Wei Kangshu, also known as Feng, was the younger maternal brother of King Wu of Zhou. He had a younger brother named Ran Ji, who was the youngest among them.
After King Wu of Zhou had defeated the tyrant King Zhou of Shang, he rewarded the remnants of the Shang people by giving lands to Wu Geng, the son of King Zhou, to continue honoring the ancestral rites of Shang. However, since Wu Geng had not yet gathered his followers, and fearing he might harbor rebellious intentions, King Wu ordered his brothers, Guan Shu and Cai Shu, to supervise Wu Geng’s territory and pacify his people.
When King Wu passed away, King Cheng, still a child, succeeded him. Duke Zhou, his regent, took control of the state. Guan Shu and Cai Shu suspected Duke Zhou’s authority and conspired with Wu Geng to rebel against the young King Cheng. Duke Zhou, acting in King Cheng’s name, led an army to destroy Wu Geng, Guan Shu, and exiled Cai Shu. Wu Geng’s lands were given to Kang Shu, and he was made the ruler of Wei, in the region between the He and Qi rivers, which had once been the Shang capital.
Duke Zhou, fearing Kang Shu’s youth and inexperience, advised him: “You must seek the wise and virtuous elders of the Shang people to learn from their past successes and failures. Lead your people with kindness and integrity.” He explained that the downfall of King Zhou had been caused by his excessive indulgence in wine and the disastrous influence it had on his behavior, particularly with women. Duke Zhou advised Kang Shu to learn from these mistakes, ensuring the moral leadership of his rule.
Kang Shu’s rule brought peace and prosperity to the people of Wei, and they were happy under his leadership.
When King Cheng came of age, he took control of the state. Kang Shu was appointed the Chief Justice of Zhou and was honored with sacred ritual vessels, marking his virtuous deeds.
Kang Shu passed away, and his son Kang Bo succeeded him. Kang Bo also passed away, and his son Kao Bo became the ruler. The line continued with Si Bo, Jie Bo, Jing Bo, and Zhen Bo, passing from father to son.
Zhen Bo was succeeded by his son, Qian Hou, who lavishly bribed King Yi of Zhou, leading to his appointment as the Duke of Wei. Qian Hou ruled for twelve years before passing, and his son Xi Hou succeeded him.
Xi Hou ruled for thirteen years, during which King Li of Zhou was exiled to Zhi, and Xi Hou briefly assisted in governing the state. After twenty-eight years, King Xuan of Zhou ascended the throne.
Forty-two years later, Xi Hou passed away, and his son, Gong Bo Yu, succeeded him. Gong Bo’s brother, He, was favored by Xi Hou and received many gifts from him. He used these gifts to bribe officials and staged an attack on Gong Bo, killing him. The people of Wei buried Gong Bo near Xi Hou and posthumously honored him as Gong Bo. He was succeeded by He, who became the Duke of Wei, known as Duke Wu.
Duke Wu revived the policies of Kang Shu and restored harmony among the people. Forty-two years later, the Quan Rong tribes killed King You of Zhou. Duke Wu led an army to aid Zhou in quelling the rebellion, achieving great success. King Ping of Zhou honored Duke Wu with the title of Duke. He passed away at the age of fifty-five, and his son, Duke Zhuang Yang, succeeded him.
In the fifth year of Duke Zhuang’s reign, he took a woman from the state of Qi as his consort. She was beloved by him but bore no children. He then took a woman from the state of Chen as his consort, and she gave birth to a son, who died early. The sister of the Chen consort also gained favor with Duke Zhuang and bore a son, named Wan. When Wan’s mother passed away, Duke Zhuang instructed his consort from Qi to raise Wan as his own, making him the heir apparent.
Duke Zhuang had a favored concubine, who bore him a son, Zhou Yu. In the 18th year of his reign, Zhou Yu grew up and developed an interest in the military. Duke Zhuang appointed him as a general. The official Shi Ke advised Duke Zhuang, warning, “If you allow an illegitimate son to command the army, rebellion may follow.” However, Duke Zhuang did not listen.
