Zuozhuan Cheng Gong — the eighth of the twelve ducal chronicles of Lu

The Zuo Commentary (Zuozhuan) is the great narrative history of the Spring and Autumn period. It is built around the Chunqiu, the clipped court chronicle of the state of Lu, and it proceeds year by year: first the annal entries of the Chunqiu itself, a handful of terse lines recording a burial, a covenant, an eclipse, a wall built; then the Zuo narrative, which tells what lay behind them — the councils, the speeches, the battles, the household quarrels — at a length the annal never allows. Tradition assigns the commentary to one Zuo Qiuming, said to have been a contemporary of Confucius; the text as it stands was more probably compiled from older state records some centuries later, and its authorship cannot honestly be settled.

This file covers the reign of Duke Cheng of Lu, 590–573 BCE. In these eighteen years Jin and Chu contend without rest for the mastery of covenants. The great chariot battle at An breaks the army of Qi in the second year; a peace between Jin and Chu is sworn outside the west gate of Song in the twelfth and broken soon after; the battle of Yanling in the sixteenth ends with the king of Chu shot through the eye and his marshal dead by his own hand; and in the eighteenth Duke Li of Jin is seized at his ease and murdered by his own ministers. Along the way an exile teaches Wu to fight from chariots, and Wu begins to rise; the fields of Wenyang are given to Lu and taken away again; and Lu, small and lying close beside its enemies, learns what it costs to be of divided allegiance.

Names are given in Hanyu pinyin without tone marks, and ranks follow the conventional Five Ranks — 公 duke, 侯 marquis, 伯 earl, 子 viscount, 男 baron. One habit of the text should be flagged: the Zuo names the same man in several ways, by clan and personal name (Xi Ke, Shi Xie, Luan Shu, Han Jue, Xun Ying, Shusun Qiaoru, Shi Gai) and by clan with an honorific or posthumous style (Xi Xianzi, Fan Wenzi, Luan Wuzi, Han Xianzi, Zhi Wuzi, Xuanbo, Fan Xuanzi). These have been kept as the source gives them rather than flattened to one form, because which name a passage chooses is often part of what it is saying.

Translated for the Good Works Library directly from the classical Chinese, which is printed in full below. Complete English translations of the Zuo Commentary already exist — James Legge (1872), and Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li, and David Schaberg (2016), with selections by Burton Watson (1989) — so no claim of firstness is made here. This translation was derived independently from the Chinese and did not consult them.

Contents

• Year 1 (成公元年)
• Year 2 (成公二年)
• Year 3 (成公三年)
• Year 4 (成公四年)
• Year 5 (成公五年)
• Year 6 (成公六年)
• Year 7 (成公七年)
• Year 8 (成公八年)
• Year 9 (成公九年)
• Year 10 (成公十年)
• Year 11 (成公十一年)
• Year 12 (成公十二年)
• Year 13 (成公十三年)
• Year 14 (成公十四年)
• Year 15 (成公十五年)
• Year 16 (成公十六年)
• Year 17 (成公十七年)
• Year 18 (成公十八年)

Translation

Year 1 (成公元年)

Annals.

• In the first year, in spring, in the king's first month, the duke assumed his place.
• In the second month, on xinyou, we buried our lord Duke Xuan. There was no ice.
• In the third month, the district levy of armor was instituted.
• In summer, Zangsun Xu covenanted with the marquis of Jin at Chiji.
• In autumn, the king's army was routed by the Mao Rong.
• In winter, the tenth month.

Zuo.

In the first year, in spring, the marquis of Jin sent Xia Jia to make peace between the Rong and the king. Duke Xiang of Shan went to Jin to give thanks for the settlement. Duke Kang of Liu caught the Rong off their guard and meant to go on and attack them. Shu Fu said, "To turn one's back on a covenant and to deceive a great state — this is certain to end in defeat. To break a covenant is inauspicious; to deceive a great state is unrighteous. Neither spirits nor men will help him. How is he to win?" He would not listen, and went on to attack the Mao Rong.

In the third month, on guiwei, the king's army was routed at the place of the Xuwu clan. Because of the danger from Qi, the district levy of armor was instituted; word had come that Qi was about to bring out the army of Chu.

In summer, the covenant at Chiji was made.

In autumn, a man of the king came to report the defeat.

In winter, Zang Xuanshu ordered the military levies to be put in order, the walls repaired, and full defenses made ready. He said, "Qi and Chu have joined in friendship; we have newly covenanted with Jin. Jin and Chu contend for the mastery of covenants, and the army of Qi will certainly come. Even if the men of Jin attack Qi, Chu will surely rescue it — and so Qi and Chu together will be upon us. To know the danger and be prepared: only so can one prevail."

Year 2 (成公二年)

Annals.

• In the second year, in spring, the marquis of Qi attacked our northern border.
• In summer, in the fourth month, on bingxu, Sun Liangfu of Wei led an army and fought the army of Qi at Xinzhu. The army of Wei was routed.
• In the sixth month, on guiyou, Jisun Xingfu, Zangsun Xu, Shusun Qiaoru, and Gongsun Yingqi led an army and joined Xi Ke of Jin, Sun Liangfu of Wei, and Prince Shou of Cao, and fought the marquis of Qi at An. The army of Qi was routed.
• In autumn, in the seventh month, the marquis of Qi sent Guo Zuo to the army. On jiyou, a covenant was made with Guo Zuo at Yuanlou.
• In the eighth month, on renwu, Bao, duke of Song, died. On gengyin, Su, marquis of Wei, died. The fields of Wenyang were taken.
• In winter, the army of Chu and the army of Zheng raided Wei.
• In the eleventh month, the duke met Prince Yingqi of Chu at Shu. On bingshen, the duke covenanted at Shu with men of Chu, men of Qin, men of Song, men of Chen, men of Wei, men of Zheng, men of Qi, men of Cao, men of Zhu, men of Xue, and men of Zeng.

Zuo.

In the second year, in spring, the marquis of Qi attacked our northern border and besieged Long. Lupu Jiukui, a favorite of Duke Qing, assaulted the gate, and the men of Long took him prisoner. The marquis of Qi said, "Do not kill him. I will covenant with you and not enter your borders." They would not listen, but killed him and hung his dismembered body on the wall. The marquis of Qi beat the drum in person, his officers scaled the wall, and in three days Long was taken. He then raided southward as far as Chaoqiu. The marquis of Wei sent Sun Liangfu, Shi Ji, Ning Xiang, and Xiang Qin to raid Qi, and they fell in with the army of Qi. Master Shi wished to turn back. Master Sun said, "It will not do. To take an army out to attack another, and then to meet his army and turn back — what shall we say to our lord? If we knew we were not equal to it, we should not have come out at all. Now that we have met them, it is better to fight."

In summer there was a battle. Shi Chengzi said, "The army is beaten. If you do not wait a little, the host will be terrified to the last man. If you lose your troops, how will you report back?" No one answered him. He said again, "You are a minister of the state; if you fall, it is a disgrace. Take the host and withdraw; I will halt here." And he gave out that chariots were coming in great numbers, whereupon the army of Qi halted and encamped at Juju. Zhongshu Yuxi, a man of Xinzhu, rescued Sun Huanzi, and by this Huanzi got away. Afterward the men of Wei rewarded him with a town. He declined it, and asked instead to appear at court with the three-sided hanging of bells and the ornamented horse trappings; and this was granted him. When Zhongni heard of it he said, "A pity. It would have been better to give him many towns. Only vessels and titles may not be lent to another: they are what the ruler has charge of. Titles bring forth good faith; good faith preserves the vessels; the vessels hold the rites; the rites carry out righteousness; righteousness produces benefit; benefit brings peace to the people. These are the great joints of government. To lend them to another is to give government away, and when government is lost the state and its houses follow after it, and it can no longer be stopped."

Sun Huanzi came back to Xinzhu but did not enter, and went straight on to Jin to beg for troops. Zang Xuanshu also went to Jin to beg for troops, and both made Xi Xianzi their host. The marquis of Jin granted them seven hundred chariots. Master Xi said, "That was the levy of Chengpu. There they had the brightness of a former ruler and the strictness of former grandees, and therefore they won. Measured against the former grandees, I am not fit to be their servant. I ask for eight hundred chariots." It was granted. Xi Ke commanded the central army, Shi Xie the upper army, Luan Shu the lower army, and Han Jue was marshal, to go to the rescue of Lu and Wei. Zang Xuanshu went out to meet the army of Jin and guided it, and Ji Wenzi led an army to join it. When they reached the territory of Wei, Han Xianzi was about to behead a man. Xi Xianzi galloped up to save him, but when he arrived the man had already been beheaded. Master Xi ordered the body to be paraded through the camp at once, and told his driver, "I do this to take a share of the blame." The army followed the army of Qi at Shen.

In the sixth month, on renshen, the army reached the foot of Miji. The marquis of Qi sent to ask for battle, saying, "You have brought your lord's army and put our poor city to this trouble. Our levies are not rich, but tomorrow at dawn I ask to meet you." The answer was, "Jin and Lu and Wei are brothers. They came and told us, 'The great state morning and evening vents its resentment upon the land of our poor city.' Our unworthy lord could not bear it, and sent his ministers to make request of the great state, that our massed army might not linger in your lord's land. We can advance; we cannot go back. Your lord need not trouble to give any command." The marquis of Qi said, "That the grandee consents is my own wish. Had he not consented, I should have come to see him all the same."

Gao Gu of Qi charged into the army of Jin, heaved up a stone and hurled it at a man, took him prisoner, and mounted his chariot. He tied a mulberry root to it and paraded through the camps of Qi, calling out, "Whoever wants courage, buy my courage to spare!"

On guiyou the armies drew up in array at An. Bing Xia drove for the marquis of Qi, with Feng Choufu as his right-hand man; Xie Zhang of Jin drove for Xi Ke, with Zhengqiu Huan as his right. The marquis of Qi said, "Let me first wipe these out, and then take my morning meal." He did not put armor on his horses, but galloped upon them. Xi Ke was wounded by an arrow, and the blood ran down to his shoes, but he did not let the drumbeat break off. He said, "I am badly hurt." Zhang Hou said, "From the first clash an arrow has gone through my hand and into my elbow. I broke off the shaft and went on driving; the left wheel is dark red with blood. Would I dare speak of being hurt? Bear it, sir." Huan said, "From the first clash, whenever the ground was rough I have got down and pushed the chariot. Did you ever know it? Still, you are badly hurt." Zhang Hou said, "The eyes and ears of the army are on our flag and our drum; they advance and retreat by them. Let one man hold this chariot steady and the business can be brought off. How can you, for a wound, ruin your lord's great affair? To put on armor and take up weapons is to go out to death from the first. You are hurt, but you have not come to death. Exert yourself, sir." With his left hand he gathered the reins together, with his right he seized the drumstick and beat the drum. The horses bolted and could not be held; the army followed after, and the army of Qi was routed. They pursued them three times round Mount Huabuzhu.

Han Jue had dreamed that Ziyu said to him, "Keep clear of the left and the right." Therefore he drove from the middle place as he pursued the marquis of Qi. Bing Xia said, "Shoot the driver; he is a gentleman." The duke said, "To call him a gentleman and then to shoot him is contrary to the rites." He shot the man on the left, who pitched down below the chariot, and he shot the man on the right, who died in the chariot. Qiwu Zhang had lost his own chariot; he followed Han Jue and said, "Let me ride with you." When he made to take a place on the left or on the right, Han Jue elbowed him away each time and set him standing behind. Then Han Jue bent down and settled the body of his right-hand man.

Feng Choufu had changed places with the duke. As they were nearing Huaquan, an outside horse caught on a tree and they stopped. Choufu had been sleeping in a light cart when a snake came out from under it; he struck at it with his forearm and was hurt, and he had hidden the wound. Therefore he could not push the chariot, and they were overtaken. Han Jue took the tether and stood before the horses, bowed twice and touched his head to the ground, and presented a goblet with a jade disc laid upon it, saying, "Our unworthy lord sent his ministers to make request on behalf of Lu and Wei, saying, 'Do not let our massed army sink into your lord's territory.' Your servant has had the misfortune to be posted in the ranks, and there is nowhere for him to flee or hide; and he feared that by running away he would shame the two rulers. Unworthy soldier as I am, I make bold to announce my clumsiness: I fill this office only because abler men are lacking." Choufu made the duke get down and go to Huaquan to fetch a drink. Zheng Zhoufu was driving the reserve chariot with Wan Fei as his right; they took the marquis of Qi aboard, and he escaped.

Han Jue presented Choufu, and Xi Xianzi was about to put him to death. He cried out, "From this day on there will be no one who takes his lord's peril upon himself. Here is such a man — and is he to be put to death?" Master Xi said, "A man who does not shrink from death to save his lord — to kill him would be inauspicious. I will pardon him, to encourage those who serve their rulers." So he let him go.

The marquis of Qi, having got away, went to look for Choufu; three times he went into the enemy and three times came out, and each time he came out the troops of Qi drew off with their commanders to cover him. He went in among the Di foot soldiers, and the Di all drew their halberds and raised their shields to screen him, and so he passed into the army of Wei; and the men of Wei let him go. He then came in by the Xu Pass. The marquis of Qi saw the men on guard and said, "Do your best. The army of Qi has been beaten." He turned aside for a woman, and the woman said, "Has our lord got away?" "He has got away." "Has the officer of arms got away?" "He has got away." She said, "If our lord and my father have both got away, what more is there?" and then she ran off. The marquis of Qi thought her mannerly, and afterward inquired about her: she was the wife of the officer of encampments. He gave her Shiliu. The army of Jin followed the army of Qi, entered by Qiuyu, and struck at Maxing.

The marquis of Qi sent Bin Meiren with a bribe of the Ji tripod-steamer, a jade chime, and land; and if these were not accepted, then he was to let the visitors do as they pleased. Bin Meiren presented the gifts, and the men of Jin would not have them. They said, "You must give the daughter of Xiao Tongshu as a hostage, and make all the field-baulks within the borders of Qi run east." He answered, "The daughter of Xiao Tongshu is no other than the mother of our unworthy lord; and if rank is matched with rank, she is as the mother of the lord of Jin. You spread a great command among the feudal lords, and say, 'You must give your mother as hostage for good faith.' What then of the king's command? Moreover this is to command by unfilial conduct. The Odes say:

The filial son is never wanting;
forever are blessings given to your kind.

If you command the feudal lords by unfilial conduct, is that not a thing without virtue in it? The former kings set the boundaries and drew the lines of the world; they examined what each soil was fit for and spread abroad its benefit. Therefore the Odes say:

We set our boundaries, we draw our lines;
southward and eastward run the field-baulks.

Now you set boundary and line for the feudal lords, and say only, 'Make all the baulks run east.' You look to nothing but the convenience of your war chariots and give no regard to what the soil is fit for. Is this not contrary to the command of the former kings? To go against the former kings is unrighteous; and how then can Jin be master of covenants? In this Jin is truly at fault. When the Four Kings reigned as kings, they planted virtue and brought the common desire to fulfillment. When the Five Hegemons held their hegemony, they toiled and soothed the lords and made them serve the king's commands. Now you seek to gather the feudal lords in order to gratify a desire without bounds. The Odes say:

He spreads his government in gentleness;
the hundred blessings gather to him.

You are truly without gentleness, and so cast away the hundred blessings. What harm is that to the feudal lords? And if you will not have it so, our unworthy lord's charge to his envoy has words for that also. It runs: 'You have brought your lord's army to the shaming of our poor city; with our meager levies we would feast your followers. In dread of your lord's thunder our host was bent and broken. If you will kindly seek out good fortune for the state of Qi and not blot out its altars of soil and grain, but let the old friendship be continued, then not even the worn vessels and the lands of our former rulers will we grudge you. And if you still will not agree, then we ask leave to gather up the last embers, set our backs to the city wall and stake all upon one throw. If our poor city is fortunate, we shall follow you even so; and if it is unfortunate, how should we dare not to obey your command?'"

Lu and Wei remonstrated, saying, "Qi hates us bitterly. Those of theirs who died or were lost were all their close kin. If you do not consent, their enmity against us will be extreme. And what more do you seek? You get the treasures of their state, and we get land and are eased of our danger; that is glory enough. Qi or Jin — it is only what Heaven grants. Must it always be Jin?" The men of Jin then consented. The answer was made: "Your ministers led out the levy-chariots to make request on behalf of Lu and Wei. If we have something to say for ourselves when we report back to our unworthy lord, that is your kindness; how should we dare not to obey your command?" Qin Zheng came from the army to meet the duke.

In autumn, in the seventh month, the army of Jin covenanted with Guo Zuo of Qi at Yuanlou, and made the men of Qi restore to us the fields of Wenyang. The duke met the army of Jin at Shangming. The three commanders received leading chariots and robes of the third degree of appointment; the marshal, the minister of works, the commander of the chariots, the chief of scouts, and the lesser officers all received robes of the first degree.

In the eighth month, Duke Wen of Song died. For the first time there was a lavish burial: clam lime and charcoal were used, chariots and horses were increased, human victims were used for the first time, the grave goods were heaped up, the outer coffin had four sloping eaves, and the inner coffin had upright boards and a ridged covering. A gentleman said that in this Hua Yuan and Yue Ju failed of their duty as ministers. A minister is one who orders what is troublesome and takes away what is deluded, and therefore he will lie down and die contending. But these two men, while their lord lived, gave free rein to his delusion, and when he was dead added to his extravagance. This is to abandon their lord in evil. What ministers are these?

In the ninth month, Duke Mu of Wei died. Two men of Jin came from the campaign to condole. They wailed outside the great gate, and the men of Wei went out to meet them; the women wailed inside the gate, and the escorting out was done in the same way. This then became the regular usage at burials.

When Chu punished the Xia clan of Chen, King Zhuang wished to take Xia Ji into his household. Wuchen, the governor of Shen, said, "It will not do. My lord summoned the feudal lords in order to punish a crime. If now you take Xia Ji, it is coveting her beauty. To covet beauty is licentiousness, and licentiousness brings on great punishment. The Documents of Zhou say, 'Make virtue bright and be careful in punishment' — this is how King Wen made Zhou. To make virtue bright means to strive to exalt it; to be careful in punishment means to strive to be rid of it. To raise up the feudal lords and by that bring a great punishment on yourself is not to be careful. Let my lord consider it." Then the king stopped. Zifan wished to take her. Wuchen said, "This is an unlucky woman. She cut short the life of Ziman, killed Yushu, brought about the murder of Marquis Ling and the execution of Xia Nan, drove out Kong and Yi, and lost the state of Chen. What could be more unlucky? Human life is hard enough as it is; will you not fail to die a natural death? There are many beautiful women in the world. Why must it be this one?" Then Zifan stopped. The king gave her to Xianglao the lian-yin. Xianglao died at Bi and his body was not recovered, and his son Heiyao took her to himself.

Wuchen sent word to lead her on, saying, "Go home; I will make you my wife with the betrothal gifts." He also had her summoned from Zheng with the message, "The body can be got; you must come to fetch it." Xia Ji told the king of it, and the king asked Qu Wu about it. He answered, "It is true. The father of Zhi Ying was a favorite of Duke Cheng and is the youngest brother of Zhonghang Bo; he has newly become second in the central army, and he is on good terms with Huang Xu of Zheng. He loves this son of his dearly, and he will certainly use Zheng to send back the king's son and the body of Xianglao in order to ask for him. The men of Zheng were frightened by the affair at Bi and wish to find favor with Jin; they will certainly agree." The king let Xia Ji go home. As she was setting out she said to those who escorted her, "If I do not get the body, I shall not come back." Wuchen made the betrothal offer for her in Zheng, and the earl of Zheng consented.

When King Gong came to the throne and the campaign of Yangqiao was to be made, Qu Wu was sent on a diplomatic visit to Qi and to announce the date of the army's muster. Wuchen went taking his whole household with him. Shenshu Gui, who was going with his father to Ying, met him and said, "How strange. The gentleman has upon him the anxiety of the three armies, and yet also the joy of 'Among the Mulberries.' Surely he is a man who is going to steal a wife and run off with her." When he reached Zheng he sent his deputy back with the gifts and went off with Xia Ji. He meant to flee to Qi, but the army of Qi had just been beaten, and he said, "I will not live in a state that cannot win." So he fled to Jin, and through Xi Zhi became a servant of Jin; and the men of Jin made him grandee of Xing. Zifan asked leave to bar him from office with heavy bribes. The king said, "Stop. In planning for himself he did wrong; but in planning for our former ruler he was loyal, and loyalty is the firmness of the altars of soil and grain — it covers much. Besides, if he can profit their state, will Jin let him go for any weight of bribes? And if he is of no use to Jin, Jin will cast him off. Why take the trouble to bar him?"

When the army of Jin came home, Fan Wenzi entered last. Wuzi said, "Did you not think I would be watching for you?" He answered, "The army had won merit and the people of the capital came out rejoicing to meet it. Had I entered first I should have drawn all their eyes and ears, and that would be taking the commander's place and receiving his name. So I did not dare." Wuzi said, "Now I know that we shall escape." Earl Xi had audience, and the duke said, "This was your strength." He answered, "It was my lord's instruction and the strength of these several gentlemen. What strength had your servant in it?" Fan Shu had audience, and the duke praised him as he had Earl Xi. He answered, "It was Geng's ordering and Ke's direction. What strength had Xie in it?" Earl Luan had audience, and the duke did the same. He answered, "It was Xie's instruction, and the officers obeyed the command. What strength had Shu in it?"

