng Shu.” After executing Zheng Shu, King Zhuang took control of Chen, and all the officials congratulated him. However, the official Shen Shushi, who was sent on a mission to Qi, did not join in the congratulations. When King Zhuang inquired, he replied, “There is a saying: ‘When a man leads his ox through another’s field, the field owner can take back his ox.’ The act of taking the ox seems harsh, but the field owner has the right. Now, the king punishes Zheng Shu for killing the ruler and gathers armies to fight him, yet after taking Chen, he benefits from its land. How will the king justify his actions to the world?” King Zhuang replied, “Good point.” He then invited Duke Ling’s son, Crown Prince Wu, from Jin, and restored him to the throne of Chen, as Duke Cheng.

Confucius, when reading this story in the Records of the Grand Historian, remarked, “How wise was King Zhuang of Chu! He disregarded the sovereignty of a thousand-chariot state but valued a single word of advice.”

In the eighth year, King Zhuang of Chu passed away. In the twenty-ninth year, the state of Chen broke its alliance with Chu. In the thirtieth year, King Gong of Chu led an army to attack Chen. That year, Duke Cheng passed away, and his son, Duke Ai, who was weak, succeeded him. Chu, seeing Chen’s loss, withdrew its forces.

In the third year of Duke Ai’s reign, Chu besieged Chen but then released the siege. In the twenty-eighth year, the prince of Chu, Gongzi Shao, killed his father, King Jiao, and declared himself King Ling.

In the thirty-fourth year, Duke Ai of Chen married two women, the elder and the younger consorts, who gave birth to his sons: the elder consort gave birth to Crown Prince Shi, and the younger to Yan. Both consorts were favored by Duke Ai, and the elder consort’s son, Liu, became especially favored. Duke Ai entrusted Liu to his brother, the Minister of Works, Zhao. When Duke Ai fell ill, after three months, Zhao killed Crown Prince Shi and installed Liu as the new crown prince. Duke Ai, in a rage, ordered the execution of Zhao. Zhao, in turn, raised an army and besieged the palace, forcing Duke Ai to take his own life. Zhao succeeded in placing Liu as the new ruler of Chen.

In April, Chen sent emissaries to Chu. Upon hearing of the chaos in Chen, King Ling of Chu had the Chen emissaries executed and sent his son, Gongzi Qi, to lead an army to attack Chen. Duke Liu fled to Zheng. In September, Chu besieged Chen, and in November, the state of Chen was destroyed. Gongzi Qi was made Duke of Chen.

When Zhao killed Crown Prince Shi, Shi’s son, Wu, fled to Jin. The Duke of Jin, Duke Ping, inquired of the historian Zhao, “Has Chen truly fallen?” Zhao replied, “Chen is a descendant of the Emperor Zhuanxu’s lineage. The Chen family gained power in Qi, but now they have perished. From the time of the Marquis of Mu to the blind Duke Hu, the Chen family followed the commands of heaven. Shun valued them for their virtuous conduct, and they were preserved. But as the family declined, the state could not endure. Now, with King Hu of Chen, the Zhou dynasty granted him the surname Gui and allowed him to worship Emperor Shun. Yet, despite their legacy, the fall of Chen is inevitable. Perhaps the family is destined to end here?”

The Fall of Chen and the Rise of the State of Wu

Five years after King Ling of Chu destroyed Chen, his son, Gongzi Qi, assassinated King Ling and took the throne as King Ping. Upon his ascension, King Ping sought to secure peace with other states. He turned to the son of Chen’s late Crown Prince Shi, Wu, and made him the ruler of Chen, known as Duke Hui. Duke Hui ruled, and it is said that he reigned for five years after the death of Duke Ai of Chen.

In the tenth year of Duke Hui’s reign, a fire ravaged Chen. In the fifteenth year, King Liao of Wu sent his son, Gongzi Guang, to attack Chen, capturing the regions of Hu and Shen before leaving. In the twenty-eighth year, King Helü of Wu, along with the strategist Wu Zixu, defeated Chu and entered its capital, Ying. That year, Duke Hui passed away, and his son, Duke Huai, succeeded him.

In the first year of Duke Huai’s reign, Wu defeated Chu and entered Ying, calling upon the Duke of Chen. The Duke of Chen wanted to go but was advised by his ministers, saying, “Wu has just experienced success. Although the King of Chu has fallen, there is still an old alliance between Chu and Chen. We should not act rashly.” Duke Huai, fearing Wu’s growing power, declined to go, citing illness. Four years later, Wu once again summoned Duke Huai. This time, Duke Huai feared Wu and complied, but Wu, angered by his previous refusal, detained him. Duke Huai eventually died in Wu, and Chen’s throne passed to his son, Yue, who became Duke Min.

In the sixth year of Duke Min’s reign, Confucius visited Chen. King Fucha of Wu led a campaign against Chu, defeating it and capturing three cities. Thirteen years later, Wu returned to attack Chen. In desperation, Chen sent a plea for help to Chu. King Zhao of Chu came to Chen’s aid, setting up camp at Chengfu. When the Wu army retreated, King Zhao of Chu died at Chengfu, and Confucius was still in Chen at the time.