In the 23rd year of Duke Zhuang’s reign, he passed away, and Wan, the designated heir, succeeded him as Duke Huan of Qi.
In the second year of Duke Huan’s reign, Zhou Yu, now arrogant and indulgent, was stripped of his title by Duke Huan. Zhou Yu fled. In the 13th year of Duke Huan’s reign, Duke Zhen of Zheng, Zhou Yu’s brother, attacked his own brother but was defeated. Zhou Yu then sought an alliance with Duke Zhen of Zheng.
In the 16th year of Duke Huan’s reign, Zhou Yu gathered the exiles of Wei and launched an attack to kill Duke Huan. Zhou Yu declared himself the Duke of Wei. He sought support from the states of Song, Chen, and Cai to launch a joint campaign. These three states agreed to support Zhou Yu. Zhou Yu, now in power, was fond of military matters and murdered Duke Huan, but the people of Wei did not support him.
Shi Ke, allied with Duke Huan’s maternal family in Chen, arranged a plot to kill Zhou Yu. They reached the outskirts of Zheng, and with the help of the Chen Lord, they planned to assassinate Zhou Yu. Shi Ke’s strategy succeeded. Zhou Yu was killed near the town of Pu, and Duke Huan’s younger brother, Jin, was installed as the new Duke of Wei, later known as Duke Xuan.
In the seventh year of Duke Xuan’s reign, the state of Lu assassinated its ruler Duke Yin. In the ninth year, the state of Song killed its ruler Duke Shang, along with Kong Fu, their political leader. In the tenth year, the ruler of Quwo in the state of Jin killed his own ruler, Duke Ai.
In the 18th year of Duke Xuan’s reign, Duke Xuan’s favorite consort, Lady Yi Jiang, gave birth to a son, Ji, whom he named heir apparent and placed under the care of the right prince, who was tasked with overseeing Ji’s upbringing. The right prince, intending to find a suitable wife for the crown prince, selected a woman from Qi, but before the prince could marry her, Duke Xuan intervened. He took the Qi woman for himself and married her. She bore him sons Shou and Shuo, whom he entrusted to the left prince for care.
When Crown Prince Ji’s mother died, Duke Xuan’s primary consort and her son Shuo conspired to undermine Crown Prince Ji. Feeling resentment over his decision to take Ji’s fiancée, Duke Xuan grew discontented with Ji and sought to replace him.
Upon hearing of the conspiracy, Duke Xuan was enraged and ordered that Crown Prince Ji be executed by thieves at the boundary. The thieves were told to kill anyone carrying the white banner, which signaled the prince’s identity. However, Shou, Ji’s half-brother, knowing of Duke Xuan’s plot, warned Ji to stop his journey. Ji, loyal to his father’s orders, refused to turn back and proceeded. Shou, in an attempt to protect his brother, stole the white banner, raced ahead, and reached the thieves before Ji did. The thieves, recognizing the white banner, killed Shou instead of Ji. Afterward, Crown Prince Ji arrived and confronted the thieves, who then killed him as well.
Duke Xuan, seeing his son Ji dead, decided to name Shuo as the new crown prince. In the 19th year of his reign, Duke Xuan passed away, and Shuo ascended the throne as Duke Hui.
The left and right princes were displeased with Shuo’s ascension. In the fourth year of Duke Hui’s reign, they conspired to kill him in revenge for their past grievances regarding the death of Crown Prince Ji and his replacement. They launched a rebellion, attacked Duke Hui, and placed Ji’s younger brother, Qian Mou, on the throne. Duke Hui fled to Qi.