Duke Xuan had sent to seek friendship with Chu; but King Zhuang died and Duke Xuan passed away, and the friendship could not be made. When the duke assumed his place he received a covenant from Jin and joined Jin in attacking Qi. The men of Wei did not send their mission to Chu, but likewise received a covenant from Jin and followed in the attack on Qi. Therefore Zizhong, the chief minister of Chu, made the campaign of Yangqiao to rescue Qi. When the army was to be raised, Zizhong said, "Our lord is young, and we ministers are not the equals of the former grandees. Only with a great host can it be done. The Odes say:

Many and able, the throng of officers —
by them King Wen had peace.

Even King Wen made use of numbers; how much more men such as we are." Moreover the former ruler King Zhuang had charged him, saying, "If you have not virtue enough to reach distant regions, nothing is better than to be kind and careful of your people and to use them well." So he made a great registration of households, remitted debts, provided for the widowed, relieved the destitute, pardoned offenders, and mustered the whole army. The king's own guard all marched out. Peng Ming drove the war chariot, Duke Jing of Cai was on the left and Duke Ling of Xu on the right; both rulers were young, and they were capped by force for the occasion.

In winter the army of Chu raided Wei and then raided us, and lay at Shu. Zangsun was ordered to go out against them. He declined, saying, "Chu is far from home and has long been in the field; it will certainly withdraw. To take a name without merit — your servant does not dare." The Chu raid reached Yangqiao. Mengsun asked leave to go and bribe them, with a hundred carpenters, a hundred needleworkers, and a hundred weavers, and with Gongheng as hostage, in order to ask for a covenant; and the men of Chu agreed to peace.

In the eleventh month the duke, with Prince Yingqi of Chu, the marquis of Cai, the baron of Xu, Yue the right grandee of Qin, Hua Yuan of Song, Gongsun Ning of Chen, Sun Liangfu of Wei, Prince Quji of Zheng, and a grandee of the state of Qi, covenanted at Shu. The ministers are not recorded, because it was a hollow covenant. In this they feared Jin and secretly covenanted with Chu; therefore it is called a hollow covenant. The marquis of Cai and the baron of Xu are not recorded, because they rode in Chu chariots; this is called losing one's station. A gentleman said, "Is not one's station a thing to be careful of? The rulers of Cai and Xu, having once lost their station, could not be ranked among the feudal lords; how much more those below them. The Odes say:

Unwearied in his station,
in him the people find their rest.

This is what is meant." When the army of Chu reached Song, Gongheng ran away home. Zang Xuanshu said, "Hengfu could not bear a few years without ease, and so has cast off the state of Lu. What will become of the state? Who will bear it? Someone after him will surely have to bear this. The state is cast away." On that campaign Jin avoided Chu, fearing its numbers. A gentleman said, "Numbers cannot be done without. When grandees hold the government they still conquer by numbers; how much more an enlightened ruler who uses his multitudes well. When the Great Declaration says that Shang's myriad people were divided while Zhou's ten men were of one mind, that is numbers."

The marquis of Jin sent Gong Shuo to present the spoils of Qi at the court of Zhou. The king would not see him, and sent Duke Xiang of Shan to decline, saying, "When the Man, Yi, Rong, and Di do not follow the king's commands, drown themselves in excess and destroy the constant order, and the king commands that they be attacked, then there is a presentation of spoils, and the king receives it in person and rewards the bringer; this is to punish irreverence and to encourage merit. But when brothers, nephews, and uncles invade and spoil the king's domains, and the king commands that they be attacked, they report the affair and no more; they do not present their achievement. This is to honor close kin and to forbid excess and wickedness. Now my uncle has carried it through and gained merit against Qi, yet he has not sent a minister of appointed rank to steady and soothe the royal house. The man sent to comfort me, the One Man, is Earl Gong, who as yet holds no office in the royal house; and this too offends against the rites of the former kings. Gladly as I would receive Earl Gong, how should I dare abolish the old canons and so put my uncle to shame? Qi is a state of our nephews and uncles, and the posterity of the Grand Preceptor. Has it not simply followed its desires to excess, and so angered my uncle? And could it not still be admonished and taught?" Shi Zhuangbo could not answer. The king committed the matter to the Three Officers, who treated him with the ceremony used when a marquis or an earl has overcome an enemy and sends a grandee to announce the good news — one degree below the ceremony for a minister. The king feasted Earl Gong and privately made him gifts, and had his assistant tell him, "This is not according to the rites. Do not enter it in the records."

Year 3 (成公三年)

Annals.

• In the third year, in spring, in the king's first month, the duke met the marquis of Jin, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, and the earl of Cao, and attacked Zheng. On xinhai, Duke Mu of Wei was buried.
• In the second month, the duke arrived from the attack on Zheng. On jiazi, the New Temple caught fire; there was wailing for three days. On yihai, Duke Wen of Song was buried.
• In summer, the duke went to Jin. Prince Quji of Zheng led an army and attacked Xu. The duke arrived from Jin.
• In autumn, Shusun Qiaoru led an army and besieged Ji. There was the great rain sacrifice. Xi Ke of Jin and Sun Liangfu of Wei attacked the Qiangjiuru.
• In winter, in the eleventh month, the marquis of Jin sent Xun Geng on a diplomatic visit; the marquis of Wei sent Sun Liangfu on a diplomatic visit. On bingwu, a covenant was made with Xun Geng; on dingwei, a covenant was made with Sun Liangfu. Zheng attacked Xu.

Zuo.

In the third year, in spring, the feudal lords attacked Zheng and encamped at Boniu, punishing it for the affair at Bi. They then raided eastward into Zheng. Prince Yan of Zheng led an army to withstand them; he had the men of the eastern border lie in ambush at Man, and defeated them at Qiuyu. Huang Xu went to Chu to present the spoils.

In summer, the duke went to Jin to give thanks for the fields of Wenyang. Xu, relying on Chu, would not serve Zheng, and Ziliang of Zheng attacked Xu. The men of Jin returned Prince Guchen of Chu and the body of Xianglao the lian-yin to Chu, in order to ask for Zhi Ying; for by this time Xun Shou was second in the central army, and therefore the men of Chu agreed. The king escorted Zhi Ying and said, "Do you bear me a grudge?" He answered, "The two states took up arms; your servant was without ability and unequal to his charge, and so was made a prisoner. Your officers did not smear the drums with my blood, but are sending me home to my execution: that is my lord's kindness. Your servant was indeed without ability; whom then should he dare to blame?" The king said, "Then are you grateful to me?" He answered, "The two states have taken thought for their altars of soil and grain and have sought relief for their peoples; each has curbed its anger and they pardon one another; both release their bound prisoners and so complete their friendship. The two states have friendship, but your servant had no part in it. To whom then should he dare be grateful?" The king said, "When you go home, how will you repay me?" He answered, "Your servant is charged with no grudge, nor is my lord charged with any kindness. With neither grudge nor kindness, I do not know what there is to repay." The king said, "Even so, you must tell me." He answered, "By my lord's good fortune this bound servant may bring his bones back to Jin. If my unworthy lord puts me to death, I shall die and yet not decay. If, following your lord's kindness, he pardons me and hands me over to your lord's outer servant Shou, and Shou asks leave of my unworthy lord to put me to death before the ancestors, I shall likewise die and yet not decay. And if I do not obtain that command, but am made to succeed to the family office and in my turn take up affairs, and lead a division of the army to keep the borders in order, then even if I met your officers I would not dare to turn aside: I would spend my strength to the death with no divided heart, and so fulfill a servant's duty. That is how I would repay you." The king said, "Jin is not yet to be contended with," and he treated him with great ceremony and sent him home.

In autumn, Shusun Qiaoru besieged Ji. When the fields of Wenyang were taken, Ji would not submit, and therefore it was besieged. Xi Ke of Jin and Sun Liangfu of Wei attacked the Qiangjiuru, punishing the remnant of the Red Di. The Qiangjiuru scattered, because those above had lost their people.

In winter, in the eleventh month, the marquis of Jin sent Xun Geng on a diplomatic visit and to renew the covenant, and the marquis of Wei sent Sun Liangfu on a diplomatic visit and to renew the covenant. The duke asked Zang Xuanshu, "Zhonghang Bo in Jin stands third in rank; Master Sun in Wei is chief minister. Which is to go first?" He answered, "The chief minister of a state of the second rank matches the middle minister of a great state; its middle minister matches the great state's lowest; its lowest matches the great state's senior grandee. The chief minister of a small state matches the lowest minister of a great state; its middle minister matches the senior grandee, and its lowest the junior grandee. High and low are ranked in this way; it is the institution of antiquity. Wei, set beside Jin, cannot count as a state of the second rank. And Jin is master of covenants: he should go first." On bingwu the covenant with Jin was made, and on dingwei the covenant with Wei. This was according to the rites.

In the twelfth month, on jiaxu, Jin formed six armies. Han Jue, Zhao Kuo, Gong Shuo, Han Chuan, Xun Zhui, and Zhao Zhan were all made ministers, in reward for the merit at An. The marquis of Qi came to court in Jin. As he was about to present the jade, Xi Ke hurried forward and said, "This journey of yours is on account of a woman's laughter that shamed me. My unworthy lord does not dare to accept it." The marquis of Jin feasted the marquis of Qi. The marquis of Qi looked at Han Jue. Han Jue said, "Does my lord know Jue?" The marquis of Qi said, "Your dress is changed." Han Jue went up, raised his cup, and said, "That your servant did not grudge his life was for the sake of the two rulers who are now in this hall." When Xun Ying was in Chu, a merchant of Zheng meant to stuff him into a clothes bale and so carry him out. The plan had been made but not yet carried out when the men of Chu sent him back. The merchant came to Jin, and Xun Ying treated him well, as though he had really brought him out. The merchant said, "I did not do the deed; how should I dare to take the substance of it? I am a small man, and must not so grossly impose upon a gentleman." And he went off to Qi.

Year 4 (成公四年)

Annals.

• In the fourth year, in spring, the duke of Song sent Hua Yuan on a diplomatic visit.
• In the third month, on renshen, Jian, earl of Zheng, died. The earl of Qi (杞, a small state distinct from the marquisate of Qi 齊) came to court.
• In summer, in the fourth month, on jiayin, Zangsun Xu died. The duke went to Jin. Duke Xiang of Zheng was buried.
• In autumn, the duke arrived from Jin.
• In winter, a wall was built at Yun. The earl of Zheng attacked Xu.

Zuo.

In the fourth year, in spring, Hua Yuan of Song came on a diplomatic visit, to open relations for the new ruler. The earl of Qi came to court, on account of the sending back of Shu Ji.

In summer, the duke went to Jin. The marquis of Jin received the duke without respect. Ji Wenzi said, "The marquis of Jin will surely not escape. The Odes say:

Be reverent, be reverent!
Heaven is manifest;
its mandate is not easy to keep.

Now the mandate of the marquis of Jin lies with the feudal lords. Can he fail to be reverent?"

In autumn, the duke arrived from Jin. He wished to seek peace with Chu and to revolt from Jin. Ji Wenzi said, "It will not do. Though Jin is without the Way, it may not yet be revolted from. Its state is great, its ministers are in harmony, and it lies near to us, and the feudal lords listen to it. We may not yet be of two minds. The records of Shi Yi have this: 'What is not of our kind will surely be other in heart.' Chu is great, but it is not of our kin. Will it be willing to cherish us?" So the duke stopped.

In winter, in the eleventh month, Gongsun Shen of Zheng led an army to mark out the boundaries of the fields of Xu. The men of Xu defeated them at Zhanbei. The earl of Zheng attacked Xu and took the fields of Churen and Lingdun. Luan Shu of Jin commanded the central army with Xun Shou as his second, and Shi Xie was second in the upper army; they went to rescue Xu, attacked Zheng, and took Fan and Zhai. Zifan of Chu rescued Zheng. The earl of Zheng and the baron of Xu pleaded their case before him, Huang Xu speaking in place of the earl of Zheng, and Zifan could not decide it. He said, "If you rulers would condescend to come before my unworthy lord, my unworthy lord and his several ministers would together hear what the two rulers want, and a settlement might be arrived at. Otherwise, Ce is not competent to know a settlement between two states." Zhao Ying of Jin had illicit relations with Zhao Zhuangji.

Year 5 (成公五年)

Annals.

• In the fifth year, in spring, in the king's first month, Shu Ji of Qi came back to us. Zhongsun Mie went to Song.
• In summer, Shusun Qiaoru met Xun Shou of Jin at Gu. Mount Liang fell.
• In autumn, there was a great flood.
• In winter, in the eleventh month, on jiyou, the Heavenly King died.
• In the twelfth month, on jichou, the duke met the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Zheng, the earl of Cao, the viscount of Zhu, and the earl of Qi, and joined in covenant at Chonglao.

Zuo.

In the fifth year, in spring, Yuan and Ping banished Zhao Ying to Qi. Ying said, "While I am here the Luan clan does not stir. If I am gone, my two elder brothers will have cause to grieve. Besides, every man has what he can do and what he cannot. What harm is there in sparing me?" They would not listen. Ying had dreamed that a messenger of Heaven said to him, "Sacrifice to me, and I will bless you." He sent to ask Shi Zhenbo about it. Zhenbo said, "I do not know." Afterward he told his own people, "The spirits bless the good and bring calamity on the licentious. To be licentious and go unpunished is itself a blessing. If he sacrifices, will he not surely be driven out?" On the day after he sacrificed, he was driven out. Meng Xianzi went to Song, in return for Hua Yuan's visit.

In summer, Xun Shou of Jin went to Qi to fetch a bride; therefore Xuanbo (宣伯, that is, Shusun Qiaoru) brought him provisions at Gu. Mount Liang fell. The marquis of Jin summoned Bo Zong by post-chariot. Bo Zong cleared a heavy wagon from his road, calling, "Make way for the post!" The wagoner said, "Wait for me; that is quicker than hurrying me." He asked where the man was from. "A man of Jiang," he said. He asked him about affairs in Jiang, and the man said, "Mount Liang has fallen, and they are going to summon Bo Zong to take counsel about it." He asked, "What is to be done?" The man said, "A mountain that has rotten soil in it falls. What is to be done about that? A state has its mountains and rivers for patrons; therefore when a mountain falls or a river dries up, the ruler for its sake does not take his full meal with music, puts off his fine robes, rides in an unadorned carriage, has the music removed, lodges outside his usual chamber, has the invocator offer silk and the scribe recite the prayer, and so treats it with the rites. That is all there is to it. Even Bo Zong — what could he do?" Bo Zong asked to present him at court; the man would not, and so Bo Zong reported his words and followed them. Duke Ling of Xu laid a complaint against the earl of Zheng before Chu.

In the sixth month, Duke Dao of Zheng went to Chu to plead the case, and lost. The men of Chu seized Huang Xu and Ziguo. Therefore, when the earl of Zheng came home, he sent Prince Yan to ask for peace with Jin.

In autumn, in the eighth month, the earl of Zheng covenanted with Zhao Tong of Jin at Chuiji. Prince Weigui of Song, who had been a hostage in Chu, came home, and Hua Yuan feasted him. He asked leave to go out with drums beating and shouting and to come in again with drums beating and shouting, saying, "I am practicing an attack on the Hua clan." The duke of Song put him to death.

In winter, they joined in covenant at Chonglao, because Zheng had submitted. The feudal lords planned to meet again, and the duke of Song sent Xiang Weiren to decline, on account of the trouble with Ziling.

In the eleventh month, on jiyou, King Ding died.

Year 6 (成公六年)

Annals.

• In the sixth year, in spring, in the king's first month, the duke arrived from the meeting.
• In the second month, on xinsi, the Martial Temple was set up. Zhuan was taken. Sun Liangfu of Wei led an army and raided Song.
• In summer, in the sixth month, the viscount of Zhu came to court. Gongsun Yingqi went to Jin. On renshen, Fei, earl of Zheng, died.
• In autumn, Zhongsun Mie and Shusun Qiaoru led an army and raided Song. Prince Yingqi of Chu led an army and attacked Zheng.
• In winter, Jisun Xingfu went to Jin. Luan Shu of Jin led an army and rescued Zheng.

Zuo.

In the sixth year, in spring, the earl of Zheng went to Jin to give thanks for the peace. Ziyou assisted him, and he presented the jade to the east of the eastern pillar. Shi Zhenbo said, "Will not the earl of Zheng die? He has cast himself away. His glance wanders and his step is hurried; he is not at ease in his station. Fittingly he will not last long."

In the second month, Ji Wenzi, on account of the merit at An, set up the Martial Temple. This was contrary to the rites. To listen to another in order to be saved from one's own danger is no ground for setting up a monument of arms; the setting up of martial merit comes from oneself, not from another. Zhuan was taken: it is recorded to say that it was easy.

In the third month, Bo Zong and Xiayang Yue of Jin, Sun Liangfu and Ning Xiang of Wei, men of Zheng, the Rong of the Yi and the Luo, the Luhun, and the Man clan raided Song, because it had declined the meeting. The army lay at Zhen, and the men of Wei took no precautions. Yue wished to fall upon Wei by surprise, saying, "Even if we cannot get into the city, we can come home with many captives; and the offense would not reach so far as death." Bo Zong said, "It will not do. Wei trusts Jin alone, and therefore, though an army is in its suburbs, it has made no preparation. To attack it by surprise would be to throw away good faith. Though we took many captives from Wei, Jin would be without good faith; how then should we ask the feudal lords to follow us?" So he stopped. When the army turned back, the men of Wei went up on the battlements.

The men of Jin planned to leave old Jiang. The grandees all said, "We must settle in the land of the Xunxia clan. It is rich and fertile and near the salt pans; it profits the state and pleases the ruler, and the chance is not to be lost." Han Xianzi commanded the new central army and was also grandee of the household. The duke saluted and went in, and Xianzi followed him and stood in the courtyard of the private chamber. The duke said to Xianzi, "How is it?" He answered, "It will not do. In the land of the Xunxia clan the soil is thin and the water shallow; its foulness easily gathers, and where foulness gathers easily the people are wretched; when the people are wretched they grow sunken and weak, and then come the illnesses of the damp, the swollen legs. It is not so good as Xintian, where the soil is deep and the water deep, so that living there does not sicken men, and where the Fen and the Kuai carry off the foulness; and there the people follow instruction. It is a benefit for ten generations. Mountains, marshes, forests, and salt pans are the treasures of a state; but when the state is rich the people grow proud and idle, and when the treasures are near the ducal house grows poor. That cannot be called pleasant." The duke was pleased, and followed him.

In summer, in the fourth month, on dingchou, Jin moved to Xintian.

In the sixth month, Duke Dao of Zheng died. Zishu Shengbo went to Jin, and orders were given to attack Song. In autumn Meng Xianzi and Shusun Xuanbo raided Song; it was by Jin's order. Zizhong of Chu attacked Zheng, because Zheng had followed Jin.

In winter, Ji Wenzi went to Jin to congratulate on the removal. Luan Shu of Jin rescued Zheng and met the army of Chu at Raojiao. The army of Chu withdrew, and the army of Jin then raided Cai. Prince Shen and Prince Cheng of Chu, with the troops of Shen and Xi, rescued Cai and opposed them at Sangsui. Zhao Tong and Zhao Kuo wished to fight and asked leave of Wuzi, and Wuzi was about to grant it. Zhi Zhuangzi, Fan Wenzi, and Han Xianzi remonstrated, saying, "It will not do. We came to rescue Zheng; the army of Chu left us, and we have come on this far — this is only shifting the slaughter elsewhere. To kill and not stop, and to anger the army of Chu besides: if we fight we shall surely not conquer, and even if we conquer it is no credit. To bring out a full army and defeat two counties of Chu — what glory is there in that? And if we cannot defeat them, the disgrace is very great. It is better to turn back." So they turned back. At that time those in the army who wished to fight were many. Someone said to Luan Wuzi, "The sage shares the desire of the many, and so accomplishes affairs. Why not follow the many? You hold the great government, and should draw from the people. Of your eleven assistants, only three do not wish to fight; those who wish to fight may be called the many. The Documents of Shang say, 'When three men divine, follow two of them' — and that because of numbers." Wuzi said, "When the good is equally divided, follow the many. But the good is the master of the many. Three ministers are the masters here; they may be called the many. To follow them — is that not right?"

Year 7 (成公七年)

Annals.

• In the seventh year, in spring, in the king's first month, a shrew gnawed the horns of the ox for the suburban sacrifice; another ox was divined for, and the shrew again gnawed its horns, so the ox was released. Wu attacked Tan.
• In summer, in the fifth month, the earl of Cao came to court. The suburban sacrifice was not offered, yet the three distant sacrifices were still performed.
• In autumn, Prince Yingqi of Chu led an army and attacked Zheng. The duke met the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi (齊), the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Cao, the viscount of Ju, the viscount of Zhu, and the earl of Qi (杞), and rescued Zheng.
• In the eighth month, on wuchen, they joined in covenant at Maling. The duke arrived from the meeting. Wu entered Zhoulai.
• In winter, there was the great rain sacrifice. Sun Linfu of Wei fled to Jin.