In the fifteenth year, the state of Song destroyed the state of Cao. In the sixteenth year, King Fucha of Wu attacked the state of Qi, defeating them at Ailing. He sent a messenger to summon the Duke of Chen. Once again, the Duke of Chen feared Wu and hesitated to respond, but Chu came to his aid and attacked Chen.

In the twenty-first year, the Qi general Tian Chang assassinated his ruler, Duke Jian. In the twenty-third year, the Chu general Bai Gongsheng killed the chancellor Zixi and Ziqi, then attacked the King of Huai. Lord Ye of Chu defeated Bai Gongsheng, and Bai committed suicide.

In the twenty-fourth year, King Hui of Chu restored his kingdom. He led a military campaign to the north, killed Duke Min of Chen, and subsequently destroyed Chen, taking control of the state. That same year, Confucius passed away.

Qi Donglou Gong, a descendant of Emperor Yu of the Xia dynasty, ruled the state of Qi. During the Shang dynasty, his family’s fortunes rose and fell. When King Wu of Zhou defeated the tyrant King Zhou of Shang, he sought descendants of Yu. He found Donglou Gong and granted him a fief in Qi to continue the worship of the Xia dynasty.

The Dynastic Changes in Ancient China: From Chen to Wu and Beyond

Donglou Gong had a son, Xilou Gong, who in turn had a son named Tigu Gong. Tigu Gong fathered Mouqu Gong, who came to power during the reign of King Li of Zhou. Mouqu Gong fathered Wugong, who ruled for forty-seven years before his death. His son, Jinggong, succeeded him but passed away after twenty-three years, leaving his son, Gonggong, to take the throne. Gonggong ruled for eight years before his death, after which his son, Degong, ascended. Degong reigned for eighteen years before passing away, and his brother, Huan Gong, succeeded him. Huan Gong ruled for seventeen years before his death, and his son, Xiaogong, took over. Xiaogong ruled for seventeen years before passing, leaving his brother, Wengong, to inherit the throne. Wengong ruled for fourteen years before his death, and his brother, Pinggong, became the next ruler. Pinggong ruled for eighteen years before passing away, and his son, Daogong, succeeded him. Daogong ruled for twelve years before his death, and his son, Yinggong, ascended the throne.

In July, Yinggong’s brother, Sui, assassinated Yinggong and took the throne himself, becoming Ligu Gong. Ligu Gong ruled for nineteen years before passing away, and his son, Minggong, succeeded him. Minggong reigned for fifteen years before the Kingdom of Chu, under King Hui, destroyed the state of Chen. In the sixteenth year, Minggong’s brother, Enlu, assassinated him and took the throne, becoming Aigong. Aigong ruled for ten years before his death, and Minggong’s son, Chi, succeeded him, becoming Chugong. Chugong ruled for twelve years before passing away, and his son, Jianggong, took the throne. Jianggong ruled for only a year, as in the forty-fourth year of King Hui of Chu, the state of Qi was destroyed. After Qi fell, the state of Chen also vanished after thirty-four years. The history of Qi is too insignificant to be elaborated upon.

The descendants of Shun, the legendary sage emperor, were granted the state of Chen by King Wu of Zhou, but this line was eventually destroyed by King Hui of Chu. Similarly, the descendants of Yu were granted the state of Qi by King Wu of Zhou, but they too were wiped out by King Hui of Chu. The descendants of the ancient minister Xie were made rulers of the Shang, and after the fall of the Shang, King Wu of Zhou granted their descendants the state of Song. However, King Min of Qi later destroyed Song. The descendants of Hou Ji, the founder of the Zhou dynasty, were granted the state of Zhou by King Wu, but were eventually destroyed by King Zhao of Qin. The descendants of Gao Yao were granted fiefs in the state of Ying and Li, but their lineage was eventually erased by King Mu of Chu. The descendants of Bo Yi, who was granted the fief of Qi, were also erased by the Chen state. The descendants of Bo Yi’s brother, Bo Yi, were granted the fief of Qin by King Ping of Zhou, but were later destroyed by Xiang Yu, the leader of the Chu forces.

At the time of King Wu of Zhou, there were over a thousand noble lords and marquises. After the reign of King You and King Li, the power of the feudal lords began to grow and they fought among each other. The states of Jiang, Huang, Hu, and Shen became numerous, and their histories are not fully recorded in the annals.

The Grand Historian (Sima Qian) said: “Shun’s virtue can be considered supreme! He abdicated to Yu, and later generations, through the bloodline of the Xia dynasty, ruled for three dynasties. After the fall of Chen, King Hui of Chu took control, and the state of Qi rose under Tian Chang’s leadership, founding a country that lasted for a hundred generations. As for the descendants of Yu, in Zhou they were granted the small state of Qi, which was insignificant. However, after King Hui of Chu destroyed Qi, the state of Yue rose under King Goujian.”