Duke Qian Mou of Wei ruled for eight years. In that time, Duke Xiang of Qi led the allied states to attack Wei on behalf of the King’s command. They captured Duke Hui of Wei and executed the left and right princes. Duke Qian Mou fled to Zhou, and Duke Hui was restored to the throne. Duke Hui ruled for three years before fleeing again. After being in exile for eight years, he returned, marking a total of thirteen years of turmoil.
In the 25th year of his reign, Duke Hui, angered by Zhou’s treatment of Duke Qian Mou, allied with the state of Yan to attack Zhou. King Hui of Zhou fled to Wen, and Wei and Yan installed the King’s brother, Ke, as the new king. In the 29th year, Zheng also recognized King Hui’s brother. In the 31st year, Duke Hui passed away, and his son, Duke Yi, took the throne.
Duke Yi of Wei was fond of cranes and indulged in excessive pleasures. In the ninth year of his reign, the Di tribe attacked Wei. Duke Yi planned to raise an army, but some of his troops deserted him. His officials remarked, “Your Majesty loves cranes, why not let them fight the Di?” However, the Di forces managed to break into the capital and killed Duke Yi.
Upon Duke Yi’s death, the people and officials of Wei were dissatisfied with his rule. From the time of Duke Hui’s reign, after the conspiracy that led to the death of Crown Prince Ji and the subsequent rise of Duke Yi, there had always been attempts to overthrow the ruling family. After Duke Yi’s death, his cousin, Duke Dai, the son of Duke Qian Mou’s brother, Shao Bo, was installed as the new ruler of Wei.
Duke Dai ruled for one year and then passed away. Duke Huan of Qi, frustrated by the constant instability in Wei, led an alliance of states to attack the Di tribe and fortify the capital of Wei, Chu Qiu. Duke Huan also installed Shao Bo’s younger brother, Hui, as the new Duke of Wei, and he became known as Duke Wen. However, due to continued turmoil, Duke Wen fled to Qi, and the Qi forces took control of Wei.
Initially, when the Di tribe killed Duke Yi, the people of Wei mourned him and considered restoring the previous crown prince, Crown Prince Ji. However, after the death of Crown Prince Ji’s son, Shou, there was no legitimate heir, so they installed Shao Bo’s son, Duke Dai, as the new ruler. Duke Dai died, and his brother Hui was made Duke Wen.
Duke Wen ruled with a focus on light taxation, punishing crimes fairly, and living alongside his people in solidarity. He worked hard to restore stability in Wei.
In the 16th year of his reign, the crown prince of Jin, Chong Er, passed through Wei and showed disrespect. In the 17th year, Duke Huan of Qi passed away. In the 25th year, Duke Wen died, and his son Duke Cheng ascended the throne.
In the third year of Duke Cheng’s reign, Jin sought passage through Wei to help Song, but Duke Cheng refused. Jin then traveled by a southern route to aid Song. Later, Duke Cheng’s ministers suggested he permit Jin’s passage, but Duke Cheng refused again. His minister Yuan Qi rebelled and forced Duke Cheng to flee. The Duke of Jin, Chong Er, attacked Wei, dividing its lands and giving them to Song, punishing Wei for not assisting Song and for their previous disrespect.
Duke Cheng fled to Chen, and two years later, he sought refuge in Zhou. He met with Duke Chong Er of Jin. Zhou eventually requested that Duke Cheng be spared, and with Zhou’s intervention, Duke Cheng was not executed by Jin. Afterward, Zhou brought Duke Cheng back to Wei, executed Yuan Qi, and forced Wei’s ruling family into exile.
In the seventh year of his reign, Duke Chong Er of Jin died. In the 12th year, Duke Cheng visited Duke Xiang of Jin, and in the 14th year, Duke Mu of Qin passed away. In the 26th year, Duke Huan of Qi was assassinated by his own ministers. In the 35th year, Duke Cheng died, and his son, Duke Mu, succeeded him.