Zuo.

In the seventh year, in spring, Wu attacked Tan, and Tan made peace with it. Ji Wenzi said, "The Middle States do not muster their troops; the Man and the Yi come in and attack, and no one is troubled about it. There is none to pity us. The Odes say:

Unpitying is the vast Heaven;
the disorder has no settling.

Is this not what is meant? When those above are unpitied, who will not suffer disorder? Our own fall is only days away." A gentleman said, "To know fear like this — so one does not fall." Ziliang of Zheng assisted Duke Cheng of Zheng in going to Jin for an audience, and to give thanks for the army.

In summer, Duke Xuan of Cao came to court.

In autumn, Zizhong of Chu attacked Zheng and lay at Fan. The feudal lords rescued Zheng. Gongzhong and Hou Yu of Zheng fell upon the army of Chu, took prisoner Zhong Yi, the governor of Yun, and presented him to Jin.

In the eighth month the lords joined in covenant at Maling. This renewed the covenant of Chonglao, and it was also because Ju had submitted. The men of Jin took Zhong Yi back with them and shut him up in the military storehouse.

In the campaign in which Chu besieged Song, when the army came back Zizhong asked for lands out of Shen and Lü to be made his reward fields, and the king granted it. Wuchen, the governor of Shen, said, "It cannot be done. These lands are what make Shen and Lü towns at all. From them the levies are drawn, and with the levies the north is held off. If you take them, there will be no Shen and no Lü, and Jin and Zheng will certainly reach the Han." The king then stopped. For this Zizhong bore a grudge against Wuchen.

Zifan wanted to take Xia Ji to wife. Wuchen stopped him, and then took her himself and went off with her, so Zifan too bore a grudge against him.

When King Gong came to the throne, Zizhong and Zifan killed Wuchen's kinsmen Ziyan and Zidang, and Fuji, the director of Qing, and Heiyao, the son of Xianglao, and divided their households among themselves. Zizhong took Ziyan's household; he had the governor of Shen and the king's son Ba divide Zidang's household; Zifan took the households of Heiyao and of the director of Qing.

From Jin, Wuchen sent the two men a letter: "You serve your ruler with slander, wickedness, and greed, and you have killed many who were innocent. I will surely make you die worn out with running at command."

Wuchen asked to be sent as envoy to Wu, and the marquis of Jin granted it. Shoumeng, the viscount of Wu, was pleased with him, and so Wu was put in communication with Jin. He went to Wu with a company of paired war chariots and left half of that company there, together with its archers and drivers. He taught Wu to fight from chariots, taught them battle formations, and taught them to revolt from Chu. He placed his son Huyong there and had him serve as envoy-officer in Wu.

Wu now began to attack Chu. It attacked Chao and attacked Xu, and Zizhong went hurrying at command. At the meeting of Maling, Wu entered Zhoulai, and Zizhong went hurrying at command from Zheng. In one year Zizhong and Zifan hurried at command seven times. Of the Man and Yi peoples that were subject to Chu, Wu took them all; this is how Wu first became great and came into dealings with the states of the upper region.

Duke Ding of Wei hated Sun Linfu. In winter Sun Linfu fled to Jin. The marquis of Wei went to Jin, and Jin gave Qi (戚) back to him.

Year 8 (成公八年)

Annals.

• In the eighth year, in spring, the marquis of Jin sent Han Chuan to speak about the fields of Wenyang, that they were to be returned to Qi. Luan Shu of Jin led an army and raided Cai. Gongsun Yingqi went to Ju. The duke of Song sent Hua Yuan on a diplomatic visit.
• In summer, the duke of Song sent Gongsun Shou to bring the betrothal gifts. Jin put to death its grandees Zhao Tong and Zhao Kuo.
• In autumn, in the seventh month, the Son of Heaven sent the earl of Shao to confer the mandate of appointment on the duke.
• In winter, in the tenth month, on guimao, Shu Ji of Qi died. The marquis of Jin sent Shi Xie on a diplomatic visit. Shusun Qiaoru joined Shi Xie of Jin, men of Qi, and men of Zhu in attacking Tan (剡). Men of Wei came bringing a bridal companion.

Zuo.

In the eighth year, in spring, the marquis of Jin sent Han Chuan to speak about the fields of Wenyang, that they were to be returned to Qi. Ji Wenzi gave him a farewell feast, and privately said to him: "A great state settles what is right, and by that becomes leader of the covenants; and so the lords cherish its virtue and fear its punishments, and none of them has a divided heart. You declared that the fields of Wenyang were of old our poor city's, and you used troops against Qi and made them give the fields back to us. Now there is a second command, saying, return them to Qi. Good faith is what carries out what is right; what is right is what completes a command; this is what small states look to and cherish. If your good faith cannot be known and what is right has no standing, which of the lords of the four quarters will not fall apart? The Odes say:

The woman was not at fault;
the man was double in his conduct.
The man was without constancy;
two, three were his ways of virtue.

Within seven years, once given and once taken away — what could be more two-and-three than this? When a common officer is two-and-three, he still loses his mate; how much more a hegemon. If a hegemon takes virtue for his instrument and then is two-and-three with it, how shall he long hold the lords? The Odes say:

Your plans do not reach far,
and therefore I greatly admonish you.

I, Xingfu, fear that Jin does not plan far ahead and will lose the lords. That is why I have ventured to speak of it privately."

Luan Shu of Jin raided Cai and went on to raid Chu, capturing Shen Li. When the Chu army had withdrawn, Jin raided Shen and captured Yi, the viscount of Shen. This came of his having followed, at the outset, the counsel of Zhi, Fan, and Han. A gentleman said: "To follow what is good as water follows its channel — fitting indeed. The Odes say:

Genial and courteous gentleman,
does he not raise up men?

That is seeking what is good. Raise up men, and there will be merit and achievement."

On this expedition, the earl of Zheng was on his way to join the Jin army; he attacked the east gate of Xu and took great spoil there.

Shengbo went to Ju: it was to fetch a bride.

Hua Yuan of Song came on a diplomatic visit: the visit concerned Gong Ji.

In summer, the duke of Song sent Gongsun Shou to bring the betrothal gifts: this was according to the rites.

Zhao Zhuang Ji of Jin, on account of Zhao Ying's banishment, slandered his kinsmen to the marquis of Jin, saying, "Yuan and Ping are going to make a revolt." Luan and Xi served as witnesses to it.

In the sixth month Jin punished Zhao Tong and Zhao Kuo. Zhao Wu went with Lady Ji and was reared in the ducal palace, and their fields were given to Qi Xi. Han Jue said to the marquis of Jin: "With the merit of Chengji and the loyalty of Xuanmeng, that there should be no posterity — those who do good will be afraid. The good kings of the Three Dynasties all kept Heaven's emolument for several hundred years. Were there among them no wicked kings? They were spared by relying on their wise forebears. The Documents of Zhou say, 'He did not dare to slight the widower and the widow' — that is how virtue is made bright." So Zhao Wu was set up and their fields were given back to him.

In autumn, Duke Huan of Shao came to confer the mandate of appointment on the duke.

The marquis of Jin sent Wuchen, the governor of Shen, to Wu. He asked leave to pass through Ju, and stood with the duke of Quqiu beside a moat, and said, "The walls are already in bad repair." The viscount of Ju said, "We are remote and mean, out among the Yi. Who would trouble himself about us?" He answered, "Men who are crafty and set their minds on enlarging their borders for the profit of their altars of state — what country lacks them? Just so, and that is why there are now many great states. It is only that some plan and others let things go. A brave man doubles his door-bars; how much more a state."

In winter, Shu Ji of Qi died. She had come back from Qi, and therefore it was recorded.

Shi Xie of Jin came on a diplomatic visit: it was about attacking Tan, because Tan had served Wu. The duke offered him a gift and asked that the campaign be delayed. Wenzi refused, saying, "A ruler's command admits of no doubling. He who loses good faith cannot stand. The rites permit no added goods. An affair does not succeed in two ways. If you come behind the other lords, then my unworthy lord will not be able to serve you." Xie was going to report this back, and Jisun was afraid, and sent Xuanbo to lead an army and join in attacking Tan.

Men of Wei came bringing a bridal companion for Gong Ji: this was according to the rites. Whenever one of the lords gives a daughter in marriage, states of the same surname send bridal companions; states of a different surname do not.

Year 9 (成公九年)

Annals.

• In the ninth year, in spring, in the king's first month, the earl of Qi came to fetch the body of Shu Ji and take it back. The duke met the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Zheng, the earl of Cao, the viscount of Ju, and the earl of Qi, and joined in covenant at Pu. The duke arrived from the meeting.
• In the second month, Bo Ji went as a bride to Song.
• In summer, Jisun Xingfu went to Song to present the bride. Men of Jin came bringing a bridal companion.
• In autumn, in the seventh month, on bingzi, Wuye, marquis of Qi, died. Men of Jin seized the earl of Zheng. Luan Shu of Jin led an army and attacked Zheng.
• In winter, in the eleventh month, Duke Qing of Qi was buried. Prince Yingqi of Chu led an army and attacked Ju. On gengshen, Ju collapsed. Men of Chu entered Yun. Men of Qin and the White Di attacked Jin. Men of Zheng besieged Xu. The inner wall of the city was built.

Zuo.

In the ninth year, in spring, Duke Huan of Qi came to fetch the body of Shu Ji: he had asked for it. That the record says "Shu Ji of Qi died" was on account of Qi; that it says he "fetched Shu Ji" was on account of us.

Because of the return of the Wenyang fields, the lords were divided in their allegiance to Jin. The men of Jin were afraid, and met at Pu to renew the covenant of Maling. Ji Wenzi said to Fan Wenzi, "The virtue is not strong. What is the good of renewing the covenant?" Fan Wenzi said, "To soothe them with diligence, to treat them with generosity, to hold them off with firmness and strength, to bind them by the bright spirits, to be gentle with those who submit and to strike those who are divided — this is the next thing after virtue." On this occasion they were to meet Wu for the first time, but the men of Wu did not come.

In the second month, Bo Ji went as a bride to Song.

The men of Chu sought Zheng with heavy bribes, and the earl of Zheng met Prince Cheng of Chu at Deng.

In summer, Ji Wenzi went to Song to present the bride. When he made his report on returning, the duke feasted him, and he recited the fifth stanza of "Han Yi." Mu Jiang came out from her chamber, bowed twice, and said: "The grandee has taken toil and humbling upon himself. You have not forgotten the former ruler, and your care has reached to his successor, and extends even to me who am not yet dead. The former ruler still has something to hope for. I venture to bow for the grandee's heavy toil." Then she recited the last stanza of "Green Robe" and withdrew.

Men of Jin came bringing a bridal companion: this was according to the rites.

In autumn, the earl of Zheng went to Jin. The men of Jin punished him for his divided allegiance toward Chu, and seized him at Tongdi. Luan Shu attacked Zheng. The men of Zheng sent Bo Juan to sue for peace, and the men of Jin killed him — this was contrary to the rites. When arms are crossed, it is permitted for envoys to pass between. Zizhong of Chu raided Chen in order to relieve Zheng.

The marquis of Jin was inspecting the military storehouse and saw Zhong Yi. He asked, "Who is the man in the southern cap, in fetters?" The officer in charge answered, "He is the Chu captive presented by the men of Zheng." The marquis had him unbound, summoned him, and spoke words of sympathy; and Zhong Yi bowed twice and touched his head to the ground. He asked what his family's office was. He answered, "We are music masters." The duke said, "Can you make music?" He answered, "It was my late father's office. How should I dare have a second occupation?" The duke had a zither given to him, and he played the airs of the south. The duke said, "What is your king like?" He answered, "That is not something a small man can come to know." Pressed, he answered, "When he was heir apparent, his tutors and guardians attended him; in the morning he was with Yingqi, in the evening with Ce. Beyond that I do not know."

The duke reported this to Fan Wenzi. Wenzi said: "The Chu captive is a gentleman. In speaking he named his family's former office — he does not turn his back on his root. In music he played his native airs — he does not forget the old. He spoke of the king as heir apparent — that is, he has no private motive. He named the two ministers — he honors his ruler. Not to turn from one's root is humaneness; not to forget the old is good faith; to have no private motive is loyalty; to honor one's ruler is diligence. With humaneness he takes up an affair, with good faith he keeps it, with loyalty he completes it, with diligence he carries it out. Though the affair be great, it must succeed. Why not send him home, my lord, and let him bring together a peace between Jin and Chu?" The duke followed this, treated him with heavy ceremony, and sent him home to seek peace.

In winter, in the eleventh month, Zizhong of Chu attacked Ju from Chen and besieged Quqiu. The walls of Quqiu were in bad repair; the multitude broke and fled to Ju. On wushen, Chu entered Quqiu. The men of Ju had imprisoned Prince Ping of Chu. The men of Chu said, "Do not kill him, and we will send back your captives." The men of Ju killed him. The Chu army besieged Ju. Ju's walls too were in bad repair. On gengshen Ju collapsed, and Chu then entered Yun. It was because Ju had made no preparation.

A gentleman said: "To rely on being out of the way and make no preparation is the greatest of faults; to prepare beforehand against the unforeseen is the greatest of goods. Ju relied on its remoteness and did not repair its walls and outworks, and within the round of twelve days Chu took three of its cities. This is what comes of having no preparation. The Odes say:

Though you have silk and hemp,
do not throw away rush and sedge;
though you have a Ji or a Jiang,
do not throw away the withered and worn.
Of all you gentlemen,
there is none but supplies what is lacking.

This says that preparation may never be left off."

Men of Qin and the White Di attacked Jin, because the lords were of divided allegiance.

The men of Zheng besieged Xu, to show Jin that they were not anxious about their ruler. This was the plan of Gongsun Shen, who said, "Let us send out an army to besiege Xu, as though we were about to set up another ruler; then the Jin envoy will relax, and Jin will surely return our ruler."

The inner wall of the city was built: it was recorded because it was done in season.

In the twelfth month, the viscount of Chu sent Prince Chen to Jin, returning the mission of Zhong Yi, and asked to renew friendship and conclude a peace.

Year 10 (成公十年)

Annals.

• In the tenth year, in spring, Heibei, the younger brother of the marquis of Wei, led an army and raided Zheng.
• In summer, in the fourth month, the suburban sacrifice was divined for five times without assent, and so it was not performed.
• In the fifth month, the duke joined the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, and the earl of Cao in attacking Zheng. Men of Qi came bringing a bridal companion. On bingwu, Nou, marquis of Jin, died.
• In autumn, in the seventh month, the duke went to Jin.
• In winter, the tenth month.

Zuo.

In the tenth year, in spring, the marquis of Jin sent Di Fa to Chu, in return for the mission of the steward Zishang.

Zishu Heibei of Wei raided Zheng: it was at Jin's command.

Prince Ban of Zheng heard of Shu Shen's plan.

In the third month, Ziru set up Prince Xu.

In summer, in the fourth month, the men of Zheng killed Xu and set up Kunwan. Ziru fled to Xu. Luan Wuzi said, "The men of Zheng have set up a ruler. What good does it do us to hold one man? Better to attack Zheng and send their ruler back, and so seek peace."

The marquis of Jin fell ill.

In the fifth month, Jin set up the heir apparent Zhoupu as ruler, and joined the lords in attacking Zheng. Zihan of Zheng offered as a bribe the bells of Xiang, Ziran swore a covenant at Xiuze, and Zisi was given as a hostage. On xinsi the earl of Zheng went home.

The marquis of Jin dreamed of a great avenging spirit, its hair unbound and hanging to the ground, which beat its breast and leapt and said, "You killed my descendants; it was not right. I have obtained my petition from the Lord on High." It broke down the main gate and the gate of the sleeping chamber and came in. The duke was afraid and went into an inner room, and it broke down that door too. The duke woke and summoned the shaman of Sangtian. What the shaman said was just as the dream had been. The duke said, "What of it?" He said, "You will not eat of the new grain."

The duke's illness grew grave, and he sought a physician from Qin. The earl of Qin sent the physician Huan to treat him. Before he came, the duke dreamed that his illness became two boys, who said, "That man is a good physician. I fear he will hurt us. Where shall we flee from him?" One of them said, "Let us settle above the diaphragm and below the fat of the heart. What can he do to us?" The physician came and said, "Nothing can be done for the illness. It is above the diaphragm and below the fat of the heart. Cautery cannot reach it, the needle does not get at it, medicine does not come there. Nothing can be done." The duke said, "A good physician." He treated him with generous ceremony and sent him home.

In the sixth month, on bingwu, the marquis of Jin wanted the new wheat. He had the field officer present wheat and the cook prepare it. He summoned the shaman of Sangtian, showed it to him, and had him killed. As he was about to eat, his belly swelled; he went to the privy, fell in, and died. A junior attendant had dreamed at dawn that he carried the duke on his back up to Heaven; at midday he carried the marquis of Jin out of the privy, and was accordingly made to follow him in death.

The earl of Zheng punished those who had set up a ruler. On wushen he killed Shu Shen and Shu Qin. A gentleman said: "Loyalty is a fine virtue; even so, if it is not given to the right man it will not serve — how much less what is not fine at all."

In autumn, the duke went to Jin. The men of Jin detained him and made him attend the funeral. At this time Di Fa had not yet come back.

In winter, Duke Jing of Jin was buried. The duke attended the funeral, and none of the other lords was there. The men of Lu felt it a disgrace, and therefore it was not recorded: it was concealed.

Year 11 (成公十一年)

Annals.

• In the eleventh year, in spring, in the king's third month, the duke arrived from Jin. The marquis of Jin sent Xi Chou on a diplomatic visit. On jichou, a covenant was made with Xi Chou.
• In summer, Jisun Xingfu went to Jin.
• In autumn, Shusun Qiaoru went to Qi.
• In winter, the tenth month.

Zuo.

In the eleventh year, in spring, in the king's third month, the duke arrived from Jin. The men of Jin held that the duke was of divided allegiance toward Chu, and therefore detained him. The duke asked to accept a covenant, and only then was he sent home. Xi Chou came on a diplomatic visit and also to preside at the covenant.

Shengbo's mother had not been taken with the betrothal rites. Mu Jiang said, "I will not take a concubine for a sister-in-law." She bore Shengbo and was then sent away. She married Guan Yuxi of Qi, bore two children, and was widowed, and came back with them to Shengbo. Shengbo made his half-brother by that marriage a grandee, and married his half-sister to Shi Xiaoshu. When Xi Chou came on the diplomatic visit, he asked Shengbo for a wife, and Shengbo took away the wife of the Shi family and gave her to him. The woman said, "Even birds and beasts do not lose their mates. What will you do?" He said, "I cannot die or go into exile for you." So the woman went. She bore two sons to the Xi family. When the Xi family perished, the men of Jin sent her back to the Shi family. Shi met her at the Yellow River and drowned her two sons. The woman said in anger, "You could not shelter your own mate but let her go, and now you cannot rear another man's orphans but kill them. How will you end?" And she swore an oath renouncing the house of Shi.

In summer, Ji Wenzi went to Jin to return the diplomatic visit, and also to preside at the covenant.

Chu, the Duke of Zhou, hated the pressure of the houses of Hui and Xiang, and moreover contended with Bo Yu over the government and did not prevail. In anger he left. When he reached Yangfan, the king sent the Master of Liu to bring him back; they swore a covenant at Juan and he entered; and after three days he went out again and fled to Jin.

In autumn, Xuanbo made a diplomatic visit to Qi, to renew the old friendship.

Xi Zhi of Jin contended with Zhou over the fields of Hou. The king ordered Duke Kang of Liu and Duke Xiang of Shan to plead the case in Jin. Xi Zhi said, "Wen is anciently ours; therefore I dare not lose it." The Masters of Liu and Shan said: "Formerly, when Zhou conquered Shang, it set the lords to hold their fiefs in order. Su Fensheng, holding Wen, was made minister of crime, and together with Tan Boda was enfeoffed along the Yellow River. The Su family went over to the Di; then they could not get on with the Di, and fled to Wei. King Xiang rewarded Duke Wen and bestowed Wen on him. The Hu family and the Yang family held it first, and only afterward did it come to you. If we go back to its origin, it is a town of the king's officers. How did you come by it?" The marquis of Jin ordered Xi Zhi not to dare contend further.

Hua Yuan of Song was on good terms with the chief minister Zizhong, and also on good terms with Luan Wuzi. He heard that the men of Chu had already granted a peace to Jin's envoy Di Fa and had sent him home to report.

In winter, Hua Yuan went to Chu and then to Jin, and brought the peace between Jin and Chu together.

Qin and Jin made peace and were to meet at Linghu. The marquis of Jin arrived there first. The earl of Qin would not cross the river and halted at Wangcheng, and sent the scribe Ke to swear the covenant with the marquis of Jin east of the river, while Xi Chou of Jin swore the covenant with the earl of Qin west of the river. Fan Wenzi said, "What good is such a covenant? A solemn covenant is the pledge of good faith, and the meeting is the beginning of what is trusted. If the beginning is not followed, what pledge is there?" The earl of Qin went home and broke the peace with Jin.

