Records of the Grand Historian, Eight Books: Book of Law

Records of the Grand Historian of the Western Han Dynasty by Sima Qian

Original text segment translation: Original text segment translation

The emperor manages various affairs, establishes laws, determines the degrees and standards of all things, and everything follows the Six Principles. The Six Principles are the foundation of all things.

The Six Rules are particularly important for warfare, so it is said, “Observing the enemy’s movements can reveal their fortunes and misfortunes, and listening to their sounds can determine victory or defeat.” This is an unchanging principle through the ages.

When King Wu attacked the tyrant Zhou, he blew the ritual pipes and listened to the sounds to divine good and bad omens. From early spring to deep winter, there were sounds of killing and death, and the sounds of King Wu’s army matched the sounds of the palace. Things that sound alike naturally follow each other; this is the natural order of things. What is there to be surprised about?

War is a tool used by sages to subdue the strong and tyrannical, to restore order in chaotic times, to remove dangers, and to save critical situations. Even animals with teeth and horns will resist and fight back when faced with external threats. How much more so for humans, who have feelings of love and hate, joy and anger? Joy leads to kindness, anger leads to harm; this is the inevitable nature of humanity.

In the past, during the time of the Yellow Emperor, there were battles in the Zhuolu region to quell the disasters caused by the Yan Emperor; Zhuanxu had confrontations with the Gonggong clan to suppress the disasters caused by the Shaohao clan; Cheng Tang fought against Jie at Nanchao to eliminate the chaos of the Xia Dynasty. Generation after generation, prosperity and decline alternated, and the victorious were able to rule the world, as it was ordained by heaven.

From then on, renowned scholars emerged one after another. The State of Jin appointed Jiu Fan, the State of Qi appointed Prince Chengfu, and the State of Wu appointed Sun Wu. They all upheld military discipline, and their rewards and punishments were sure to win the people’s trust. They eventually became the hegemonic lords of the vassal states, annexing the lands of other countries. Although this glory could not compare to the honor of being conferred titles and rewards during the Three Dynast

Xia Jie and King Zhou of Shang could fight wolves barehanded and could outrun chariots pulled by four horses; their bravery was not small. They had won countless battles, and the feudal lords feared and obeyed them, so their power was not insignificant. Qin Ershi stationed troops in the outskirts and connected soldiers at the borders, so their strength was not weak. They had grievances with the Xiongnu in the north and caused trouble with the various Yue tribes in the south,

After Emperor Gaozu unified the realm, there were rebellions at the three borders, and although the great lords within the country were nominally called the emperor’s shields and assistants, they did not fulfill the duties of subjects. When Emperor Gaozu grew weary of further warfare, it was due to the strategies of Xiao He and Zhang Liang that military actions were temporarily halted, allowing the people to recuperate and thrive. They were only lightly restrained and not strictly guarded against.

Until Emperor Xiaowen ascended the throne, General Chen Wu and others suggested, “Since the time of the Qin Dynasty’s unification, Nanyue and Korea have been subjects of the Central Plains. Later, they amassed troops and occupied strategic locations, becoming restless and observing the situation in the Central Plains. During Emperor Gaozu’s time, the world was initially settled, and the people had just begun to find some peace. We should not use military force again. Now, Your Majesty governs the people

Sima Qian said: During Emperor Wen’s reign, the world had just emerged from the chaos of war, and the people were living in peace and contentment. They were able to follow their own wishes without interference from the government, so the people were happy and did not think of rebellion. Even elderly men in their sixties or seventies had never been to the market, spending their days idling and playing in the countryside like children. Isn’t this the virtuous gentleman praised by Confucius?

The book states that the Seven Luminaries, Twenty-Eight Mansions, and the Calendar are used by Heaven to connect the energies of the Five Elements and Eight Principles, and to create and nurture all things. The term “Mansion” refers to the place where the sun and moon rest. “Mansion” also means to take a break and catch one’s breath.