In the second year of Duke Mu’s reign, King Zhuang of Chu attacked Chen and killed Xia Zhengshu. In the third year, King Zhuang of Chu laid siege to Zheng, causing the city to surrender, but later released it. In the eleventh year, Sun Liangfu rescued the state of Lu and attacked Qi, regaining some of its lost territories.
Duke Mu passed away, and his son, Duke Ding, succeeded him. Duke Ding reigned for twelve years and then passed away, and his son, Duke Xian, took the throne.
In the thirteenth year of Duke Xian’s reign, he ordered his steward, Cao, to teach the palace concubines how to play the zither. When one of the concubines failed, Cao punished her. The concubine, angered, informed Duke Xian of the incident, and in retaliation, Duke Xian also had Cao beaten three hundred times. In the eighteenth year of his reign, Duke Xian ordered the two nobles, Sun Wenzi and Ning Huizi, not to dine with him, which they obeyed. Instead, Duke Xian spent his time hunting wild geese. Both nobles followed him, but Duke Xian refused to stop hunting to speak with them. This caused further anger.
Sun Wenzi’s son regularly served Duke Xian and would have the steward sing the final lines of the song “Clever Words.” The steward, enraged by Duke Xian’s previous punishment, sang the song intending to provoke Sun Wenzi and take revenge on Duke Xian. This led Sun Wenzi to consult with Qu Boyu, who replied, “I do not know what to do.” Eventually, Sun Wenzi led an attack on Duke Xian. The Duke fled to Qi, and Qi’s King placed Duke Xian in the city of Ju.
Sun Wenzi and Ning Huizi conspired to make Duke Ding’s younger brother, Qiu, the new ruler of Wei, and he became known as Duke Shang.
Duke Shang’s reign lasted twelve years. During this time, Sun Wenzi was granted the title of Linfu and was appointed as a protector of the Wei state. However, in the twelfth year, Ning Xi and Sun Linfu had a dispute over favor with Duke Shang, causing the Duke to order Ning Xi to attack Sun Linfu. Sun Linfu fled to Jin, while Duke Xian sought to return to Wei. With the help of the state of Jin, Duke Xian was restored to the throne of Wei, after being in exile for twelve years.
In the first year of Duke Xian’s return, he executed Ning Xi.
In the third year, Wu Yanling Ji Zi passed through Wei and spoke to Qu Boyu and Shi Shuang. He said, “Wei has many gentlemen, but the country is in disarray.” Passing through Su, Sun Linfu struck the bell, saying, “The music is loud and sad, which signifies the chaos of Wei.” This year, Duke Xian passed away, and his son, Duke Xiang, ascended to the throne.
In the sixth year of Duke Xiang’s reign, King Ling of Chu gathered the feudal lords, but Duke Xiang claimed illness and did not attend.
In the ninth year, Duke Xiang passed away. Before his death, Duke Xiang had a low-ranking concubine who he favored. She became pregnant, and in a dream, she heard someone say, “I am Kang Shu, and I order you to have a son who will inherit Wei’s throne.” She was puzzled and consulted Kong Chengzi, who explained, “Kang Shu is an ancestor of Wei.” After giving birth to a son, she informed Duke Xiang, who remarked, “This is a sign from Heaven.” The child was named Yuan. Duke Xiang’s wife had no children, so he made Yuan his heir, and he became known as Duke Ling.
In the fifth year of Duke Ling’s reign, he paid a visit to Duke Zhao of Jin. In the sixth year, Prince Qi of Chu assassinated King Ling of Chu and took the throne as King Ping. In the eleventh year, there was a fire.
In the 38th year, Confucius arrived in Wei and was treated with honor, similar to his position in Lu. However, due to some conflicts, Confucius left but later returned.