Year 12 (成公十二年)

Annals.

• In the twelfth year, in spring, the Duke of Zhou fled to Jin.
• In summer, the duke met the marquis of Jin and the marquis of Wei at Suoze.
• In autumn, the men of Jin defeated the Di at Jiaogang.
• In winter, the tenth month.

Zuo.

In the twelfth year, in spring, the king sent word of the trouble of the Duke of Zhou. The record says, "The Duke of Zhou fled to Jin." As a rule nothing is said to go out from Zhou; here it was because the Duke of Zhou went out of his own act.

Hua Yuan of Song succeeded in bringing together the peace between Jin and Chu.

In summer, in the fifth month, Shi Xie of Jin met Prince Ba of Chu and Xu Yan. On guihai they swore a covenant outside the west gate of Song, saying: "Jin and Chu shall not bring arms against one another. They shall share their likes and dislikes, shall alike relieve calamity and danger, and shall be ready to rescue in disaster and trouble. If any harm Chu, Jin shall attack them; and if it falls upon Jin, Chu shall do likewise. Gifts of introduction shall pass back and forth and the roads shall not be blocked. They shall take counsel against the discordant and punish those who do not come to court. If any alter this covenant, may the bright spirits strike him down, make his army fall, and let him not hold his state in blessing."

The earl of Zheng went to Jin to hear the terms of the peace. They met at Suoze: it was on account of the peace.

The Di took advantage of the covenant at Song to raid Jin, and made no preparations of their own.

In autumn, the men of Jin defeated the Di at Jiaogang.

Xi Zhi of Jin went to Chu on a diplomatic visit and also to preside at the covenant. The viscount of Chu feasted him, with Zifan as master of ceremonies. They had made an underground chamber and hung the bells there. As Xi Zhi was about to ascend, the bells struck up beneath him; startled, he ran out. Zifan said, "The day grows late and my unworthy lord is waiting. Pray come in, sir." The guest said, "Your lord has not forgotten the friendship of the former rulers, and his kindness reaches down to me, his humble servant. He grants me a great ceremony and doubles it with the full music. If by Heaven's blessing the two rulers should meet face to face, what would then be left to take the place of this? I, a humble servant, do not dare." Zifan said, "If by Heaven's blessing the two rulers meet, it will be a single arrow that they present to one another. What use is music then? My unworthy lord is waiting. Pray come in, sir."

The guest said: "If they yield to one another with an arrow, that is the greatest of calamities. What blessing could there be in it? When the age is well ordered, the lords, in the intervals of the Son of Heaven's business, pay court visits to one another, and for this there are the rites of the banquet and the feast. The banquet teaches reverence and thrift, the feast shows kindness and generosity. By reverence and thrift the rites are carried out; by kindness and generosity government is spread abroad. Government is completed by the rites, and so the people rest. The hundred officers attend to their charges, holding court in the morning and needing no evening session. This is how dukes and marquises are shield and wall to their people. Therefore the Odes say:

Sturdy is the man of war,
shield and wall to duke and marquis.

But when the age is disordered, the lords are covetous and grasping, their encroaching desires know no restraint; they fight over a few feet of ground and use their people up; they take their fighting men for their own heart and belly, thigh and arm, claw and tooth. Therefore the Odes say:

Sturdy is the man of war,
the heart and belly of duke and marquis.

When the world has the Way, dukes and marquises can be shield and wall for their people and keep their heart and belly in order; in disorder it is the reverse. Now your words, sir, are the way of disorder; they cannot be taken for a rule. Yet you are my host: how should I, Zhi, dare not follow?" So he went in and finished the ceremony.

On his return he told Fan Wenzi. Wenzi said, "A man without the rites will surely eat his words. My own death cannot be many days off."

In winter, Prince Ba of Chu went to Jin on a diplomatic visit and also to preside at the covenant.

In the twelfth month, the marquis of Jin and Prince Ba of Chu swore a covenant at Chiji.

Year 13 (成公十三年)

Annals.

• In the thirteenth year, in spring, the marquis of Jin sent Xi Qi to ask for troops.
• In the third month, the duke went to the royal capital.
• In the fifth month, the duke went on from the royal capital and joined the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Zheng, the earl of Cao, men of Zhu, and men of Teng in attacking Qin. Lu, earl of Cao, died with the army.
• In autumn, in the seventh month, the duke arrived from attacking Qin.
• In winter, Duke Xuan of Cao was buried.

Zuo.

In the thirteenth year, in spring, the marquis of Jin sent Xi Qi to ask for troops. He conducted the business without reverence. Meng Xianzi said: "The Xi family will perish, will it not? The rites are the trunk of a man; reverence is his foundation. Xi has no foundation. Moreover he is a minister inherited from a former ruler; he received a charge to ask for troops, that the altars of state might be guarded, and yet he was slack and threw away his lord's command. What should he do but perish?"

In the third month the duke went to the royal capital. Xuanbo wanted gifts and asked to be sent ahead, and the king received him with the ceremony due an envoy-officer. Meng Xianzi went in his train; the king made him the assistant of the mission and gave him rich presents. The duke and the other lords appeared at court before the king, and then followed Duke Kang of Liu and Duke Su of Cheng in joining the marquis of Jin to attack Qin.

Chengzi received the sacrificial meat at the altar of the land without reverence. The Master of Liu said: "I have heard that the people receive the due measure of Heaven and Earth and so are born; this is what is called the mandate. Therefore there are rules of movement and action, of rites and right, of dignity and bearing, by which the mandate is settled. He who is able nourishes it and has blessing; he who is not ruins it and takes calamity. Therefore the gentleman is diligent in the rites and the common man exhausts his strength. For diligence in the rites nothing equals the utmost reverence; for exhausting one's strength nothing equals steady earnestness. Reverence lies in nourishing the spirits; earnestness lies in keeping to one's task. The great affairs of a state lie in sacrifice and in war. In sacrifice there is the holding of the roast offering; in war there is the receiving of the raw sacrificial meat. These are the great observances toward the spirits. Now Chengzi has been slack and thrown away his mandate. Will he not fail to return?"

In summer, in the fourth month, on wuwu, the marquis of Jin sent Lü Xiang to break off relations with Qin, saying:

"Formerly, in the time of our Duke Xian and your Duke Mu, the two were on good terms; they joined their strength and were of one mind, confirmed it with covenants and oaths, and doubled it with marriage. Heaven brought calamity on the state of Jin: Duke Wen went to Qi, Duke Hui went to Qin. Unhappily, Duke Xian departed the world. Duke Mu did not forget the old kindness, and enabled our Duke Hui to maintain the sacrifices in Jin. Yet he could not complete that great service, and there came the battle of Han; still he repented in his heart, and so settled our Duke Wen in his place. That was Duke Mu's achievement.

"Duke Wen with his own body put on helmet and mail, trudged over mountains and rivers, crossed the difficult and the steep, subdued the lords of the east — the descendants of Yu, Xia, Shang, and Zhou — and made them come to court before Qin. In that the old kindness had already been repaid.

"The men of Zheng offended against your borders, and our Duke Wen led the lords together with Qin to besiege Zheng. The grandees of Qin did not consult our unworthy lord, but on their own made a covenant with Zheng. The lords hated this and were about to deal out judgment upon Qin. Duke Wen, in fear, calmed and quieted the lords, and the Qin army was able to return unharmed. In that we did a great service to the west.

"Unhappily, Duke Wen departed the world. Duke Mu showed no sympathy: he slighted our dead lord, made light of our Duke Xiang, trampled our land at Xiao, wrongfully cut off our friendship, attacked our fortified towns, wiped out our Hua at Fei, scattered and divided our brothers, threw our covenanted allies into confusion, and sought to overturn our state. Our Duke Xiang had not forgotten your lord's old service, but he feared the fall of the altars of state; therefore there was the battle of Xiao. Even then he wished to have his offense forgiven by Duke Mu. Duke Mu would not listen, but went over to Chu to plot against us. Heaven guided its own heart: King Cheng lost his life, and Duke Mu was therefore unable to work his will upon us.

"Duke Mu and Duke Xiang departed the world, and Duke Kang and Duke Ling came to the throne. Duke Kang was born of a daughter of our house, and yet he wished to cut away our ducal house and overturn our altars of state; he led our own vermin and traitors to come and shake our borders. Therefore there was the campaign of Linghu. Duke Kang still did not reform: he entered our Hequ, attacked our Suchuan, took captives at our Wangguan, and cut away our Jima. Therefore there was the battle of Hequ. That the eastward road was closed was because Duke Kang broke off friendship with us.

"When your lordship succeeded, our lord Duke Jing stretched his neck and looked westward, saying, 'Perhaps he will comfort us.' But your lordship did not graciously offer a covenant; you took advantage of our trouble with the Di, entered our river districts, burned our Ji and Gao, mowed down our harvest work, and slaughtered along our borders. Therefore there was the muster at Fushi.

"Your lordship also repented that the calamity was spreading, and wished to seek blessing from the former rulers Xian and Mu; you sent Boche to say to our Duke Jing, 'Let us share our likes and put away our dislikes, restore the old kindness, and call to mind the former services.' The words of the oath were not yet completed when Duke Jing departed the world; and therefore our unworthy lord held the meeting at Linghu.

"Your lordship again acted with ill omen and turned your back on the covenant and the oath. The White Di are in the same region as your lordship; they are your enemies and our marriage kin. Your lordship came and gave the command, 'Let us together attack the Di.' Our unworthy lord did not dare regard the marriage tie; in awe of your lordship's majesty he received the command from your officers. Yet your lordship had a divided heart toward the Di, saying to them, 'Jin is going to attack you.' The Di consented to your face and hated you behind it, and therefore they told us of it.

"The men of Chu, hating your lordship's two-and-three way with virtue, also came and told us: 'Qin has turned its back on the covenant of Linghu and has come to seek a covenant with us. It made bright declaration to august Heaven, the Lord on High, to the three dukes of Qin and the three kings of Chu, saying, "Though I go in and out with Jin, I look only to my advantage." I, the unworthy one, hate this lack of settled virtue, and therefore make it known, to warn against the not-single-hearted.'

"All the lords have heard these words in full, and for this reason their hearts ache and their heads throb, and they draw close to me. I lead them here to hear your command, seeking only friendship. If your lordship will graciously regard the lords, pity me, and grant a covenant, that is my wish; I will settle the lords and withdraw. How should I dare seek disorder? If your lordship will not show that great kindness, then I, lacking ability, shall not be able to make the lords withdraw. I venture to lay it all before your officers, that your officers may indeed consider where the advantage lies."

Duke Huan of Qin, having made the covenant of Linghu with Duke Li of Jin, then summoned the Di and Chu, wishing to lead them in attacking Jin; and because of this the lords were in harmony with Jin.

In Jin, Luan Shu commanded the central army with Xun Geng as his second; Shi Xie commanded the upper army with Xi Qi as his second; Han Jue commanded the lower army with Xun Ying as his second; Zhao Zhan commanded the new army with Xi Zhi as his second. Xi Yi drove the ruler's war chariot and Luan Zhen was the spearman on the right. Meng Xianzi said, "In Jin the commanders and the chariot crews are in harmony; the army will surely have great success."

In the fifth month, on dinghai, the Jin army with the armies of the lords fought the army of Qin at Masui. The Qin army was routed, and they took Cheng Cha of Qin and Nüfu of the rank of bugeng. Duke Xuan of Cao died with the army. The army then crossed the Jing, reached Houli, and turned back; they met the marquis of Jin at Xinchu. Duke Su of Cheng died at Xia.

In the sixth month, on the night of dingmao, Prince Ban of Zheng came from Zi and sought to enter the great ancestral temple. He could not, and killed Ziyin and Ziyu, then turned back and encamped in the marketplace. On jisi, Zisi led the men of the capital in a covenant at the great temple, then pursued them and burned them all out, killing Ziru, Zimang, Sun Shu, and Sun Zhi.

The men of Cao had Prince Fuchu guard the state, and sent Prince Xinshi to fetch the body of the earl of Cao.

In autumn, Fuchu killed the heir apparent and set himself up. The lords then asked leave to punish him, but the men of Jin, on account of the toil of the campaign, asked to wait for another year.

In winter, Duke Xuan of Cao was buried. After the burial Zizang was about to flee, and all the men of the capital were going to follow him. Duke Cheng then grew afraid, confessed his offense, and made entreaty; so Zizang came back and gave up his town.

Year 14 (成公十四年)

Annals.

• In the fourteenth year, in spring, in the king's first month, Zhu, viscount of Ju, died.
• In summer, Sun Linfu of Wei returned from Jin to Wei.
• In autumn, Shusun Qiaoru went to Qi to fetch a bride. Prince Xi of Zheng led an army and attacked Xu.
• In the ninth month, Qiaoru arrived from Qi with the duke's wife, Lady Jiang.
• In winter, in the tenth month, on gengyin, Zang, marquis of Wei, died. The earl of Qin died.

Zuo.

In the fourteenth year, in spring, the marquis of Wei went to Jin. The marquis of Jin pressed him to receive Sun Linfu; Duke Ding refused.

In summer, after the marquis of Wei had returned home, the marquis of Jin sent Xi Chou to escort Sun Linfu and present him. The marquis of Wei wished to decline. Ding Jiang said: "You must not. He is the heir of a former ruler's chief minister of the clan, and a great state moreover makes it a request. If you do not consent, the state will perish. Though you hate him, is that not better than perishing? Bear with him, my lord. To settle the people and pardon a minister of the clan — is that not permissible?" The marquis of Wei received him and restored him.

The marquis of Wei feasted Kucheng Shu, with Ning Huizi as master of ceremonies, and Kucheng Shu was arrogant. Ning said: "The house of Kucheng will perish, will it not? In antiquity banquets and feasts were held in order to observe dignity and bearing and to examine calamity and blessing. Therefore the Odes say:

The rhinoceros-horn cup is curved,
the good wine is mild.
He mingles without arrogance,
and the ten thousand blessings are sought out.

Now this gentleman is arrogant: that is the way to take calamity."

In autumn, Xuanbo went to Qi to fetch the bride. His clan name was given: it honored the ruler's command.

In the eighth month, Zihan of Zheng attacked Xu and was defeated there. On wuxu the earl of Zheng attacked Xu again, and on gengzi he entered its outer wall. The men of Xu made peace by giving up the lands of Shu Shen's enfeoffment.

In the ninth month, Qiaoru arrived from Qi with the duke's wife, Lady Jiang. His clan name was left out: it honored the duke's wife. Therefore a gentleman said: "The wording of the Chunqiu is subtle yet plain, records yet keeps hidden, is roundabout yet makes a pattern, is exhaustive yet not soiled, punishes evil and encourages good. Who but a sage could have shaped it?"

The marquis of Wei fell ill, and had Kong Chengzi and Ning Huizi set up Kan, the son of Jing Si, as heir apparent.

In winter, in the tenth month, Duke Ding of Wei died. When his wife, Lady Jiang, had finished wailing and was resting, she saw that the heir apparent was not grieved. She would not take a drink, and sighed, saying: "This man will not only ruin the state of Wei; he will surely begin with me, who am not yet dead. Alas! Heaven brings calamity on Wei. That I did not obtain Zhuan, and have him preside over the altars of state!" When the grandees heard it, there was none who was not startled and afraid. From this time Sun Wenzi did not dare keep his heavy treasures in Wei; he put them all in Qi (戚), and cultivated the grandees of Jin closely.

Year 15 (成公十五年)

Annals.

• In the fifteenth year, in spring, in the king's second month, Duke Ding of Wei was buried.
• In the third month, on yisi, Zhong Yingqi died. On guichou, the duke met the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Zheng, the earl of Cao, Cheng the heir apparent of Song, Guo Zuo of Qi, and men of Zhu, and joined in covenant at Qi (戚). The marquis of Jin seized the earl of Cao and sent him to the royal capital. The duke arrived from the meeting.
• In summer, in the sixth month, Gu, duke of Song, died. The viscount of Chu attacked Zheng.
• In autumn, in the eighth month, on gengchen, Duke Gong of Song was buried. Hua Yuan of Song fled to Jin. Hua Yuan of Song returned from Jin to Song. Song put to death its grandee Shan. Yu Shi of Song fled to Chu.
• In winter, in the eleventh month, Shusun Qiaoru joined Shi Xie of Jin, Gao Wujiu of Qi, Hua Yuan of Song, Sun Linfu of Wei, Prince Qiu of Zheng, and men of Zhu, and met Wu at Zhongli. Xu moved to She.

Zuo.

In the fifteenth year, in spring, they met at Qi (戚), to punish Duke Cheng of Cao. He was seized and sent to the royal capital. The record says, "The marquis of Jin seized the earl of Cao" — the offense did not reach to his people. Whenever a ruler acts without the Way toward his people and the lords punish and seize him, the record says, "The men of such a state seized such a marquis." When it is otherwise, it does not.

The lords were going to present Zizang to the king and set him up. Zizang declined, saying, "An earlier record has it: 'The sage penetrates his proper measure; the next keeps his measure; the lowest loses his measure.' To be ruler is not my measure. Though I cannot be a sage, dare I fail to keep my place?" Then he fled to Song.

In summer, in the sixth month, Duke Gong of Song died.

Chu was about to send its army north. Zinang said, "We have newly covenanted with Jin, and now to break it — is that not wrong?" Zifan said, "When the enemy offers advantage, advance. What covenant is there?" Shen Shushi was old and living at Shen. When he heard of it he said, "Zifan will surely not escape. Good faith is what keeps the rites, and the rites are what shelter a man. When good faith and the rites are gone, can one hope to escape?"

The viscount of Chu raided Zheng as far as Baosui, then raided Wei as far as Shouzhi. Zihan of Zheng raided Chu and took Xinshi. Luan Wuzi wanted to retaliate upon Chu. Han Xianzi said, "There is no need. Let them make their offense heavier; the people will revolt against them, and with no people, who is there to fight?"

In autumn, in the eighth month, Duke Gong of Song was buried. At this time Hua Yuan was Master of the Right, Yu Shi was Master of the Left, Dang Ze was marshal, Hua Xi was minister of education, Gongsun Shi was minister of works, Xiang Weiren was grand minister of crime, Lin Zhu was junior minister of crime, Xiang Dai was grand steward, and Yu Fu was junior steward. Dang Ze weakened the ducal house and killed Prince Fei. Hua Yuan said, "I am Master of the Right. The instruction of ruler and subject is what the Master has charge of. Now the ducal house is brought low and I cannot set it right: my fault is great. Since I cannot manage my office, dare I lean upon favor?" So he fled to Jin.

The two Huas were of the line of Dai; the minister of works was of the line of Zhuang; the six officers were all of the line of Huan. Yu Shi was going to stop Hua Yuan. Yu Fu said, "If the Master of the Right returns, he will surely punish us, and that will be the end of the house of Huan." Yu Shi said, "If the Master of the Right does get to return, then even if we grant him the punishing he will surely not dare it. Besides, his great merits are many and the men of the capital are with him. If he does not return, I fear the house of Huan will have no sacrifices in Song. If the Master of the Right punishes, there is still Xu; and though the house of Huan perish, it will perish only in part." So Yu Shi himself stopped Hua Yuan by the Yellow River. He asked leave to punish; it was granted; and he came back. He had Hua Xi and Gongsun Shi lead the men of the capital in attacking the Dang family, and killed Zishan. The record says, "Song put to death its grandee Shan" — it says that he had turned his back on his own line.

Yu Shi, Xiang Weiren, Lin Zhu, Xiang Dai, and Yu Fu went out and camped beside the Sui. Hua Yuan sent to stop them; they would not.

In winter, in the tenth month, Hua Yuan went himself to stop them; they would not, and he turned back. Yu Fu said, "If we do not follow him now, we shall not get in. The Master of the Right's glance was quick and his speech hurried; he has another purpose. If he is not going to take us back, he will be galloping off now." They climbed a hill and looked out, and he was indeed galloping. They rode hard after him, and found the embankment of the Sui broken open, the gates shut, and men mounted on the parapets. So the Master of the Left, the two ministers of crime, and the two stewards fled to Chu. Hua Yuan made Xiang Xu Master of the Left, Lao Zuo marshal, and Yue Yi minister of crime, in order to quiet the men of the capital.

The three Xi of Jin injured Bo Zong; they slandered him and had him killed, and Luan Fuji with him, and Bo Zhouli fled to Chu. Han Xianzi said, "The Xi family will not escape, will it? Good men are the cords of Heaven and Earth, and to cut them off again and again — what should they wait for but ruin?"

Earlier, whenever Bo Zong went to court, his wife would always warn him, saying, "Robbers hate the master of the house, and the people hate those above them. You are fond of blunt speech; trouble will surely reach you."

In the eleventh month there was a meeting with Wu at Zhongli. This was the first opening of relations with Wu. Duke Ling of Xu, fearing the pressure of Zheng, asked to be moved into Chu. On xinchou, Prince Shen of Chu moved Xu to She.

Year 16 (成公十六年)

Annals.

