In the late Spring and Autumn Period, the vassal states in the Central Plains region declined, and power fell into the hands of officials. The competition for hegemony among the countries was no longer very active, and almost fell into a stranded situation. Therefore, the focus of the struggle for hegemony gradually shifted from the north to the southern regions. In addition to the always powerful Chu State, Wu and Yue were also rising.
There is mainly such a theory about the origin of Wu State. The founding of the State of Wu originated from Tai Bo and Zhong Yong. Taibo and Zhongyong were the eldest and second sons of King Tai of Zhou respectively. In ancient times, when the eldest son inheritance system was the traditional system, Taibo, the eldest son of King Tai of Zhou, did not inherit the Zhou family business and became the founder of Wu. , there is a touching story behind it.
King Tai of Zhou had three sons. In addition to his eldest son Taibo and his second son Zhongyong, he also had a younger son Ji Li. Ji Li was particularly virtuous and won the trust of King Zhou. But more importantly, Ji Li had an even more outstanding son named Chang, who was smart and precocious since he was a child. Therefore, King Tai of Zhou very much hoped to pass the throne to Ji Li and then pass it to Chang. However, due to the tradition of the eldest son inheriting the throne, it is a great taboo to abolish the eldest son and establish the younger son. The older sons often launch rebellions because of disobedience, causing turmoil in the country and bringing disaster to the country and the people. Therefore, King Tai of Zhou also He didn't dare to act rashly, but watched Chang grow up day by day and gradually become depressed.
The attentive uncle discovered what his father was worried about, so he discussed with his younger brother Zhong Yong how to solve the problem. In the end, the two decided to escape to the "Jingman" land together in the name of gathering medicine for their father. They got tattoos on their bodies and cut off their hair to show that they could no longer enter the temple to preside over the country, completely cutting themselves off. Due to the possibility of inheriting the throne, even when King Zhou Tai died, the two of them did not return to preside over the funeral to avoid suspicion. After they did this, Ji Li took over the throne of Zhou as a matter of course. After Ji Li died, he passed the throne to his son Chang, fulfilling the wish of King Tai of Zhou. It was their concession that made Ji Chang become the most famous King Wen of Zhou in Chinese history.
Later generations believe that Tai Bo and Zhong Yong made three great concessions when faced with the opportunity to inherit the throne: "King Tai died and King Ji Li stood up, so he gave in first; King Ji Li died and King Wen stood up, so he gave in twice; King Wen died and King Wu stood up, so he made three concessions. Then there are three concessions in the world." Another theory was put forward, which is: "The king is sick, ask for medicine, and he should be treated with courtesy, and one concession is given; the king dies and does not return, so that the master of Ji Li is mourned. If you don’t bury it with etiquette, you have two concessions; if you cut off your hair and get a tattoo, it means it’s not usable, so that the calendar lord can offer sacrifices, and if you don’t sacrifice it with ceremony, you have three concessions.” No matter how you calculate it, Tai Bo and Zhong Yong’s actions are all about fighting for power and profit. , the extremely rare father-son brotherhood in a princely family with fierce struggles, and the noble sentiment of giving up the ego and fulfilling the country.
After Tai Bo fled to the south, he settled in Wu Di, which is today's Wuxi and Suzhou, Jiangsu Province. At that time, this place was still a barbaric land and not yet civilized. It is precisely because Taibo's noble character is admirable that when he came here, people felt that he was very virtuous and righteous, so they all joined him one after another. In the end, there were more than a thousand people. In this case, people supported Taibo as Taibo Wu, and the Kingdom of Wu was established.
After King Wu destroyed Shang, he sent people to search for the descendants of Tai Bo and Zhong Yong, and finally found Zhou Zhang. At this time, Zhou Zhang was already the leader of Wu, so King Wu followed the trend and granted Wu to him. Zhou Zhang's younger brother Yu Zhong was also granted a title to the northern part of the Zhou royal family, which later became the Kingdom of Yu. At this point, Taibo and Zhongyong, as the sons of King Tai of Zhou, their descendants finally got their due status and fiefdoms, and the Kingdom of Wu and the Kingdom of Yu became vassal states of the Zhou Dynasty.
Counting from the time when Tai Bo founded the State of Wu, until the fifth generation was officially canonized by the Emperor of Zhou, their descendants were respectively sealed in the State of Yu in the Central Plains and the State of Wu in the remote areas at that time. In the twelfth generation, the Jin State first attacked and destroyed the Yu State in the Central Plains. In the next two generations, the state of Wu in remote areas was able to rise. From Taibo's establishment of the state of Wu to King Wu Shoumeng's revitalization of the state of Wu, a total of nineteen generations were passed down. King Shoumeng of Wu was the nineteenth generation grandson of Zhong Yong.