In the 39th year, Prince Kuai Kui, the crown prince, had a feud with Queen Nanzi, Duke Ling’s wife, and plotted to kill her. Kuai Kui and his follower, Xiyang, conspired to carry out the assassination. Xiyang later regretted the plan and did not proceed. However, Kuai Kui pressured him repeatedly, causing Queen Nanzi to become fearful and cry out, “The crown prince wants to kill me!” Duke Ling became enraged, and Kuai Kui fled to Song, then to the Zhao family in Jin.
In the 42nd year, in the spring, Duke Ling went on a trip to the outskirts of the city, leaving his son Ying behind. Ying was Duke Ling’s youngest son, and his courtesy name was Zinan. Duke Ling, resentful of the crown prince’s flight, spoke to Ying, saying, “I will make you my heir.” Ying replied, “I am unworthy to take the throne. Your Majesty should choose someone else.” Later that summer, Duke Ling passed away, and his wife ordered Ying to be made the crown prince, saying, “This is what the late Duke Ling had decreed.” Ying replied, “I do not dare to take the title, as the son of the exiled crown prince, Kuai Kui, is still here.” Thus, Wei chose Kuai Kui’s son as the ruler, known as Duke Chu.
In the sixth month, Zhao Jianzi wished to bring Kuai Kui back into the court. He instructed Yang Hu to allow the returning officials to wear mourning clothes and return to Wei. When the Wei people heard of this, they mobilized the army and attacked Kuai Kui. Kuai Kui could not enter and sought refuge at a nearby inn. The Wei army also ceased their attack.
Duke Chu ruled for four years. In the eighth year, Lord Tian Qi of Qi assassinated his ruler, Duke Ruzi. In the tenth year, Lord Baozi of Qi assassinated Duke Dao.
Confucius came from Chen and entered Wei. In the ninth year, Kong Wenzi inquired about military matters from Confucius, but Confucius did not answer. Later, Lu invited Confucius back, and he returned to Lu.
In the twelfth year, Kong Yu Wenzi married the elder sister of Prince Kuai Kui’s consort, and they had a son, Kuai. The younger servants of the Kong family were handsome, and after Kong Wenzi passed away, the concubine developed a relationship with the mother of Kuai. The crown prince was staying in a guesthouse, and Kuai’s mother sent the servant to speak to him. The crown prince told the servant, “If you can bring me back to my country, I will reward you with a chariot and spare you from three deaths, but do not share this with anyone else.” They made an agreement, and the servant was promised the hand of Kuai’s mother. In the leap month, the servant and the crown prince entered Wei, staying outside the Kong family’s garden. At night, they dressed in dark clothes and rode in a carriage, pretending to be from the Kong family.
An elderly servant named Luan Ning noticed the carriage and inquired about it, learning that it was a concubine’s family. They entered and went to the family of Bo Ji. After dinner, Kuai’s mother led the way with a staff, while the crown prince and five attendants followed. The carriage continued its journey. At this point, Bo Ji, suspecting something, locked the door and forced an oath of loyalty to ensure the crown prince’s safety. Luan Ning, hearing the commotion, quickly alerted the officials. The guards were summoned to protect the crown prince, who then fled to Lu.
Zhong You was about to enter, when he encountered Zigao who was about to leave. Zigao said, “The door is already closed.” Zilu responded, “I will just be a moment.” Zigao said, “It’s too late; don’t face this difficulty.” Zilu replied, “Even while eating, one should not avoid difficulty.” Zilu proceeded to enter, but when he reached the door, Gongsun dared to close it and said, “Do not enter!” Zilu asked, “Is this Gongsun? He seeks gain but avoids difficulties. Zhong You is different; he accepts his salary but is committed to resolving difficulties.” A messenger came out, and Zilu was able to enter. He said, “Why does the crown prince rely on Kong Qiao? Even if he kills him, someone will succeed him.” He continued, “The crown prince lacks courage. If he burns the platform, he must leave Kong Shu behind.” The crown prince heard this and became fearful, ordering Shi Qi and Yu Yan to fight Zilu with spears, cutting off his hair knot. Zilu said, “A gentleman dies without avoiding his crown.” He tied his hair knot and died. Confucius, upon hearing of the turmoil in Wei, said, “Ah, was this the result of the firewood? Zhong You is dead.”