• In the sixteenth year, in spring, in the king's first month, rain froze upon the trees.
• In summer, in the fourth month, on xinwei, the viscount of Teng died. Prince Xi of Zheng led an army and raided Song.
• In the sixth month, on bingyin, the first of the month, the sun was eclipsed. The marquis of Jin sent Luan Yan here to beg for troops. On jiawu, the last day of the month, the marquis of Jin fought with the viscount of Chu and the earl of Zheng at Yanling. The armies of the viscount of Chu and of Zheng were routed. Chu killed its grandee Prince Ce.
• In autumn the duke met the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi, the marquis of Wei, Hua Yuan of Song, and a man of Zhu at Shasui; the duke was not received. The duke arrived from the meeting. The duke joined Yinzi, the marquis of Jin, Guo Zuo of Qi, and a man of Zhu in attacking Zheng. The earl of Cao returned from the royal capital.
• In the ninth month the men of Jin seized Jisun Xingfu and lodged him at Tiaoqiu.
• In winter, in the tenth month, on yihai, Shusun Qiaoru fled to Qi.
• In the twelfth month, on yichou, Jisun Xingfu made a covenant with Xi Chou of Jin at Hu. The duke arrived from the meeting. On yiyou Prince Yan was put to death.

Zuo.

In the sixteenth year, in spring, the viscount of Chu, from Wucheng, sent Prince Cheng with the fields of Ruyin to seek peace with Zheng. Zheng revolted from Jin, and Zisi followed the viscount of Chu and covenanted with him at Wucheng.

In summer, in the fourth month, Duke Wen of Teng died. Zihan of Zheng attacked Song. Jiang Chu and Yue Ju of Song defeated the Zheng force at Zhuobei. They then withdrew and encamped at Fuqu, keeping no watch. The men of Zheng laid an ambush for them and defeated them at Zhuoling, capturing Jiang Chu and Yue Ju. Song had trusted to its victory.

The marquis of Wei attacked Zheng and came as far as Mingyan; he did this for the sake of Jin. The marquis of Jin was about to attack Zheng. Fan Wenzi said, "If what I wish for were granted, all the feudal lords would revolt from us, and Jin could then work its troubles out. If Zheng alone revolts, the sorrows of the state of Jin may be looked for while one stands waiting." Luan Wuzi said, "We cannot lose the feudal lords in our own generation. We must attack Zheng." So the army was raised. Luan Shu commanded the central army, with Shi Xie as his second; Xi Qi commanded the upper army, with Xun Yan as his second; Han Jue commanded the lower army; Xi Zhi was second in the new army; Xun Ying stayed behind on guard. Xi Chou went to Wei and then to Qi, begging troops in both. Luan Yan came here to beg troops. Meng Xianzi said, "There will be a victory." On wuyin the army of Jin set out.

The men of Zheng, hearing that a Jin army was coming, sent word to Chu, and Yao Gou'er went with the messenger. The viscount of Chu marched to save Zheng. The marshal commanded the central army, the chief minister the left, and the Right Aide Zixin the right. As they passed Shen, Zifan went in to see Shen Shushi and said, "What do you think of the army?" He answered: "Virtue, punishment, reverent care, righteousness, ritual, and good faith are the instruments of war. By virtue one bestows favor; by punishment one corrects what is crooked; by reverent care one serves the spirits; by righteousness one establishes benefit; by ritual one accords with the seasons; by good faith one guards things. When the people's livelihood is rich, virtue is upright; when what is used brings benefit, affairs are measured; when the seasons are followed, things come to completion. Then high and low are at peace together, movements meet no opposition, nothing sought is wanting, and each man knows his limit. Therefore the Odes say:

You set us up, the teeming people;
none but held to your measure.

Thus the spirits send down blessing, the seasons bring no calamity, the lives of the people are thick and abundant, they listen in concord, not one fails to spend his strength in following the commands of those above, and men give their lives to fill the breach. This is how victory in war comes about. But now Chu within has cast off its own people and without has cut off its friendships; it profanes solemn covenants and eats its own words; it violates the season in taking action and wearies the people to gratify itself. The people do not know good faith; advance or retreat, they are held guilty. When men grieve over where they will end, who among them will give his life? Do your best, sir. I shall not see you again."

Yao Gou'er came back ahead of the rest, and Zisi asked him about it. He answered: "Their march is swift. They pass through broken ground without order. Being swift, they lose their purpose; being disordered, they lose their ranks. With purpose lost and ranks lost, how will they fight? I fear Chu cannot be relied upon."

In the fifth month the Jin army crossed the Yellow River. Hearing that the Chu army was about to arrive, Fan Wenzi wished to turn back. He said, "If we make a show of fleeing from Chu, we can ease our troubles. To hold the feudal lords together is beyond my power; let it be left to one who is able. If we, the assembled ministers, are harmonious among ourselves in serving our lord, that is much." Wuzi said, "It will not do."

In the sixth month Jin and Chu met at Yanling. Fan Wenzi did not want to fight. Xi Zhi said, "In the battle of Han, Duke Hui did not bring his troops back in order. In the affair at Ji, Xian Zhen did not return to make his report. In the campaign at Bi, the Earl of Xun did not bring his followers back. All were disgraces to Jin. You too have seen the affairs of our former rulers. If we now avoid Chu, that is one disgrace more." Wenzi said, "Our former rulers fought often, and they had reason for it. Qin, the Di, Qi, and Chu were all strong; had they not spent themselves to the utmost, their sons and grandsons would have become weak. Now three of the strong have submitted, and Chu alone is left for an enemy. Only a sage can be without trouble both without and within. Since we are not sages, quiet abroad must bring sorrow at home. Why not let Chu go, and keep it as a fear from outside?"

On jiawu, the last of the month, at dawn Chu pressed close against the Jin army and drew up its lines. The officers of the army were troubled at it. Fan Gai hurried forward and said, "Fill in the wells, level the cooking-stoves, form your ranks inside the camp itself, and open out the head of every file. Whether Jin or Chu wins is only what Heaven grants. What is there to fear?" Wenzi took a spear and drove him off, saying, "Whether the state stands or falls is Heaven's affair. What does a boy know of it?"

Luan Shu said, "The Chu army is light and frivolous. Let us make our ramparts firm and wait for them. In three days they will surely draw back; strike them as they draw back, and we shall certainly gain the victory." Xi Zhi said, "Chu has six weak places, and they must not be let slip. Their two ministers hate each other; the king's own guards are made up of old men; the Zheng troops are drawn up but not in order; the Man troops are in the field but not drawn up at all; they form their lines without avoiding the last day of the month; and in their lines they are noisy, and when the units come together they grow noisier still. Every man looks behind him, and none has any heart for the fight. The old have no necessary excellence, and they offend against Heaven's taboo. We shall surely overcome them."

The viscount of Chu climbed a nest-chariot to look out over the Jin army. Zizhong had the grand steward Bo Zhouli attend behind the king. The king said, "They are galloping to the left and to the right. What is that?" "They are summoning the officers of the army." "They are all gathering at the central army." "They are taking counsel together." "They have raised a tent." "They are reverently divining before their former rulers." "They have taken the tent down." "Orders are about to be given." "There is a great noise, and the dust is rising." "They are filling the wells and leveling the stoves to make room for their ranks." "They are all mounting; those to left and right have taken up weapons and got down again." "They are hearing the oath." "Will they fight?" "That cannot yet be known." "They have mounted, and those to left and right have all got down again." "That is the prayer before battle."

Bo Zhouli told the king about the duke's own guards. Miao Benhuang, at the side of the marquis of Jin, likewise told him about the king's guards. Both said, "The best men of the state are there, and they are many. They cannot be withstood."

Miao Benhuang said to the marquis of Jin: "The good troops of Chu are only in the royal clan of their central army. Let us divide our best men to strike their left and right wings, while the three armies concentrate upon the king's guards. We shall certainly rout them." The duke of Jin had it divined by milfoil. The scribe said, "Auspicious. The hexagram obtained is Fu, Return. It says: The southern state is pressed in; shoot at its head, and the king will be struck in the eye. The state pressed in and the king wounded — what can they look for but defeat?" The duke followed him.

There was a marsh in front, and so both sides moved to left and right, keeping clear of each other at the marsh. Bu Yi drove for Duke Li of Jin, with Luan Zhen as his right-hand man. Peng Ming drove for King Gong of Chu, with Pan Dang as his right. Shi Shou drove for Duke Cheng of Zheng, with Tang Gou as his right. The men of the Luan and Fan clans marched on either side of the duke, and he sank in the marsh. Luan Shu was about to take the marquis of Jin into his own chariot, but Zhen said, "Shu, stand back. You hold a great charge in the state; how can you take this upon yourself as well? Besides, to encroach on another's office is presumption; to abandon one's own office is negligence; to leave one's post is treachery. There are three offenses here, and they must not be committed." Then he lifted the duke out of the marsh.

On guisi, Pan Wang's son Dang and Yang Youji piled up armor and shot at it, driving an arrow through seven layers. They showed it to the king and said, "With two servants like these, my lord, why be anxious about the battle?" The king was angry and said, "This is a great disgrace to the state. Tomorrow morning your archery will be the death of you."

Lü Qi dreamed that he shot at the moon and hit it, and then withdrew into the mud. He had the dream divined, and the diviner said, "The Ji surname is the sun; another surname is the moon. It must be the king of Chu. You will shoot and hit him; but withdrawing into the mud means that you too will surely die." When the battle came he shot King Gong and struck him in the eye. The king summoned Yang Youji, gave him two arrows, and sent him to shoot Lü Qi. He struck him in the neck, and Lü Qi fell forward over his bow-case; Yang Youji went back to report with one arrow left.

Three times Xi Zhi came upon the viscount of Chu's guards, and each time he saw the viscount of Chu he got down from his chariot, took off his helmet, and hurried past like the wind. The viscount of Chu sent the artisan-master Xiang to greet him with the gift of a bow, saying: "In the thick of the fighting there is a man in leggings of reddish tanned leather — a gentleman. He knows me when he sees me, and hurries by. Is he not wounded?" Xi Zhi received the visitor, took off his helmet, and accepted the message, saying: "Your lordship's foreign servant Zhi, following his own lord in the business of war, has by your lordship's spirit-power the honor of wearing armor and helmet, and therefore may not bow in acknowledgment of your command. I venture to report that I am not at leisure to do so. Your lordship has demeaned himself with a command to me; but because of the business in hand, I venture only to salute your messenger." Three times he saluted the messenger, and then withdrew.

Han Jue of Jin was pursuing the earl of Zheng. His driver Du Hunluo said, "Follow him quickly. Their driver keeps looking back; his mind is not on his horses. We can overtake him." Han Jue said, "I may not disgrace the ruler of a state a second time." So he stopped. Xi Zhi too was pursuing the earl of Zheng. His right-hand man Fu Hanhu said, "Let a scout meet him head on; I will get into his chariot behind him and take him prisoner and bring him down." Xi Zhi said, "To wound the ruler of a state brings punishment." So he too stopped. Shi Shou said, "It was only because Duke Yi of Wei did not put away his flag that he was defeated at Ying." So he put the standard away inside its bow-case. Tang Gou said to Shi Shou, "You are at the ruler's side. In a defeat one thing alone is great, and in that I am not your equal. Take the ruler and get him away; I ask leave to stay behind." So he died.

The Chu army was pressed against broken ground. Shushan Ran said to Yang Youji, "Though the ruler laid a command on you, for the sake of the state you must shoot." So he shot, and with two discharges killed them all. Shushan Ran caught up an enemy soldier and used him as a weapon, hurling him against a chariot so that its crossbar broke. The Jin army then halted. Prince Fa of Chu was taken prisoner.

Luan Zhen saw Zizhong's standard and asked leave, saying: "The men of Chu say that that standard is Zizhong's pennon; then that must be Zizhong himself. In former days, when I was sent as envoy to Chu, Zizhong asked what the courage of Jin was like. I answered, 'It loves order in its numbers.' He said, 'And what else?' I answered, 'It loves to be unhurried.' Now the two states are at war, and if no envoy is sent, that cannot be called order; and if in the face of the business a man eats his own words, that cannot be called unhurried. Let me present him a drink on your behalf." The duke gave leave, and had a messenger take a wine-cask and carry the drink. He came to Zizhong and said, "My lord is short of messengers, and has made Zhen hold the spear at his side, so that he cannot come to refresh your followers himself; he has sent me to present the drink in his stead." Zizhong said, "That gentleman once spoke with me in Chu; this must be why. Has he not a good memory!" He took the cup and drank it, dismissed the messenger, and beat the drum again.

They fought from dawn, and when the stars came out it was not yet done. Zifan ordered the officers of the army to examine the wounded, fill up the ranks of foot and chariot, repair the armor and weapons, put the chariots and horses in order, eat at cockcrow, and hold themselves ready for orders. The men of Jin were troubled at this. Miao Benhuang went about the camp proclaiming: "Muster the chariots and fill up the foot; feed the horses and sharpen the weapons; put the ranks in order and make the lines firm; eat where you lie and repeat the prayers; tomorrow we fight again." Then they let a Chu prisoner escape.

The king heard of it and summoned Zifan to take counsel. The servant Guyang offered Zifan drink, and Zifan grew drunk and could not come. The king said, "Heaven has defeated Chu. I cannot wait here." So he slipped away by night.

Jin entered the camp of Chu and lived three days on their grain. Fan Wenzi stood before the war-horses and said, "Our lord is young and his ministers are without ability. How have we come to this? Let the lord take warning. The Documents of Zhou say, 'The mandate is not constant' — meaning that it goes to him who has virtue."

The Chu army turned back, and when it reached Xia the king sent word to Zifan: "When a former grandee overturned his army, his ruler was not present. You are not to take this as your fault; the guilt is mine." Zifan bowed twice, touching his head to the ground, and said, "If my lord grants me death, then in dying I shall not decay. It was my own troops that ran; the fault is mine." Zizhong in his turn sent word to Zifan: "What was done at first by the man who lost his army — you too have heard of it. Why not plan accordingly?" He answered, "Even had there been no former grandee who did so, since a grandee lays this command upon Ce, how should Ce dare not do what is right? Ce has lost his lord's army; how should he dare forget to die for it?" The king sent to stop him, but the messenger did not reach him in time, and he died.

On the day of the battle, Guo Zuo and Gao Wujiu of Qi reached the army. The marquis of Wei had set out from Wei, and the duke had set out from Huaitui.

Xuanbo had illicit relations with Mu Jiang and wished to be rid of the Ji and Meng houses and to take their property. As the duke was about to set out, Mu Jiang saw him off and told him to expel the two men. The duke pleaded the difficulty with Jin, saying, "Let me return, and then I will obey your command." Jiang was angry. As Prince Yan and Prince Chu hurried past, she pointed at them and said, "If you will not, these are both rulers too." The duke waited at Huaitui; he strengthened the palace and set watch, arranged the defenses, and only then set out; this is why he was late. He had Meng Xianzi keep guard in the ducal palace.

In autumn there was the meeting at Shasui, to plan the attack on Zheng. Xuanbo sent word to Xi Chou: "The marquis of Lu waited at Huaitui in order to wait upon the winner." Xi Chou commanded the new army and was also a grandee of the ducal clan with charge of the eastern feudal lords. He took a bribe from Xuanbo and accused the duke before the marquis of Jin, and the marquis of Jin would not receive the duke.

The men of Cao made a plea to Jin, saying: "Ever since our former ruler Duke Xuan came to the throne, the people of our state have been asking, 'What is to be done?' That sorrow is not yet quieted, and now you punish our ruler as well and take from us the prince who is the steadying pillar of the altars of Cao. This is to blot Cao out utterly. Was our former ruler then guilty? If he was guilty, you yourself, my lord, placed him among those at your meetings. My lord neglects neither virtue nor punishment, and so leads the feudal lords; would he neglect them for our poor city alone? We venture to set this out privately."

In the seventh month the duke joined Duke Wu of Yin and the other feudal lords in attacking Zheng. As he was about to set out, Jiang again laid the same command on him as before, and again the duke strengthened the guard before he went. The armies of the feudal lords halted west of Zheng; our army halted at Duyang, not daring to pass Zheng. Zishu Shengbo sent Shusun Bao to ask an escort of the Jin army, and prepared food in the outskirts of Zheng. The escort came and brought them through. Shengbo went four days without eating while he waited; he fed the messengers, and only afterward ate himself.

The feudal lords moved to the fields of Zhi. Zhi Wuzi (Xun Ying), second in command of the lower army, led the armies of the feudal lords in a raid on Chen as far as Minglu, and went on to raid Cai and had not yet returned. The feudal lords moved to the banks of the Ying. On wuwu Zihan of Zheng attacked their camp by night, and Song, Qi, and Wei all lost part of their forces.

The men of Cao made their plea to Jin again. The marquis of Jin said to Zizang, "Go back, and I will send your ruler home." Zizang went back, and the earl of Cao was sent home. Zizang then gave up all his towns and his ministerial rank, and took no further part in public life.

Xuanbo sent word to Xi Chou: "That Lu has the Ji and Meng houses is like Jin's having the Luan and the Fan. It is through them that government and command are accomplished. Now their counsel runs: 'The government of Jin has many gates and cannot be followed. Better to serve Qi and Chu; at worst we perish. There will be no following Jin.' If you wish to have your will in Lu, detain Xingfu and kill him; I will do away with Mie, and then serve Jin, and there will be no more double-dealing. If Lu is not double-hearted, the small states will surely be at one with you. Otherwise, once they go home they will certainly revolt."

In the ninth month the men of Jin seized Ji Wenzi at Tiaoqiu. The duke turned back and waited at Yun. He sent Zishu Shengbo to ask Jin for Jisun's release. Xi Chou said, "If you will do away with Zhongsun Mie and keep Jisun Xingfu in detention, I will hand you the state, and you shall stand nearer to it than the ducal house." He answered: "You must surely have heard what Qiaoru's real feelings are. To do away with Mie and Xingfu would be to cast off the state of Lu utterly and to make a criminal of my lord. But if you will not cast us off, and are kind enough to seek the blessing of the Duke of Zhou so that my lord may go on serving the ruler of Jin — then those two men are the ministers of the altars of Lu. If they are destroyed in the morning, Lu will surely perish by evening. Lu lies close beside its enemies; if it perishes and becomes an enemy, what use will it be then to set matters right?" Xi Chou said, "I will ask a town for you." He answered: "Yingqi is a common servant of Lu. How should he dare lean upon a great state to seek advantage for himself? I have come with my lord's command to make one request. If that request is granted, your gift to me is great already. What more should I seek?"

Fan Wenzi said to Luan Wuzi: "Jisun has been chief minister to two rulers of Lu. His concubines do not wear silk and his horses do not eat grain. Can he not be called loyal? To trust a slanderous and crooked man and cast off the loyal and good — what will the feudal lords make of it? Zishu Yingqi carries his lord's command without selfishness; he plans for the state without a double heart; he takes thought for himself without forgetting his lord. To send his request away empty would be to cast away a good man. Think it over." So they agreed to peace with Lu and released Jisun.

In winter, in the tenth month, Shusun Qiaoru was driven out and a covenant sworn against him. Qiaoru fled to Qi.

In the twelfth month Jisun made a covenant with Xi Chou at Hu. On his return Prince Yan was put to death. Shusun Bao was summoned from Qi and set up as head of his house. Sheng Mengzi of Qi had illicit relations with Qiaoru and had him placed in rank between the Gao and the Guo. Qiaoru said, "I may not commit the same offense twice," and fled to Wei, where too he was given a place among the ministers.

The marquis of Jin sent Xi Zhi to present the spoils of Chu at the Zhou court. He talked with Duke Xiang of Shan and again and again praised his own achievements. Shanzi said to the grandees: "Will not Ji of Wen perish? His place is below seven men, and yet he seeks to overshadow those above him. Where resentment gathers is the root of disorder. To have much resentment and to build a stair for disorder — how shall he keep his place? The Documents of Xia say, 'Is resentment only in what is plain? Take thought for what is not seen' — meaning that a man should be careful of small beginnings. Now he makes it plain. Can that do?"

Year 17 (成公十七年)

Annals.

• In the seventeenth year, in spring, Beigong Kuo of Wei led an army and raided Zheng.
• In summer the duke joined Yinzi, Shanzi, the marquis of Jin, the marquis of Qi, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Cao, and a man of Zhu in attacking Zheng.
• In the sixth month, on yiyou, they joined in covenant at Keling.
• In autumn the duke arrived from the meeting. Gao Wujiu of Qi fled to Ju.
• In the ninth month, on xinchou, the suburban sacrifice was performed. The marquis of Jin sent Xun Ying here to beg for troops.
• In winter the duke joined Shanzi, the marquis of Jin, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the earl of Cao, a man of Qi, and a man of Zhu in attacking Zheng. In the eleventh month the duke arrived from the attack on Zheng. On renshen Gongsun Ying died at Lishen. In the twelfth month, on dingsi, the first of the month, the sun was eclipsed. Jue Ju, viscount of Zhu, died. Jin killed its grandees Xi Qi, Xi Chou, and Xi Zhi. The men of Chu extinguished Shuyong.

Zuo.