Although the origin of Wu has been accepted by orthodox chronicles, the late famous Chinese historian Tong Shuye put forward a different view in his book "History of the Spring and Autumn Period". After in-depth exploration of historical materials such as "Spring and Autumn", "Zuo Zhuan" and "Historical Records", he believed that the theory that Taibo and Zhong Yong fled to "Jingman" was more legendary, and "suspected Wu and Yue" All the royal families are branches of Chu." Finally, he added: "I have recently suspected that Wu may have been one of the concubines of Hanyang, and she was a special title of the Yu State. There are other researches on those who later moved eastward." Therefore, as for the origin of the Wu State, There are still completely different accounts.
In the twelfth year of Duke Xiang of Lu (561 BC), King Shoumeng of Wu passed away. He had four sons, the eldest son Zhufan, the second son Yuji, the third son Yumei, and the fourth son Jizha. Jizha had been quick to learn and intelligent since he was a child, and he had the demeanor of a gentleman, without fighting with others. King Shoumeng of Wu was particularly fond of him and wanted to pass the throne to him. However, Jizha rejected his father's plan to abolish the eldest son and establish a younger one: "For the inheritance of the throne, the state's etiquette and law have its own regulations. How can the etiquette of the previous king be destroyed for the sake of the personal feelings between father and son?" So Shou Meng died before his death. Before that, he said to his eldest son Zhufan: "I want to pass the country to Ji Zha, but he is unwilling to accept it for the sake of etiquette. You must not forget my words." Then he told Zhufan, "I will pass the country on to Ji Zha." "Zha", all the officials agreed one by one.
After the death of King Wu Shoumeng, Zhufan, as the eldest son, decided to act in state affairs first and wait until the period of national mourning expired before letting Jizha ascend the throne as king. After the national mourning period, Zhufan gave way to Jizha, but Jizha refused to accept it. However, the people of Wu State insisted on making Ji Zha their king, so Jizha had no choice but to abandon his family and go farming in the mountains and forests to make a living to show his determination. After the people of Wu State saw Ji Zha's resolute attitude, they no longer made things difficult for Ji Zha and allowed Zhufan to continue to be the king of Wu.
Before his death, King Zhufan of Wu passed the throne to his second brother Yuji, told him his father's last wish, and told him: "The throne must be passed on to Ji Zha." This was Zhufan's fulfillment of his late king's longevity dream. His last wish was also fulfilling his promise to the late king. Zhufan also granted Yanling to Jizha, so Jizha was also called the "Jizi of Yanling".
A few years later, Jizha was sent as an envoy to the State of Lu by Yu Ji. From then on, Jizha began his travels around the world. After Jizha arrived in the State of Lu, he appreciated the preserved music of the Zhou people. After the musicians of Lu State sang "Zhou Nan" and "Zhao Nan" for him, Jizha said: "These movements are so beautiful! It can be heard that the ethics of the Zhou Dynasty already have a certain foundation. Although it is not perfect, it is It is enough to educate the people so that they can work hard for the emperor without any regrets."
Then the people of Lu sang to him the poems "Beifeng", "Guofeng" and "Weifeng". After listening to it, Ji Zha commented: "These movements have beautiful music and profound meaning. They can be used to educate the people and make them useful." The thoughts of caring about the country and the people are not confusing and difficult to understand. I heard that Wei Kangshu and Wu Gong had such noble virtues. These are probably the folk songs of Wei."
Later, the people of Lu sang "Wang Feng" for him. Ji Zha commented: "It's great! This kind of music expresses concern for the country and the people without fear. It should be a folk song after King Ping moved eastward!" However, When the music of "Zheng Feng" played, Jizha frowned and said: "The music is so complicated and delicate, and Zheng's government decrees will probably be harsh and detailed. How can the people bear it? Zheng will probably perish first. The reason is that this!"
The delicate "Zheng Feng" was followed by the melodious "Qi Feng". Ji Zha sincerely praised: "It's so beautiful! The sound range is broad and magnificent, which is exactly the style of a great country! It can serve as an example for the eastern coastal countries. This should be Jiang Taigong's The country has been sealed off, which shows that the future of Qi State is limitless!"
After hearing "Bin Feng", Jizha commented: "This piece of music is also very beautiful. It boldly shows the joy of the people without being reduced to the sound of dissoluteness. This must be a poem written by Duke Zhou during his eastern expedition!" Jizha commented on the sonorous "Qin Feng": "This should be the sound of Xia in the west! The sound of Xia is so grand and unparalleled that these should be folk songs from the old land of the Zhou Dynasty!"
After that, Jizha listened to "Wei Feng" again, and then said happily: "The voice is loud but the melody is gentle, the form is simple and very smooth, if there are sages with high virtues to assist, you can definitely become a wise monarch!" After listening to "Tang Feng" again, he said with emotion: "With such profound worries, it should be the descendants of Tao Tang's survivors. Only those who are virtuous can achieve such a state."
Afterwards, the people of Lu sang "Chen Feng" again, and Jizha said disdainfully: "These movements are disorganized, just like a country without a king. How can such a country last long?" After "Hinoki Wind", Jizha did not comment again. Ji Zha's observation of the customs of various countries has stopped here.