Kong Qiao eventually established the crown prince Kuai Kui, who became Duke Zhuang.
Duke Zhuang, the son of the exiled ruler, lived in exile and resented the nobles who did not welcome his return. In the first year of his reign, he sought to purge the ministers, saying, “I have been in exile for a long time; have you heard of it?” The ministers, fearing unrest, decided to stop.
In the second year, Confucius passed away in Lu.
In the third year, Duke Zhuang ascended to the city wall and observed the Rong barbarians, remarking, “Why are the Rong bandits here?” The Rong people were offended by his remark. In the tenth month, the Rong people reported this to Zhao Jianzi, who laid siege to Wei. In the eleventh month, Duke Zhuang fled, and the people of Wei installed Prince Ban Shi as their ruler. Later, Qi attacked Wei, captured Ban Shi, and replaced him with Prince Qi.
In the first year of Prince Qi’s reign, the minister Shi Manfu exiled his own ruler, Prince Qi, who fled to Qi. Prince Qi returned to Wei, re-established the throne, and was restored to power after being in exile for four years. Prince Qi’s successor, Duke Chu, reigned for 21 years, during which time he passed away. His son, Duke Dao, succeeded him.
In the fifth year of Duke Dao’s reign, he passed away, and his son, Duke Jing, did not take the throne. Duke Jing died in the 19th year of his reign, and his son, Duke Zhao, ascended to the throne. At that time, the three powerful states of Jin, Qi, and Chu dominated, and Wei was reduced to a small vassal state.
In the sixth year of Duke Zhao’s reign, Prince Wei assassinated him, taking the throne as Duke Huai. Duke Huai ruled for 11 years until he was assassinated by Prince Ying, who took the throne as Duke Shen. Duke Shen, the son of Prince Zhi and the grandson of Duke Jing, ruled for 42 years before passing away. His son, Duke Sheng, succeeded him.
In the 11th year of Duke Sheng’s reign, he died, and his son, Duke Cheng, succeeded him.
In the 11th year of Duke Cheng’s reign, Gong Sun Yang entered Qin. In the 16th year, Wei was demoted and its title was changed to “Hou” (Marquis).
In the 29th year, Duke Cheng died, and his son, Duke Ping, took the throne. Duke Ping ruled for eight years before passing away, and his son, Prince Xi, succeeded him.
Prince Xi reigned for five years before the title was changed again, this time to “Jun” (Lord), with only Puyang left as part of Wei’s domain.
In the 42nd year of his reign, he died, and his son, Duke Huai, took the throne. Duke Huai ruled for 31 years before being captured and killed by the state of Wei. Wei then placed his brother as ruler, known as Duke Yuan.
Duke Yuan was married to a princess of Wei, which was the reason for his installation as ruler. In the 14th year of his reign, Qin annexed the eastern lands of Wei and established the Eastern District, which combined Wei’s territories of Ye Wang County and Puyang into a new district. In the 25th year, Duke Yuan died, and his son, Duke Jun Jiao, succeeded him.
Duke Jun Jiao ruled for nine years before Qin conquered all the lands and established the First Emperor. In the 21st year, the Second Emperor deposed Duke Jun Jiao and made him a commoner, marking the end of the Wei state’s ancestral rites.
The Grand Historian wrote, “I read the annals of the great families, and when I come to the tragic end of Duke Xuan’s crown prince, who was executed by his wife, or to the death of the eldest son of the Zhao family, who sought to save his father, I see a sad reflection of what happened with the Crown Prince Shen of Jin. In both cases, they caused harm to their fathers’ legacy. Death was inevitable, but how tragic it is! Sometimes fathers kill sons, or brothers destroy each other — what is the reason for this?”