In the seventeenth year, in spring, in the king's first month, Zisi of Zheng raided Xu and Hua of Jin. Beigong Kuo of Wei went to the help of Jin and raided Zheng, reaching Gaoshi.

In summer, in the fifth month, Kunwan, heir apparent of Zheng, and Hou Nou were made hostages in Chu, and Prince Cheng and Prince Yin of Chu garrisoned Zheng. The duke joined Duke Wu of Yin, Duke Xiang of Shan, and the other feudal lords in attacking Zheng, from Xitong as far as Quwei. Fan Wenzi of Jin, on returning from Yanling, made his family invocator pray for his death, saying: "Our lord is arrogant and extravagant, and yet he has beaten his enemy. This is Heaven adding to his sickness. Trouble is about to break out. Whoever loves me will pray for me and let me die quickly, so that I do not live to meet the trouble. That will be the good fortune of the Fan house."

In the sixth month, on wuchen, Shi Xie died. On yiyou they joined in covenant at Keling, renewing the covenant of Qi. Zizhong of Chu came to the relief of Zheng and encamped at Shouzhi, and the feudal lords turned back. Qing Ke of Qi had illicit relations with Sheng Mengzi. He wrapped himself in women's clothing among her women, rode in a hand-cart, and so entered by the inner gate. Bao Qian saw it and reported it to Guo Wuzi, and Wuzi summoned Qing Ke and reproved him. Qing Ke did not come out for a long time, and then told the lady, "Guozi has reprimanded me." The lady was angry. Guozi was attending Duke Ling at the meeting, while Gao and Bao stayed behind on guard; when the duke was about to arrive on his return, they shut the gates and searched for strangers. Mengzi accused them, saying, "Gao and Bao mean not to let the ruler in, but to set up Prince Jue; and Guozi knows of it."

In autumn, in the seventh month, on renyin, Bao Qian's feet were cut off and Gao Wujiu was driven out. Wujiu fled to Ju, and Gao Ruo held Lu in revolt. The men of Qi came here to summon Bao Guo and set him up as head of his house. Earlier, Bao Guo had left the Bao house and come to Lu, and had become a retainer of Shi Xiaoshu. The Shi house divined for a steward, and Kuang Jüxu was the auspicious choice. The stewardship of the Shi house carried with it a town of a hundred households, which was to be Kuang Jüxu's town; but he yielded the stewardship to Bao Guo and made the town over to him. Shi Xiaoshu said, "It was you who were the auspicious one." He answered, "To be able to give place to a loyal and good man — what greater good fortune is there than that?" Bao Guo served the Shi house as steward with loyalty, and so the men of Qi took him to be head of the Bao house. Later Zhongni said, "Bao Zhuangzi's wisdom was not equal to the mallow's. The mallow at least can guard its own foot."

In winter the feudal lords attacked Zheng.

In the tenth month, on gengwu, they besieged Zheng. Prince Shen of Chu came to the relief of Zheng and encamped on the banks of the Ru.

In the eleventh month the feudal lords turned back. Earlier, Shengbo had dreamed that he was fording the Huan, and that someone gave him fine jade to eat. He wept, and his tears became fine jade until they filled his bosom, and then he sang:

I crossed the waters of the Huan;
he made me a gift of fine jade.
Home, then, home!
Fine jade fills my bosom.

He was afraid and did not dare have it divined. On his return from Zheng, on renshen, he came to Lishen and had it divined, saying, "I feared death, and so did not dare have it divined. Now the host is great and has followed me three years; there is no harm in it." He spoke of it in the evening, and died. The marquis of Qi made Cui Zhu a grandee with Qing Ke as his second, and sent them with an army to besiege Lu. Guo Zuo had been with the feudal lords besieging Zheng; he asked leave on account of the trouble at home and returned, then went to the army at Lu, killed Qing Ke, and held Gu in revolt. The marquis of Qi swore a covenant with him at Xuguan and restored him.

In the twelfth month Lu surrendered. Guo Sheng was sent to report the troubles to Jin, and waited for orders at Qing. Duke Li of Jin was extravagant and had many favorites outside the court; on his return from Yanling he wished to remove all the grandees and set up his own attendants in their place. Xu Tong, because of the deposing of Xu Ke, bore a grudge against the Xi, and he was a favorite of Duke Li. Xi Qi had seized the fields of Yiyang Wu, and Wu too was a favorite of Duke Li. Xi Chou had quarreled over fields with Zhangyu Jiao, and had seized him and put him in fetters, yoking him together with his father, mother, wife, and children to a single chariot-shaft; afterward Jiao too became a favorite of Duke Li. Luan Shu bore a grudge against Xi Zhi, because he had beaten the Chu army without following his advice, and wished to have him removed. He had Prince Fa of Chu tell the duke: "In that battle it was Xi Zhi who invited my lord, saying that the eastern armies had not yet come up and that the commanders were not all present, and that Jin must therefore be beaten; and he said, 'I will then set up Sun Zhou and serve him as ruler.'" The duke told Luan Shu, and Shu said, "There must be something in it. Otherwise, would he have taken no thought for death, and yet received an enemy's messenger? Why does my lord not try sending him to the Zhou court and observe him?" Xi Zhi went on a diplomatic visit to Zhou, and Luan Shu had Sun Zhou meet him. The duke sent men to spy, and their report bore it out; from then on he bore a grudge against Xi Zhi.

Duke Li went hunting. With his women he took the first kill and drank wine, and only afterward let the grandees make their kills. Xi Zhi presented a boar, and the eunuch Meng Zhang took it from him; Xi Zhi shot and killed him. The duke said, "Jizi has slighted me." Duke Li was about to make trouble. Xu Tong said, "You must begin with the three Xi. Their clan is great and much resented. Remove a great clan, and you will not be crowded; strike at those whom many resent, and you will have merit." The duke said, "So be it."

The Xi heard of it. Xi Qi wanted to attack the duke, saying, "Though we die, the ruler will surely be in danger." Xi Zhi said: "What a man stands upon is good faith, wisdom, and courage. Good faith does not rebel against one's ruler; wisdom does not harm the people; courage does not raise a revolt. Lose these three, and who will stand with me? To die with much resentment against one — what use is that? If the ruler indeed has ministers and kills them, what will men say of the ruler? If I am guilty, my death has come late already. If he kills the guiltless, he will lose his people, and how then shall he have the peace he wants? I will only await his command. It is by receiving the ruler's stipend that a man gathers a faction; to have a faction and with it to fight against his command — what guilt is greater than that?"

On renwu Xu Tong and Yiyang Wu led eight hundred armored men to attack the Xi. Zhangyu Jiao asked that no multitude be used, and the duke sent Qingfei Tui to help him. They drew their spears, knotted up their robes, and passed themselves off as men bringing a lawsuit. The three Xi were about to take counsel in a pavilion. Jiao killed Jubo (Xi Qi) and Kuchengshu (Xi Chou) with his spear where they sat. Ji of Wen (Xi Zhi) said, "This is to flee from authority," and hurried off; Jiao overtook him at his chariot and killed him with the spear. All three were laid out as corpses in the court.

Xu Tong with his armored men seized Luan Shu and Zhonghang Yan in the court. Jiao said, "If you do not kill these two, trouble will surely reach the ruler." The duke said, "In one morning I have laid out three ministers as corpses. I cannot bear to add to it." He answered: "Then men will not spare you. I have heard that disorder outside is called treachery and disorder within is called sedition; that treachery is met with virtue and sedition with punishment. To kill without having first shown favor cannot be called virtue; to let a minister crowd upon you and not punish him cannot be called punishment. If neither virtue nor punishment is established, treachery and sedition will come together. I ask leave to go." So he fled to the Di.

The duke sent to excuse himself to the two men, saying, "I have punished the Xi, and the Xi have submitted to their guilt. Let the grandees think themselves no way disgraced, but return to their offices." Both bowed twice, touching their heads to the ground, and said, "Our lord has punished the guilty and spared his servants from death. This is our lord's kindness. Though we die, how should we dare forget our lord's virtue?" So both returned to their places. The duke made Xu Tong a minister.

The duke was taking his ease at the house of the Jiangli, and Luan Shu and Zhonghang Yan seized him there. They summoned Shi Gai, and Shi Gai declined. They summoned Han Jue, and Han Jue declined, saying: "Long ago I was reared in the house of Zhao. When Meng Ji slandered them, I was able to keep clear of the fighting. The men of old had a saying, 'When an old ox is killed, no one dares take charge of the body' — how much more with a ruler? If you gentlemen cannot serve your ruler, what use have you for Jue?"

The men of Shuyong, because of the defeat of the Chu army, guided the men of Wu in besieging Chao, attacking Jia, and besieging Li and Hui; then they trusted to Wu and made no preparations. Prince Tuoshi of Chu fell upon Shuyong and extinguished it.

In the intercalary month, on yimao, the last of the month, Luan Shu and Zhonghang Yan killed Xu Tong. The people were not on the side of the Xi, and Xu Tong had led the ruler into disorder; therefore in both cases the record says, "Jin killed its grandee."

Year 18 (成公十八年)

Annals.

• In the eighteenth year, in spring, in the king's first month, Jin killed its grandee Xu Tong. On gengshen, Jin assassinated its ruler Zhoupu. Qi killed its grandee Guo Zuo. The duke went to Jin.
• In summer the viscount of Chu and the earl of Zheng attacked Song. Yu Shi of Song entered Pengcheng again. The duke arrived from Jin. The marquis of Jin sent Shi Gai here on a diplomatic visit.
• In autumn the earl of Qi came on a court visit.
• In the eighth month the viscount of Zhu came on a court visit. The deer park was built. On jichou the duke passed away in the main chamber.
• In winter men of Chu and men of Zheng raided Song. The marquis of Jin sent Shi Fang here to beg for troops.
• In the twelfth month Zhongsun Mie met the marquis of Jin, the duke of Song, the marquis of Wei, the viscount of Zhu, and Cui Zhu of Qi, and joined in covenant at Xucheng. On dingwei we buried our lord Duke Cheng.

Zuo.

In the eighteenth year, in spring, in the king's first month, on gengshen, Luan Shu and Zhonghang Yan of Jin had Cheng Hua assassinate Duke Li. They buried him outside the east gate of Yi with a single chariot and team. They sent Xun Ying and Shi Fang to meet Zhouzi at the royal capital and set him up; he was fourteen years old. The grandees met him at Qingyuan. Zhouzi said: "My hopes at first did not reach so far as this. Yet since it has come to this, is it not Heaven's doing? When men seek a ruler, it is so that he may issue commands. If you set one up and do not follow him, what use is a ruler? Whether you gentlemen will use me is settled today; whether you will not is settled today as well. To be respectful and to follow the ruler is what the spirits bless." They answered, "It is the wish of your assembled servants. How should we dare do anything but obey?" On gengwu they swore the covenant and entered, and he lodged with the house of Bozi Tong. On xinsi he presented himself in the temple of Duke Wu, and drove out seven men who had not behaved as subjects. Zhouzi had an elder brother, but he was without wit and could not tell beans from wheat, and so could not be set up. In Qi, on account of the trouble with the Qing house, on jiashen, the last of the month, the marquis of Qi sent the officer Hua Mian to kill Guo Zuo with a spear in the court of the inner palace, and his followers fled into the lady's palace. The record says, "Qi killed its grandee Guo Zuo," because he had cast off his ruler's command, killed on his own authority, and held Gu in revolt. The marquis had the men of Qing kill Guo Sheng. Guo Ruo fled here. Wang Qiu fled to Lai. Qing Feng was made a grandee and Qing Zuo minister of justice. Afterward the marquis of Qi brought Guo Ruo back and had him succeed to the headship of the Guo house; this was according to the rites.

In the second month, on yiyou, the first of the month, Duke Dao, marquis of Jin, took his place in the court and first gave commands to the hundred officers. He gave out alms and remitted the debts owed to himself; he reached down to widowers and widows; he raised up those who had been set aside and left in obscurity; he relieved want and hardship; he succored those in calamity; he forbade excess and wickedness; he lightened taxes and levies; he pardoned offenses; he kept the use of vessels within measure; he employed the people only in season, and desired that nothing be transgressed. At that time he made Wei Xiang, Shi Fang, Wei Jie, and Zhao Wu ministers; Xun Jia, Xun Hui, Luan Yan, and Han Wuji grandees of the ducal clan, to instruct the sons and younger brothers of the ministers in respectfulness, frugality, filial piety, and brotherly deference; Shi Wozhuo grand tutor, to put in order the laws of Fan Wuzi; and Youhang Xin minister of works, to put in order the laws of Shi Wei. Bian Jiu drove the war-chariot, and the masters of the stables were placed under him, to train the drivers to know what is right. Xun Bin was the right-hand man, and the officers of the guard were placed under him, to train the men of courage and strength. At that time the ministers had no drivers assigned to them personally, and commandants of the army were appointed to serve in that place. Qi Xi was commandant of the central army, with Yangshe Zhi as his second. Wei Jiang was marshal, and Zhang Lao chief of scouts. Duo'ekou was commandant of the upper army, with Ji Yan as its marshal, to train the foot and the chariots to be close-knit and obedient to command. Cheng Zheng was master of the chariot horses, and the six grooms were placed under him, to train the grooms to know the rites. The heads of all six offices were men the people praised. In the appointments no duty was misplaced; the officers did not turn aside from their proper ways; ranks did not go beyond virtue; commanders did not overbear their chiefs; companies did not press upon their commanders; the people had no words of slander. This was how the hegemony was restored. The duke went to Jin, to pay a court visit to the successor ruler.

In summer, in the sixth month, the earl of Zheng raided Song and came to the outside of the Cao gate; he then joined the viscount of Chu in attacking Song and took Zhaojia. Zixin of Chu and Huang Chen of Zheng raided Chenggao and took Youqiu. Together they attacked Pengcheng and brought in Yu Shi of Song, Xiang Weiren, Lin Zhu, Xiang Dai, and Yu Fu; they garrisoned it with three hundred chariots and returned. The record says "entered again." In general, when a man has left his state: if the state welcomes him and sets him up, it is called "entered"; if he is restored to his former place, it is called "returned home"; if the feudal lords bring him in, it is called "went home"; if it is done with evil intent, it is called "entered again." The men of Song were troubled at this. Xi Chuwu said: "Why? If the men of Chu hated whom we hate and had shown us kindness, we should indeed have to serve them and dare not be of two minds. A great state is never satisfied; even if it made a border town of us it would still be aggrieved. Failing that, it gathers up those we hate and sets them to help in its government, so as to watch for a crack in us — and that would indeed be our trouble. But now they exalt the traitors of the feudal lords and cut off a piece of their land, so as to block the level highway. They gratify traitors and estrange those who submit; they poison the feudal lords and frighten Wu and Jin. Our gain in it is great; it is no sorrow of ours. And as for serving Jin — what need to ask? Jin will surely take pity on us." The duke arrived from Jin. Fan Xuanzi of Jin came on a diplomatic visit, and also to give thanks for the court visit. The gentleman says that in this Jin acted according to the rites.

In autumn Duke Huan of Qi came on a court visit, to console the duke and to ask about the affairs of Jin. The duke told him about the ruler of Jin, and thereupon the earl of Qi made frequent court visits to Jin and asked for a marriage alliance.

In the seventh month Lao Zuo and Hua Xi of Song besieged Pengcheng, and Lao Zuo died there. In the eighth month Duke Xuan of Zhu came on a court visit, coming to present himself upon his accession. The deer park was built; the record notes that it was out of season. On jichou the duke passed away in the main chamber; this is said because it was in the proper way.

In winter, in the eleventh month, Zizhong of Chu came to the relief of Pengcheng and attacked Song. Hua Yuan of Song went to Jin to report the emergency. Han Xianzi was in charge of the government and said, "If you wish to win men, you must first labor for them. To complete the hegemony and make the strong secure begins with Song." The marquis of Jin encamped at Taigu to relieve Song, and met the Chu army in the valley of Mijiao; the Chu army turned back. Shi Fang of Jin came to beg for troops. Ji Wenzi asked Zang Wuzhong how many troops to send. He answered: "In the campaign against Zheng it was the Earl of Zhi who came, and he was second in command of the lower army. Now Zhi Ji is likewise second in command of the lower army. What was done for the attack on Zheng will serve. In serving a great state, not to mistake the order of rank, and to add respect to it, accords with the rites." They followed his advice.

In the twelfth month Meng Xianzi attended the meeting at Xucheng, to plan the relief of Song. The men of Song declined the help of the feudal lords and asked instead for troops to besiege Pengcheng. Meng Xianzi asked leave of the feudal lords and returned first to attend the burial. On dingwei we buried our lord Duke Cheng. The record notes that it was in due order.

Colophon

This translation was prepared for the Chinese shelf of the Good Works Library and derived independently from the classical Chinese printed in full below, working from the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the Duke Cheng chapters of the Zuo Commentary. The chapter's own form has been kept visible rather than smoothed away: each year of the reign is a heading, and within a year the terse entries of the Chunqiu annal stand first, under the lead Annals., one entry to a line, followed by the Zuo narrative for that year under the lead Zuo. No annal entry has been dropped and no year merged with another; the paragraphing of the narrative follows the source. Speeches and remonstrances are rendered as continuous speech, and quotations from the Odes, the Documents, and the older records keep their verse lines. Dates and reckoning are given as the source gives them — "in the fifth year, in spring, in the king's first month" — and sexagenary day names are left in pinyin (jiazi, yimao, guiyou) rather than converted.

Complete published English translations of the Zuo Commentary exist, and no claim of firstness is made for this one. They are named here as controls in existence, not as sources: James Legge, The Ch'un Ts'ew with the Tso Chuen (1872); Stephen Durrant, Wai-yee Li, and David Schaberg, Zuo Tradition / Zuozhuan (2016), which is complete; and Burton Watson, The Tso chuan (1989), which is a selection. None was fetched or consulted in making this file; every English sentence above was derived from the Chinese characters printed below.

On names and terms: the Zuo calls the same man by more than one name, and the alternates have been kept — Xi Ke also appears as Xi Xianzi and Earl Xi, Shi Xie as Fan Wenzi and Fan Shu, Luan Shu as Luan Wuzi and Earl Luan, Han Jue as Han Xianzi, Xun Ying as Zhi Ying and Zhi Wuzi, Shi Gai as Fan Gai and Fan Xuanzi, Shusun Qiaoru as Xuanbo, and the three Xi of the seventeenth year appear at the moment of their killing under the by-names Jubo, Kuchengshu, and Ji of Wen. Two different states are written Qi in pinyin and have been marked with their characters where they stand close together: Qi 齊, the great eastern marquisate, and Qi 杞, a small state; the Wei town of Qi 戚 is marked likewise. Recurring terms are held steady across the file: 禮 the rites, 德 virtue, 信 good faith, 盟 covenant, 同盟 joined in covenant, 聘 diplomatic visit, 朝 court visit, 伐 attack, 侵 raid, 圍 besiege, 滅 extinguish, 弒 assassinate, 潰 collapse, 卒 died, 薨 passed away, 社稷 the altars of soil and grain, 令尹 chief minister, 司馬 marshal, 司徒 minister of education, 司空 minister of works, 大夫 grandee, 行人 envoy-officer, 媵 bridal companion.

Prepared for the Good Work Library by the Tianmu Anglican Church with AI-assisted translation and editorial work.

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Source Text: 春秋左氏傳 成公

Classical Chinese text in the Chinese Wikisource transcription. Presented complete for reference, study, and verification alongside the English translation above.