Later, the people of Lu sang "Xiaoya" and "Daya" for Jizha, and then sang "Ode" poems. After the singing of "wind", "ya" and "song" ended, the people of Lu invited Jizha to watch the music and dance. After watching the dances "Xiang Feng" and "Nan Xun", Jizha said: "Although the dance is beautiful, I always feel there are some shortcomings." Then, after watching the music and dance "Dawu", Jizha commented: "It is really beautiful! The great virtue of Dazhou should be like this!"
After watching Shang Tang's "Shao Hu", Jizha said: "This music and dance can very well show the magnanimity of a saint, but there is still room for improvement in virtue. It is really difficult to be a saint!" After watching "Shaohu", Jizha said After the dance of "Da Xia", he said: "This dance is really beautiful! He can be diligent in the king's affairs without taking credit and being arrogant. Who but Dayu?" Finally, Jizha watched Yu Shun's dance of "Shao Ripe" and said emotionally : "Virtue and goodness are extremely beautiful! Just like the sky covers everything and the earth does not carry anything. Who can match such a beautiful character? To be able to see such music and dance has reached the extreme. Even if there are other music and dances, it will not Enjoy it no more.”
After Jizha left the State of Lu, he went as an envoy to the State of Qi. In Qi State, he met Yan Ying and advised Yan Ying: "Now the king of Qi State is undecided, and the political situation is very unstable. As long as the great leader is uncertain, the disaster will not stop. You'd better resign from the official position and hand over the fiefdom." , Only then can the whole body avoid disaster." After Yan Ying listened to Ji Zha's words, he handed over his fiefdom and authority through Chen Huanzi, thus avoiding being killed in the civil strife between Luan Shi and Gao Qiang.
After leaving Qi, Jizha came to Zheng again and met Zichan. Ji Zha and Zichan hit it off immediately and became close friends. So Ji Zha spoke heartily to Zichan: "The officials who are now in charge of Zheng's political power are arrogant and extravagant. They will not be in office for too long. Sooner or later, you will be in charge of Zheng's state affairs. You must follow the Zhou rites in the future and do not let Zheng The country was destroyed because of its failure to observe the rules of etiquette.”
Ji Zha next arrived at Weiguo. In Weiguo, he got acquainted with Gongzi Chao, Gongzi Jing, Gongshufa, Shi Gou, Shi You and others, and became very close to these people. So Jizha sighed and said: "There are so many gentlemen in Weiguo, and the country will not fall into turmoil." On the way from Weiguo to Jin, Jizha stayed in Qidi halfway, and this was Sun Wenzi's home. Feng Yi. After Jizha came here, he heard Sun Wenzi ringing bells and playing music, and said: "I heard that Sun Wenzi has always been arrogant and arrogant, and has never convinced others with virtue. People like him cannot escape bad luck. Now Wei Wei During the funeral of Duke Xian, the monarch has not yet been buried, but he is here playing music and enjoying himself, which has already violated a taboo and the situation is too dangerous." The next day, Jizha left Qi's place, and Sun Wenzi heard what Jizha said. After saying this, I regretted it so much that I never listened to music again.
After Jizha arrived in Jin, he admired Zhao Wenzi, Han Xuanzi and Wei Xianzi very much, and said: "The future of Jin will fall in the hands of these three great officials!" Before leaving Jin, Jizha told his uncle Xiang again. Said: "Now that the king of Jin is extravagant and extravagant, and there are many powerful and talented officials in the country, Jin is likely to be controlled by the three families of Zhao, Wei, and Han in the future. You are upright and selfless, and you are unwilling to submit to others, so Be careful in your behavior and actions!"
After Jizha traveled to various countries and returned home, the situation in Wu also changed. King Wu Yuji died after seventeen years of reign, and was passed down to his third brother Yumei. However, Yu Mei unfortunately passed away only four years after taking the throne. Before his death, he specifically stated that his fourth brother Jizha would succeed to the throne. But Jizha refused to accept the throne and finally hid. In desperation, the people of Wu elected Yu Mei's son Liao to succeed him to the throne. However, this aroused the dissatisfaction of the young master Helu. Prince Helu was the son of King Zhufan of Wu. He believed that since Jizha refused to be king, it would be his turn to be king according to their brother-in-law method. Therefore, Prince Helu began a struggle to seize power, and eventually had Liao assassinated. He became the king of Wu, and became the famous King of Wu in history, Helu.
Seeing this situation, Ji Zha said sadly: Now that it has become like this, as long as the incense of the late king Shoumeng continues and the state of Wu continues, I have no complaints. The sages tell us that whoever becomes the king should Just take orders from anyone. So Jizha went to the tomb of King Liao of Wu to mourn and mourn, and reported the story of his mission. Then, Jizha stayed on top of his duties and obeyed the instructions of King Helu of Wu.