The Buzhou Wind comes from the northwest and is responsible for matters of killing. The Eastern Wall in the 28 lunar mansions is to the east of the Buzhou Wind, presiding over the opening and generation of life energy, directing it eastward until it reaches the Camp Chamber. The Camp Chamber is responsible for the nurturing and generation of yang energy. Further east is the Danger Mansion. “Danger” means “to pile up,” referring to the piling up of yang energy, hence it is

The Guangmo wind is in the north. Guangmo refers to the yang energy being below, and the yin energy not being as abundant as the yang energy, hence the name Guangmo. The Guangmo wind moves east to the Xu constellation. Xu means that it can be both real and illusory, indicating that the yang energy is stored in emptiness during winter, and on the winter solstice, part of the yin energy hides downward while part of the yang energy expands upward, hence it is called

The Tiao Wind comes from the northeast and governs the birth and emergence of all things. The Tiao Wind means that it governs all things and causes them to emerge, hence it is called the Tiao Wind. The Tiao Wind moves south to the Ji constellation. Ji is the foundation of all things, so it is called Ji. Corresponding to the first month, the musical notes of the above constellations align with the Taicuo. Taicuo means that all things are nurtured and

Ming Shu Wind comes from the East. The meaning of Ming Shu is that it indicates all things have sprouted and emerged from the ground. Corresponding to February, its musical pitch corresponds to the Jiazhong. Jiazhong means the intermingling of yin and yang, signifying being in the middle. The twelve Earthly Branches correspond to the Rabbit. The Rabbit signifies flourishing, meaning all things are growing abundantly. Corresponding to the Tenth Mother and Jia and Yi. Jia signifies

The Qingming wind comes from the intersection of the southeast, responsible for driving all things to develop westward. It first reaches the Zhi star. Zhi means that all things grow strong and vigorous. Moving westward, it reaches the Yi star. Yi means that all things have grown, as if they have developed wings. These two stars are the April stars, and in the musical scale, they correspond to the Middle Lü. Middle Lü means that all things travel westward. In the twelve Earthly

The Jingfeng comes from the south. “Jing” means that the path of Yang energy has reached its end, hence it is called Jingfeng. In the twelve Earthly Branches, it corresponds to Wu. Wu means the intersection of Yin and Yang, hence it is called Wu. In the ten Heavenly Stems, it corresponds to Bing and Ding. “Bing” means that the Yang path is brilliant and bright, hence it is called Bing; “Ding” means that all things have

The cool breeze blows from the southwest, dominating the earth. “Earth” refers to the essence of all things being subdued. Corresponding to June, its musical tone aligns with the Lin bell. The Lin bell signifies the ominous and fearful signs of all things heading towards death. In the twelve Earthly Branches, it corresponds to Wei. Wei and Wei are homophones, indicating that all things have grown and developed flavor. To the north is the Fa star. Fa signifies that the essence of all things

The Changhe wind comes from the west. “Chang” means to advocate; “He” means to hide. This means that the yang energy guides all things and hides them in the underworld. In the ten heavenly stems, it corresponds to Geng and Xin. Geng refers to the transformation of yin energy into all things, hence it is called Geng; Xin refers to the hardship of all things’ existence, hence it is called Xin. To the north is the Wei constellation. Wei means that

Lüshu: The proportional relationship between the five tones is based on the size of the palace, which is 81. Dividing 81 into three parts, removing one part, and the remaining two parts give 54, which is the Zhi tone. Dividing 54 into three parts, adding one part, and the resulting four parts give 72, which is the Shang tone. Dividing 72 into three parts, removing one part, and the remaining two parts give 48, which

The method for generating the proportions of the bells and music: Zi represents the Huangzhong, set as one unit. Chou represents the Linzhong, which is two-thirds of Zi. Yin represents the Taicuo, which is eight-ninths of Zi. Mao represents the Nanlü, which is sixteen-twenty-sevenths of Zi. Chen represents the Guxi, which is sixty-four eighty-firsts of Zi. Si represents the Yingzhong, which is one hundred twenty

The method of generating the twelve pitches from the Huangzhong: Using the method of removing one-third (lower generation), the length of the pitch pipe is first doubled and then divided by three. Using the method of adding one-third (upper generation), the length of the pitch pipe is first multiplied by four and then divided by three. The largest number is nine, with the Shang pitch being eight, the Yu pitch being seven, the Jiao pitch being six, the Gong pitch being five, and the Z

The spirit arises from a state of nothingness, ultimately forming objective existence. With form comes destiny, which shapes and produces musical tones. Thus, it is said that the spirit governs the vital energy, and the vital energy attaches to the form. If the order of the form can be classified, then it is classified. Some that have not yet taken shape cannot be classified, while those with similar shapes are categorized together. With classification comes discernment, and with classification comes recognition. The sage understands the myriad things

Sima Qian said: Based on the arrangement of the seven political matters according to the Big Dipper, one can determine the heavens and the earth, the twenty-eight lunar mansions, the ten heavenly stems, the twelve earthly branches, and the twelve pitches. The harmonization of these elements originated in ancient times, establishing musical scales, calculating calendars, and measuring the degrees of the sun’s movement, which can be used for measurement. The verification of the symbols and the understanding of principles refer to these matters