成公元年

經

元年春。王正月。公即位。

二月。辛酉。葬我君宣公。無冰。

三月。作丘甲。

夏。臧孫許。及晉侯。盟于赤棘。

秋。王師敗績于茅戎。

冬。十月。

傳

元年春。晉侯使瑕嘉平戎于王。單襄公如晉拜成。劉康公徼戎。將遂伐之。叔服曰。背盟而欺大國。此必敗。背盟不祥。欺大國不義。神人弗助。將何以勝。不聽。遂伐茅戎。

三月。癸未。敗績于徐吾氏。為齊難故。作丘甲。聞齊將出楚師。

夏。盟于赤棘。

秋。王人來告敗。

冬。臧宣叔令脩賦繕完。具守備。曰。齊楚結好。我新與晉盟。晉楚爭盟。齊師必至。雖晉人伐齊。楚必救之。是齊楚同我也。知難而有備。乃可以逞。

成公二年

經

二年春。齊侯伐我北鄙。

夏。四月。丙戌。衛孫良夫帥師。及齊師戰于新築。衛師敗績。

六月。癸酉。季孫行父。臧孫許。叔孫僑如。公孫嬰齊。帥師會晉郤克。衛孫良夫。曹公子首。及齊侯戰于鞍。齊師敗績。

秋。七月。齊侯使國佐如師。己酉。及國佐盟于袁婁。

八月。壬午。宋公鮑卒。庚寅。衛侯速卒。取汶陽田。

冬。楚師。鄭師。侵衛。

十有一月。公會楚公子嬰齊于蜀。丙申。公及楚人。秦人。宋人。陳人。衛人。鄭人。齊人。曹人。邾人。薛人。鄫人。盟于蜀。

傳

二年春。齊侯伐我北鄙。圍龍。頃公之嬖人盧蒲就魁。門焉。龍人囚之。齊侯曰。勿殺。吾與而盟。無入而封。弗聽。殺而膊諸城上。齊侯親鼓。士陵城。三日。取龍。遂南侵。及巢丘。衛侯使孫良夫。石稷。甯相。向禽。將侵齊。與齊師遇。石子欲還。孫子曰。不可。以師伐人。遇其師而還。將謂君何。若知不能。則如無出。今既遇矣。不如戰也。

夏。有。石成子曰。師敗矣。子不少須。眾懼盡。子喪師徒。何以復命。皆不對。又曰。子國卿也。隕子。辱矣。子以眾退。我此乃止。且告車來甚眾。齊師乃止。次于鞫居。新築人仲叔于奚救孫桓子。桓子是以免。既。衛人賞之以邑。辭。請曲縣繁纓以朝。許之。仲尼聞之曰。惜也。不如多與之邑。唯器與名。不可以假人。君之所司也。名以出信。信以守器。器以藏禮。禮以行義。義以生利。利以平民。政之大節也。若以假人。與人政也。政亡。則國家從之。弗可止也已。孫桓子還於新築。不入。遂如晉乞師。臧宣叔亦如晉乞師。皆主郤獻子。晉侯許之七百乘。郤子曰。此城濮之賦也。有先君之明。與先大夫之肅。故捷。克於先大夫。無能為役。請八百乘。許之。郤克將中軍。士燮將上軍。欒書將下軍。韓厥為司馬。以救魯衛。臧宣叔逆晉師。且道之。季文子帥師會之。及衛地。韓獻子將斬人。郤獻子馳將救之。至。則既斬之矣。郤子使速以徇。告其僕曰。吾以分謗也。師從齊師于莘。

六月。壬申。師至于靡笄之下。齊侯使請戰。曰。子以君師。辱於敝邑。不腆敝賦。詰朝請見。對曰。晉與魯衛。兄弟也。來告曰。大國朝夕釋憾於敝邑之地。寡君不忍。使群臣請於大國。無令輿師。淹於君地。能進不能退。君無所辱命。齊侯曰。大夫之許。寡人之願也。若其不許。亦將見也。齊高固入晉師。桀石以投人。禽之。而乘其車。繫桑本焉。以徇齊壘。曰。欲勇者。賈余餘勇。癸酉。師陳于鞍。邴夏御齊侯。逢丑父為右。晉解張御郤克。鄭丘緩為右。齊侯曰。余姑翦滅此而朝食。不介馬而馳之。郤克傷於矢。流血及屨。未絕鼓音。曰。余病矣。張侯曰。自始合。而矢貫余手及肘。余折以御。左輪朱殷。豈敢言病。吾子忍之。緩曰。自始合。苟有險。余必下推車。子豈識之。然子病矣。張侯曰。師之耳目。在吾旗鼓。進退從之。此車。一人殿之。可以集事。若之何其以病。敗君之大事也。擐甲執兵。固即死也。病未及死。吾子勉之。左并轡。右援枹而鼓。馬逸不能止。師從之。齊師敗績。逐之。三周華不注。韓厥夢子輿謂己曰。且辟左右。故中御而從齊侯。邴夏曰。射其御者。君子也。公曰。謂之君子而射之。非禮也。射其左。越于車下。射其右。斃于車中。綦毋張喪車。從韓厥曰。請寓乘。從左右。皆肘之。使立於後。韓厥俛定其右。逢丑父與公易位。將及華泉。驂絓於木而止。丑父寢於轏中。蛇出於其下。以肱擊之。傷而匿之。故不能推車而及。韓厥執縶馬前。再拜稽首。奉觴加璧以進。曰。寡君使群臣為魯衛請。曰。無令輿師。陷入君地。下臣不幸。屬當戎行。無所逃隱。且懼奔辟。而忝兩君。臣辱戎士。敢告不敏。攝官承乏。丑父使公下如華泉取飲。鄭周父御佐車。宛茷為右。載齊侯以免。韓厥獻丑父。郤獻子將戮之。呼曰。自今無有代其君任患者。有一於此。將為戮乎。郤子曰。人不難以死免其君。我戮之不祥。赦之以勸事君者。乃免之。齊侯免。求丑父。三入三出。每出齊師以帥退。入于狄卒。狄卒皆抽戈楯冒之以入于衛師。衛師免之。遂自徐關入。齊侯見保者曰勉之。齊師敗矣。辟女子。女子曰。君免乎。曰。免矣。曰。銳司徒免乎。曰。免矣。曰。苟君與吾父免矣。可若何。乃奔。齊侯以為有禮。既而問之。辟司徒之妻也。予之石窌。晉師從齊師。入自丘。輿擊馬陘。齊侯使賓媚人。賂以紀甗。玉磬。與地。不可。則聽客之所為。賓媚人致賂。晉人不可。曰。必以蕭同叔子為質。而使齊之封內。盡東其畝。對曰。蕭同叔子非他。寡君之母也。若以匹敵。則亦晉君之母也。吾子布大命於諸侯。而曰必質其母以為信。其若王命何。且是以不孝令也。詩曰。孝子不匱。永錫爾類。若以不孝令於諸侯。其無乃非德類也乎。先王疆理天下。物土之宜而布其利。故詩曰。我疆我理。南東其畝。今吾子疆理諸侯。而曰盡東其畝而已。唯吾子戎車是利。無顧土宜。其無乃非先王之命也乎。反先王則不義。何以為盟主。其晉實有闕。四王之王也。樹德而濟同欲焉。五伯之霸也。勤而撫之。以役王命。今吾子求合諸侯。以逞無疆之欲。詩曰。布政優優。百祿是遒。子實不優。而棄百祿。諸侯何害焉。不然。寡君之命使臣。則有辭矣。曰。子以君師辱於敝邑。不腆敝賦。以犒從者。畏君之震。師徒橈敗。吾子惠徼齊國之福。不泯其社稷。使繼舊好。唯是先君之敝器土地不敢愛。子又不許。請收合餘燼。背城借一。敝邑之幸。亦云從也。況其不幸。敢不唯命是聽。魯衛諫曰。齊疾我矣。其死亡者。皆親暱也。子若不許。讎我必甚。唯子則又何求。子得其國寶。我亦得地而紓於難。其榮多矣。齊晉亦唯天所授。豈必晉。晉人許之。對曰。群臣帥賦輿。以為魯衛請。若苟有以藉口。而復於寡君。君之惠也。敢不唯命是聽。禽鄭自師逆公。

秋。七月。晉師及齊國佐盟于爰婁。使齊人歸我汶陽之田。公會晉師于上鄍。三帥先路三命之服。司馬。司空。輿帥。候正。亞旅。皆受一命之服。

八月。宋文公卒。始厚葬。用蜃炭。益車馬。始用殉。重器備。槨有四阿。棺有翰檜。君子謂華元。樂舉。於是乎不臣。臣。治煩去惑者也。是以伏死而爭。今二子者。君生則縱其惑。死又益其侈。是棄君於惡也。何臣之為。

九月。衛穆公卒。晉二子自役弔焉。哭於大門之外。衛人逆之。婦人哭於門內。送亦如之。遂常以葬。楚之討陳夏氏也。莊王欲納夏姬。申公巫臣曰。不可。君召諸侯。以討罪也。今納夏姬。貪其色也。貪色為淫。淫為大罰。周書曰。明德慎罰。文王所以造周也。明德。務崇之之謂也。慎罰。務去之之謂也。若興諸侯。以取大罰。非慎之也。君其圖之。王乃止。子反欲取之。巫臣曰。是不祥人也。是夭子蠻。殺御叔。弒靈侯。戮夏南。出孔儀。喪陳國。何不祥如是。人生實難。其有不獲死乎。天下多美婦人。何必是。子反乃止。王以予連尹襄老。襄老死於邲。不獲其尸。其子黑要烝焉。巫臣使道焉。曰。歸。吾聘女。又使自鄭召之。曰。尸可得也。必來逆之。姬以告王。王問諸屈巫。對曰。其信。知罃之父。成公之嬖也。而中行伯之季弟也。新佐中軍。而善鄭皇戌。甚愛此子。其必因鄭而歸王子。與襄老之尸。以求之。鄭人懼於邲之役。而欲求媚於晉。其必許之。王遣夏姬歸。將行。謂送者曰。不得尸。吾不反矣。巫臣聘諸鄭。鄭伯許之。及共王即位。將為陽橋之役。使屈巫聘於齊。且告師期。巫臣盡室以行。申叔跪從其父將適郢。遇之。曰。異哉。夫子有三軍之懼。而又有桑中之喜。宜將竊妻以逃者也。及鄭。使介反幣。而以夏姬行。將奔齊。齊師新敗。曰。吾不處不勝之國。遂奔晉。而因郤至。以臣於晉。晉人使為邢大夫。子反請以重幣錮之。王曰。止。其自為謀也則過矣。其為吾先君謀也則忠。忠。社稷之固也。所蓋多矣。且彼若能利國家。雖重幣。晉將可乎。若無益於晉。晉將棄之。何勞錮焉。晉師歸。范文子後入。武子曰。無為吾望爾也乎。對曰。師有功。國人喜以逆之。先入。必屬耳目焉。是代帥受名也。故不敢。武子曰。吾知免矣。郤伯見公曰。子之力也夫。對曰。君之訓也。二三子之力也。臣何力之有焉。范叔見。勞之如郤伯。對曰。庚所命也。克之制也。燮何力之有焉。欒伯見。公亦如之。對曰。燮之詔也。士用命也。書何力之有焉。宣公使求好于楚。莊王卒。宣公薨。不克作好。公即位。受盟于晉。會晉伐齊。衛人不行使于楚。而亦受盟于晉。從於伐齊。故楚令尹子重為陽橋之役以救齊。將起師。子重曰。君弱。群臣不如先大夫。師眾而後可。詩曰。濟濟多士。文王以寧。夫文王猶用眾。況吾儕乎。且先君莊王屬之曰。無德以及遠方。莫如惠恤其民而善用之。乃大戶。已責。逮鰥。救乏。赦罪。悉師。王卒盡行。彭名御戎。蔡景公為左。許靈公為右。二君弱。皆強冠之。

冬。楚師侵衛。遂侵我師于蜀。使臧孫往。辭曰。楚遠而久。固將退矣。無功而受名。臣不敢。楚侵及陽橋。孟孫請往賂之。以執斲執鍼織紝。皆百人。公衡為質。以請盟。楚人許平。

十一月。公及楚公子嬰齊。蔡侯。許男。秦右大夫說。宋華元。陳公孫寧。衛孫良夫。鄭公子去疾。及齊國之大夫。盟于蜀。卿不書匱盟也。於是乎畏晉而竊與楚盟。故曰匱盟。蔡侯許男不書。乘楚車也。謂之失位。君子曰。位其不可不慎也乎。蔡許之君。一失其位。不得列於諸侯。況其下乎。詩曰。不解于位。民之攸塈。其是之謂矣。楚師及宋。公衡逃歸。臧宣叔曰。衡父不忍數年之不宴。以棄魯國。國將若之何。誰居。後之人必有任是夫。國棄矣。是行也。晉辟楚。畏其眾也。君子曰。眾之不可已也。大夫為政。猶以眾克。況明君而善用其眾乎。大誓所謂商兆民離。周十人同者。眾也。晉侯使鞏朔獻齊捷于周。王弗見。使單襄公辭焉。曰。蠻夷戎狄。不式王命。淫湎毀常。王命伐之。則有獻捷。王親受而勞之。所以懲不敬。勸有功也。兄弟甥舅。侵敗王略。王命伐之。告事而已。不獻其功。所以敬親暱。禁淫慝也。今叔父克遂有功于齊。而不使命卿鎮撫王室。所使來撫余一人。而鞏伯實來。未有職司於王室。又奸先王之禮。余雖欲於鞏伯。其敢廢舊典以忝叔父。夫齊。甥舅之國也。而大師之後也。寧不亦淫從其欲。以怒叔父。抑豈不可諫誨。士莊伯不能對。王使委於三吏。禮之如侯伯克敵。使大夫告慶之禮。降於卿禮一等。王以鞏伯宴。而私賄之。使相告之曰。非禮也。勿籍。

成公三年

經

三年春。王正月。公會晉侯。宋公。衛侯。曹伯。伐鄭。辛亥。葬衛穆公。

二月。公至自伐鄭。甲子。新宮災。三日哭。乙亥。葬宋文公。

夏。公如晉。鄭公子去疾帥師伐許。公至自晉。

秋。叔孫僑如帥師圍棘。大雩。晉郤克。衛孫良夫。伐廧咎如。

冬。十有一月。晉侯使荀庚來聘。衛侯使孫良夫來聘。丙午。及荀庚盟。丁未。及孫良夫盟。鄭伐許。

傳

三年春。諸侯伐鄭。次于伯牛。討邲之役也。遂東侵鄭。鄭公子偃帥師禦之。使東鄙覆諸鄤。敗諸丘輿。皇戌如楚獻捷。

夏。公如晉拜汶陽之田。許恃楚而不事鄭。鄭子良伐許。晉人歸楚公子穀臣。與連尹襄老之尸于楚。以求知罃。於是荀首佐中軍矣。故楚人許之。王送知罃。曰。子其怨我乎。對曰。二國治戎。臣不才。不勝其任。以為俘馘。執事不以釁鼓。使歸即戮。君之惠也。臣實不才。又誰敢怨。王曰。然則德我乎。對曰。二國圖其社稷。而求紓其民。各懲其忿。以相宥也。兩釋纍囚。以成其好。二國有好。臣不與及。其誰敢德。王曰。子歸何以報我。對曰。臣不任受怨。君亦不任受德。無怨無德。不知所報。王曰。雖然。必告不穀。對曰。以君之靈。纍臣得歸骨於晉。寡君之以為戮。死且不朽。若從君之惠而免之。以賜君之外臣首。首其請於寡君。而以戮於宗。亦死且不朽。若不獲命。而使嗣宗職。次及於事。而帥偏師以脩封疆。雖遇執事。其弗敢違。其竭力致死。無有二心。以盡臣禮。所以報也。王曰。晉未可與爭。重為之禮而歸之。

秋。叔孫僑如圍棘。取汶陽之田。棘不服。故圍之。晉郤克。衛孫良夫。伐廧咎如。討赤狄之餘焉。廧咎如潰。上失民也。

冬。十一月。晉侯使荀庚來聘。且尋盟。衛侯使孫良夫來聘。且尋盟。公問諸臧宣叔曰。中行伯之於晉也。其位在三。孫子之於衛也。位為上卿。將誰先。對曰。次國之上卿。當大國之中。中當其下。下當其上大夫。小國之上卿。當大國之下卿。中當其上大夫。下當其下大夫。上下如是。古之制也。衛在晉。不得為次國。晉為盟主。其將先之。丙午。盟晉。丁未。盟衛。禮也。

十二月。甲戌。晉作六軍。韓厥。趙括。鞏朔。韓穿。荀騅。趙旃。皆為卿。賞鞍之功也。齊侯朝于晉。將授玉。郤克趨進曰。此行也。君為婦人之笑辱也。寡君未之敢任。晉侯享齊侯。齊侯視韓厥。韓厥曰。君知厥也乎。齊侯曰。服改矣。韓厥登舉爵曰。臣之不敢愛死。為兩君之在此堂也。荀罃之在楚也。鄭賈人有將窴諸褚中以出。既謀之。未行。而楚人歸之。賈人如晉。荀罃善視之。如實出已。賈人曰。吾無其功。敢有其實乎。吾小人。不可以厚誣君子。遂適齊。

成公四年

經

四年春。宋公使華元來聘。

三月。壬申。鄭伯堅卒。杞伯來朝。

夏。四月。甲寅。臧孫許卒。公如晉。葬鄭襄公。

秋。公至自晉。

冬。城鄆。鄭伯伐許。

傳

四年春。宋華元來聘。通嗣君也。杞伯來朝。歸叔姬故也。

夏。公如晉。晉侯見公不敬。季文子曰。晉侯必不免。詩曰。敬之敬之。天惟顯思。命不易哉。夫晉侯之命。在諸侯矣。可不敬乎。

秋。公至自晉。欲求成于楚。而叛晉。季文子曰。不可。晉雖無道。未可叛也。國大臣睦。而邇於我。諸侯聽焉。未可以貳。史佚之志有之曰。非我族類。其心必異。楚雖大。非吾族也。其肯字我乎。公乃止。

冬。十一月。鄭公孫申帥師疆許田。許人敗諸展陂。鄭伯伐許。取鉏任泠敦之田。晉欒書將中軍。荀首佐之。士燮佐上軍。以救許。伐鄭。取汜祭。楚子反救鄭。鄭伯與許男訟焉。皇戌攝鄭伯之辭。子反不能決也。曰。君若辱在寡君。寡君與其二三臣。共聽兩君之所欲。成其可知也。不然。側不足以知二國之成。晉趙嬰通于趙莊姬。

成公五年

經

五年春。王正月。杞叔姬來歸。仲孫蔑如宋。

夏。叔孫僑如會晉荀首于穀。梁山崩。

秋。大水。

冬。十有一月。己酉。天王崩。

十有二月。己丑。公會晉侯。齊侯。宋公。衛侯。鄭伯。曹伯。邾子。杞伯。同盟于蟲牢。

傳

五年春。原屏放諸齊。嬰曰。我在。故欒氏不作。我亡。吾二昆其憂哉。且人各有能有不能。舍我何害。弗聽。嬰夢天使謂己祭余。余福女。使問諸士貞伯。貞伯曰。不識也。既而告其人曰。神福仁而禍淫。淫而無罰。福也。祭其得亡乎。祭之之明日而亡。孟獻子如宋。報華元也。

夏。晉荀首如齊逆女。故宣伯餫諸穀。梁山崩。晉侯以傳召伯宗伯。宗辟重。曰。辟傳。重人曰。待我。不如捷之速也。問其所。曰。絳人也。問絳事焉。曰。梁山崩。將召伯宗謀之。問將若之何。曰。山有朽壤而崩。可若何。國主山川。故山崩川竭。君為之不舉。降服。乘縵。徹樂。出次。祝幣。史辭。以禮焉。其如此而已。雖伯宗。若之何。伯宗請見之。不可。遂以告而從之。許靈公愬鄭伯于楚。

六月。鄭悼公如楚訟。不勝。楚人執皇戌及子國。故鄭伯歸。使公子偃請成于晉。

秋。八月。鄭伯及晉趙同盟于垂棘宋公子圍龜為質于楚而歸。華元享之。請鼓譟以出。鼓譟以復入。曰。習攻華氏。宋公殺之。

冬。同盟于蟲牢。鄭服也。諸侯謀復會。宋公使向為人辭以子靈之難。

十一月。己酉。定王崩。

成公六年

經

六年春。王正月。公至自會。

二月。辛巳。立武宮。取鄟。衛孫良夫帥師侵宋。

夏。六月。邾子來朝。公孫嬰齊如晉。壬申。鄭伯費卒。

秋。仲孫蔑。叔孫僑如。帥師侵宋。楚公子嬰齊帥師伐鄭。

冬。季孫行父如晉。晉欒書帥師救鄭。

傳

六年春。鄭伯如晉拜成。子游相。授玉于東楹之東。士貞伯曰。鄭伯其死乎。自棄也已。視流而行速。不安其位。宜不能久。

二月。季文子以鞍之功立武宮。非禮也。聽於人以救其難。不可以立武。立武由己。非由人也。取鄟。言易也。

三月。晉伯宗。夏陽說。衛孫良夫。甯相。鄭人。伊雒之戎。陸渾。蠻氏。侵宋。以其辭會也。師于鍼。衛人不保。說欲襲衛。曰。雖不可入。多俘而歸。有罪不及死。伯宗曰。不可。衛唯信晉。故師在其郊。而不設備。若襲之。是棄信也。雖多衛俘而晉無信。何以求諸侯。乃止。師還。衛人登陴。晉人謀去故絳。諸大夫皆曰。必居郇瑕氏之地。沃饒而近盬。國利君樂。不可失也。韓獻子將新中軍。且為僕大夫。公揖而入。獻子從公立於寢庭。謂獻子曰。何如。對曰。不可。郇瑕氏土薄水淺。其惡易覯。易覯則民愁。民愁則墊隘。於是乎有沈溺重膇之疾。不如新田。土厚水深。居之不疾。有汾澮以流其惡。且民從教。十世之利也。夫山澤林盬。國之寶也。國饒。則民驕佚。近寶。公室乃貧。不可謂樂。公說。從之。

夏。四月。丁丑。晉遷于新田。

六月。鄭悼公卒。子叔聲伯如晉。命伐宋。秋。孟獻子。叔孫宣伯。侵宋。晉命也。楚子重伐鄭。鄭從晉故也。

冬。季文子如晉。賀遷也。晉欒書救鄭。與楚師遇於繞角。楚師還。晉師遂侵蔡。楚公子申。公子成。以申息之師救蔡。禦諸桑隧。趙同。趙括。欲戰。請於武子。武子將許之。知莊子。范文子。韓獻子。諫曰。不可。吾來救鄭。楚師去我。吾遂至於此。是遷戮也。戮而不已。又怒楚師。戰必不克。雖克不令。成師以出。而敗楚之二縣。何榮之有焉。若不能敗。為辱已甚。不如還也。乃遂還。於是軍師之欲戰者眾。或謂欒武子曰。聖人與眾同欲。是以濟事。子盍從眾。子為大政。將酌於民者也。子之佐十一人。其不欲戰者。三人而已。欲戰者可謂眾矣。商書曰。三人占。從二人。眾故也。武子曰。善鈞從眾。夫善。眾之主也。三卿為主。可謂眾矣。從之。不亦可乎。

成公七年

經

七年春。王正月。鼷鼠食郊牛角。改卜牛。鼷鼠又食其角。乃免牛。吳伐郯。

夏。五月。曹伯來朝。不郊猶三望。

秋。楚公子嬰齊帥師伐鄭。公會晉侯。齊侯。宋公。衛侯。曹伯。莒子。邾子。杞伯。救鄭。

八月。戊辰。同盟于馬陵。公至自會。吳入州來。

冬。大雩。衛孫林父出奔晉。

傳

七年春。吳伐郯。郯成。季文子曰。中國不振旅。蠻夷入伐。而莫之或恤。無弔者也。夫。詩曰。不弔昊天。亂靡有定。其此之謂乎。有上不弔。其誰不受亂。吾亡無日矣。君子曰。知懼如是。斯不亡矣。鄭子良相成公以如晉見。且拜師。

夏。曹宣公來朝。

秋。楚子重伐鄭。師于氾。諸侯救鄭。鄭共仲。侯羽。軍楚師。囚鄖公鍾儀。獻諸晉。

八月。同盟于馬陵。尋蟲牢之盟。且莒服故也。晉人以鍾儀歸。囚諸軍府。楚圍宋之役。師還。子重請取於申呂。以為賞田。王許之。申公巫臣曰。不可。此申呂所以邑也。是以為賦。以御北方。若取之。是無申呂也。晉鄭必至于漢。王乃止。子重是以怨巫臣。子反欲取夏姬。巫臣止之。遂取以行。子反亦怨之。及共王即位。子重。子反。殺巫臣之族子閻。子蕩。及清尹弗忌。及襄老之子黑要。而分其室。子重取子閻之室。使沈尹。與王子罷。分子蕩之室。子反取黑要。與清尹之室。巫臣自晉遺二子書曰。爾以讒慝貪惏事君。而多殺不辜。余必使爾罷於奔命以死。巫臣請使於吳。晉侯許之。吳子壽夢說之。乃通吳于晉。以兩之一卒適吳。舍偏兩之一焉。與其射御。教吳乘車。教之戰陳。教之叛楚。寘其子狐庸焉。使為行人於吳。吳始伐楚。伐巢。伐徐。子重奔命。馬陵之會。吳入州來。子重自鄭奔命。子重。子反。於是乎一歲七奔命。蠻夷屬於楚者。吳盡取之。是以始大。通吳於上國。衛定公惡孫林父。冬。孫林父出奔晉。衛侯如晉。晉反戚焉。

成公八年

經

八年春。晉侯使韓穿來言汶陽之田。歸之于齊。晉欒書帥師侵蔡。公孫嬰齊如莒。宋公使華元來聘。

夏。宋公使公孫壽來納幣。晉殺其大夫趙同。趙括。

秋。七月。天子使召伯來賜公命。

冬。十月。癸卯。杞叔姬卒。晉侯使士燮來聘。叔孫僑如會晉士燮。齊人。邾人。伐剡。衛人來媵。

傳

八年春。晉侯使韓穿來言汶陽之田。歸之于齊。季文子餞之。私焉。曰。大國制義。以為盟主。是以諸侯懷德畏討。無有貳心。謂汶陽之田。敝邑之舊也。而用師於齊。使歸諸敝邑。今有二命。曰。歸諸齊。信以行義。義以成命。小國所望而懷也。信不可知。義無所立。四方諸侯。其誰不解體。詩曰。女也不爽。士貳其行。士也罔極。二三其德。七年之中。一與一奪。二三孰甚焉。士之二三。猶喪妃耦。而況霸主。霸主將德是以而二三之。其何以長有諸侯乎。詩曰。猶之未遠。是用大簡。行父懼晉之不遠猶。而失諸侯也。是以敢私言之。

晉欒書侵蔡。遂侵楚。獲申驪。楚師之還也。晉侵沈。獲沈子揖。初從知范韓也。君子曰。從善如流。宜哉。詩曰。愷悌君子。遐不作人。求善也夫。作人斯有功績矣。是行也。鄭伯將會晉師。門于許東門。大獲焉。聲伯如莒。逆也。宋華元來聘。聘共姬也。

夏。宋公使公孫壽來納幣。禮也。晉趙莊姬為趙嬰之亡故。譖之于晉侯。曰。原屏將為亂。欒郤為徵。

六月。晉討趙同。趙括。武從姬氏畜于公宮。以其田與祁奚。韓厥言於晉侯曰。成季之勳。宣孟之忠。而無後。為善者其懼矣。三代之令王。皆數百年保天之祿。夫豈無辟王。賴前哲以免也。周書曰。不敢侮鰥寡。所以明德也。乃立武而反其田焉。

秋。召桓公來賜公命。晉侯使申公巫臣如吳。假道于莒。與渠丘公立於池上。曰。城已惡。莒子曰。辟陋在夷。其孰以我為虞。對曰。夫狡焉思啟封疆。以利社稷者。何國蔑有。唯然。故多大國矣。唯或思或縱也。勇夫重閉。況國乎。

冬。杞叔姬卒。來歸自杞。故書。晉士燮來聘。言伐郯也。以其事吳故。公賂之。請緩師。文子不可。曰。君命無貳。失信不立。禮無加貨。事無二成。君後諸侯。是寡君不得事君也。燮將復之。季孫懼。使宣伯帥師會伐郯。衛人來媵。共姬。禮也。凡諸侯嫁女。同姓媵之。異姓則否。

成公九年

經

九年春。王正月。杞伯來逆叔姬之喪以歸。公會晉侯。齊侯。宋公。衛侯。鄭伯。曹伯。莒子。杞伯。同盟于蒲。公至自會。

二月。伯姬歸于宋。

夏。季孫行父如宋致女。晉人來媵。

秋。七月。丙子。齊侯無野卒。晉人執鄭伯。晉欒書帥師伐鄭。

冬。十有一月。葬齊頃公。楚公子嬰齊帥師伐莒。庚申。莒潰。楚人入鄆。秦人白狄伐晉。鄭人圍許。城中城。

傳

九年春。杞桓公來逆叔姬之喪。請之也。杞叔姬卒。為杞故也。逆叔姬。為我也。為歸汶陽之田。故諸侯貳於晉。晉人懼。會於蒲。以尋馬陵之盟。季文子謂范文子曰。德則不競。尋盟何為。范文子曰。勤以撫之。寬以待之。堅疆以御之。明神以要之。柔服而伐貳。德之次也。是行也。將始會吳。吳人不至。

二月。伯姬歸于宋。楚人以重賂求鄭。鄭伯會楚公子成于鄧。

夏‧季文子如宋致女。復命。公享之。賦韓奕之五章。穆姜出于房。再拜曰。大夫勤辱。不忘先君。以及嗣君。施及未亡人。先君猶有望也。敢拜大夫之重勤。又賦綠衣之卒章而入。晉人來媵。禮也。

秋。鄭伯如晉。晉人討其貳於楚也。執諸銅鞮。欒書伐鄭。鄭人使伯蠲行成。晉人殺之。非禮也。兵交。使在其間可也。楚子重侵陳以救鄭。晉侯觀于軍府。見鍾儀。問之曰。南冠而縶者。誰也。有司對曰。鄭人所獻楚囚也。使稅之。召而弔之。再拜稽首。問其族。對曰。泠人也。公曰。能樂乎。對曰。先父之職官也。敢有二事。使與之琴。操南音。公曰。君王何如。對曰。非小人之所得知也。固問之。對曰。其為大子也。師保奉之。以朝于嬰齊。而夕于側也。不知其他。公語范文子。文子曰。楚囚。君子也。言稱先職。不背本也。樂操土風。不忘舊也。稱大子。抑無私也。名其二卿。尊君也。不背本。仁也。不忘舊。信也。無私。忠也。尊君。敏也。仁以接事。信以守之。忠以成之。敏以行之。事雖大必濟。君盍歸之。使合晉楚之成。公從之。重為之禮。使歸求成。

冬。十一月。楚子重自陳伐莒。圍渠丘。渠丘城惡。眾潰。奔莒。戊申。楚入渠丘。莒人囚楚公子平。楚人曰。勿殺。吾歸而俘。莒人殺之。楚師圍莒。莒城亦惡。庚申。莒潰。楚遂入鄆。莒無備故也。君子曰。恃陋而不備。罪之大者也。備豫不虞。善之大者也。莒恃其陋。而不脩城郭。浹辰之間。而楚克其三都。無備也夫。詩曰。雖有絲麻。無棄菅蒯。雖有姬姜。無棄蕉萃。凡百君子。莫不代匱。言備之不可以已也。秦人白狄伐晉。諸侯貳故也。鄭人圍許。示晉不急君也。是則公孫申謀之曰。我出師以圍許。為將改立君者。而紓晉使。晉必歸君。城中城。書時也。

十二月。楚子使公子辰如晉。報鍾儀之使。請修好結成。

成公十年

經

十年春。衛侯之弟黑背。帥師侵鄭。

夏。四月。五卜郊不從。乃不郊。

五月。公會晉侯。齊侯。宋公。衛侯。曹伯。伐鄭。齊人來媵。丙午。晉侯獳卒。

秋。七月。公如晉。

冬。十月。

傳

十年春。晉侯使糴茷如楚。報大宰子商之使也。衛子叔黑背侵鄭。晉命也。鄭公子班聞叔申之謀。

三月。子如立公子繻。

夏。四月。鄭人殺繻。立髡頑。子如奔許。欒武子曰。鄭人立君。我執一人焉何益。不如伐鄭。而歸其君。以求成焉。晉侯有疾。

五月。晉立大子州蒲以為君。而會諸侯伐鄭。鄭子罕賂以襄鍾。子然盟于脩澤。子駟為質。辛巳。鄭伯歸。晉侯夢大厲。被髮及地。搏膺而踊曰。殺余孫不義。余得請於帝矣。壞大門及寢門而入。公懼。入于室。又壞戶。公覺。召桑田巫。巫言如夢。公曰。何如。曰。不食新矣。公疾病。求醫于秦。秦伯使醫緩為之。未至。公夢疾為二豎子曰。彼良醫也。懼傷我。焉逃之。其一曰。居肓之上。膏之下。若我何。醫至。曰。疾不可為也。在肓之上。膏之下。攻之不可。達之不及。藥不至焉。不可為也。公曰。良醫也。厚為之禮而歸之。

六月。丙午。晉侯欲麥。使甸人獻麥。饋人為之。召桑田巫。示而殺之。將食。張。如廁。陷而卒。小臣有晨夢負公以登天。及日中。負晉侯出諸廁。遂以為殉。鄭伯討立君者。戊申。殺叔申。叔禽。君子曰。忠為令德。非其人猶不可。況不令乎。

秋。公如晉。晉人止公。使送葬。於是糴茷未反。

冬。葬晉景公。公送葬。諸侯莫在。魯人辱之。故不書。諱之也。

成公十一年

經

十有一年春。王三月。公至自晉。晉侯使郤犨來聘。己丑。及郤犨盟。

夏。季孫行父如晉。

秋。叔孫僑如如齊。

冬。十月。

傳

十一年春。王三月。公至自晉。晉人以公為貳於楚。故止公。公請受盟。而後使歸。郤犨來聘。且蒞盟。聲伯之母不聘。穆姜曰。吾不以妾為姒。生聲伯而出之。嫁於齊管于奚。生二子而寡。以歸聲伯。聲伯以其外弟為大夫。而嫁其外妹於施孝叔。郤犨來聘。求婦於聲伯。聲伯奪施氏婦以與之。婦人曰。鳥獸猶不失儷。子將若何。曰。吾不能死亡。婦人遂行。生二子於郤氏。郤氏亡。晉人歸之施氏。施氏逆諸河。沈其二子。婦人怒曰。已不能庇其伉儷而亡之。又不能字人之孤而殺之。將何以終。遂誓施氏。

夏。季文子如晉報聘。且蒞盟也。周公楚惡惠襄之偪也。且與伯與爭政。不勝。怒而出。及陽樊。王使劉子復之。盟于鄄而入。三日。復出奔晉。

秋。宣伯聘于齊。以脩前好。晉郤至與周爭鄇田。王命劉康公單襄公訟諸晉。郤至曰。溫。吾故也。故不敢失。劉子單子曰。昔周克商。使諸侯撫封。蘇忿生以溫為司寇。與檀伯達封于河。蘇氏即狄。又不能於狄。而奔衛。襄王勞文公。而賜之溫。狐氏。陽氏。先處之。而後及子。若治其故。則王官之邑也。子安得之。晉侯使郤至勿敢爭。宋華元善於令尹子重。又善於欒武子。聞楚人既許晉糴茷成。而使歸復命矣。

冬。華元如楚。遂如晉。合晉楚之成。秦晉為成。將會于令狐。晉侯先至焉。秦伯不肯涉河。次于王城。使史顆盟晉侯于河東。晉郤犨盟秦伯于河西。范文子曰。是盟也。何益。齊盟。所以質信也。會所信之始也。始之不從。其何質乎。秦伯歸而背晉成。

成公十二年

經

十有二年春。周公出奔晉。

夏。公會晉侯。衛侯。于瑣澤。

秋。晉人敗狄于交剛。

冬。十月。

傳

十二年春。王使以周公之難來告。書曰。周公出奔晉。凡自周無出。周公自出故也。宋華元克合晉楚之成。

夏。五月。晉士燮會楚公子罷。許偃。癸亥。盟于宋西門之外。曰。凡晉楚無相加戎。好惡同之。同恤菑危。備救凶患。若有害楚。則晉伐之。在晉。楚亦如之。交贄往來。道路無壅。謀其不協。而討不庭。有渝此盟。明神殛之。俾隊其師。無克胙國。鄭伯如晉聽成。會于瑣澤。成故也。狄人間宋之盟以侵晉。而不設備。

秋。晉人敗狄于交剛。晉郤至如楚聘。且蒞盟。楚子享之。子反相。為地室而縣焉。郤至將登。金奏作於下。驚而走出。子反曰。日云莫矣。寡君須矣。吾子其入也。賓曰。君不忘先君之好。施及下臣。貺之以大禮。重之以備樂。如天之福。兩君相見。何以代此。下臣不敢。子反曰。如天之福。兩君相見。無亦唯是一矢以相加遺。焉用樂。寡君須矣。吾子其入也。賓曰。若讓之以一矢。禍之大者。其何福之為。世之治也。諸侯間於天子之事。則相朝也。於是乎有享宴之禮。享以訓共儉。宴以示慈惠。共儉以行禮。而慈惠以布政。政以禮成。民是以息。百官承事。朝而不夕。此公侯之所以扞城其民也。故詩曰。赳赳武夫。公侯干城。及其亂也。諸侯貪冒。侵欲不忌。爭尋常以盡其民。略其武夫。以為己腹心股肱爪牙。故詩曰。赳赳武夫。公侯腹心。天下有道。則公侯能為民干城。而制其腹心。亂則反之。今吾子之言。亂之道也。不可以為法。然吾子主也。至敢不從。遂入卒事。歸以語范文子。文子曰。無禮必食言。吾死無日矣夫。

冬。楚公子罷如晉聘。且蒞盟。

十二月。晉侯及楚公子罷盟于赤棘。

成公十三年

經

十有三年春。晉侯使郤錡來乞師。

三月。公如京師。

五月。公自京師。遂會晉侯。齊侯。宋公。衛侯。鄭伯。曹伯。邾人。滕人。伐秦。曹伯盧卒于師。

秋。七月。公至自伐秦。

冬。葬曹宣公。

傳

十三年春。晉侯使郤錡來乞師。將事不敬。孟獻子曰。郤氏其亡乎。禮。身之幹也。敬。身之基也。郤子無基。且先君之嗣卿也。受命以求師。將社稷是衛。而惰棄君命也。不亡何為。

三月。公如京師。宣伯欲賜。請先使。王以行人之禮。禮焉。孟獻子從。王以為介。而重賄之。公及諸侯朝王。遂從劉康公。成肅公。會晉侯伐秦。成子受脤于社。不敬。劉子曰。吾聞之。民受天地之中以生。所謂命也。是以有動作禮義威儀之則。以定命也。能者養之以福。不能者敗以取禍。是故君子勤禮。小人盡力。勤禮莫如致敬。盡力莫如敦篤。敬在養神。篤在守業。國之大事。在祀與戎。祀有執膰。戎有受脤。神之大節也。今成子惰棄其命矣。其不反乎。

夏。四月。戊午。晉侯使呂相絕秦。曰。昔逮我獻公。及穆公相好。戮力同心。申之以盟誓。重之以昏姻。天禍晉國。文公如齊。惠公如秦。無祿。獻公即世。穆公不忘舊德。俾我惠公。用能奉祀于晉。又不能成大勳。而為韓之師。亦悔于厥心。用集我文公。是穆之成也。文公躬擐甲冑。跋履山川。踰越險阻。征東之諸侯。虞夏商周之胤。而朝諸秦。則亦既報舊德矣。鄭人怒君之疆場。我文公帥諸侯及秦圍鄭。秦大夫不詢于我寡君。擅及鄭盟。諸侯疾之。將致命于秦。文公恐懼。綏靜諸侯。秦師克還無害。則是我有大造于西也。無祿。文公即世。穆為不弔。蔑死我君。寡我襄公。迭我殽地。奸絕我好。伐我保城。殄滅我費滑。散離我兄弟。撓亂我同盟。傾覆我國家。我襄公未忘君之舊勳。而懼社稷之隕。是以有殽之師。猶願赦罪于穆公。穆公弗聽。而即楚謀我。天誘其衷。成王隕命。穆公是以不克逞志于我。穆襄即世。康靈即位。康公我之自出。又欲闕翦我公室。傾覆我社稷。帥我蝥賊。以來蕩搖我邊疆。我是以有令狐之役。康猶不悛。入我河曲。伐我涑川。俘我王官。翦我羈馬。我是以有河曲之戰。東道之不通。則是康公絕我好也。及君之嗣也。我君景公。引領西望曰。庶撫我乎。君亦不惠稱盟。利吾有狄難。入我河縣。焚我箕郜。芟夷我農功。虔劉我邊陲。我是以有輔氏之聚。君亦悔禍之延。而欲徼福于先君獻穆。使伯車來命我景公曰。吾與女同好棄惡。復脩舊德。以追念前勳。言誓未就。景公即世。我寡君是以有令狐之會。君又不祥。背棄盟誓。白狄及君同州。君之仇讎。而我之昏姻也。君來賜命曰。吾與女伐狄。寡君不敢顧昏姻。畏君之威。而受命于吏。君有二心於狄。曰。晉將伐女。狄應且憎。是用告我。楚人惡君之二三其德也。亦來告我曰。秦背令狐之盟。而來求盟于我。昭告昊天上帝。秦三公。楚三王。曰。余雖與晉出入。余唯利是視。不穀惡其無成德。是用宣之。以懲不壹。諸侯備聞此言。斯是用痛心疾首。暱就寡人。寡人帥以聽命。唯好是求。君若惠顧諸侯。矜哀寡人。而賜之盟。則寡人之願也。其承寧諸侯以退。豈敢徼亂。君若不施大惠。寡人不佞。其不能諸侯退矣。敢盡布之執事。俾執事實圖利之。秦桓公既與晉厲公為令狐之盟。而又召狄與楚。欲道以伐晉。諸侯是以睦於晉。晉欒書將中軍。荀庚佐之。士燮將上軍。郤錡佐之。韓厥將下軍。荀罃佐之。趙旃將新軍。郤至佐之。郤毅御戎。欒鍼為右。孟獻子曰。晉帥乘和。師必有大功。

五月。丁亥。晉師以諸侯之師。及秦師戰于麻隧。秦師敗績。獲秦成差。及不更女父。曹宣公卒于師。師遂濟涇。及侯麗而還。迓晉侯于新楚。成肅公卒于瑕。

六月。丁卯。夜。鄭公子班自訾求入于大宮。不能。殺子印。子羽。反軍于市。己巳。子駟帥國人盟于大宮。遂從而盡焚之。殺子如。子駹。孫叔。孫知。

曹人使公子負芻守。使公子欣時逆曹伯之喪。

秋。負芻殺其大子而自立也。諸侯乃請討之。晉人以其役之勞。請俟他年。

冬。葬曹宣公。既葬。子臧將亡。國人皆將從之。成公乃懼。告罪。且請焉。乃反而致其邑。

成公十四年

經

十有四年春。王正月。莒子朱卒。

夏。衛孫林父自晉歸于衛。

秋。叔孫僑如如齊逆女。鄭公子喜帥師伐許。

九月。僑如以夫人婦姜氏至自齊。

冬。十月。庚寅。衛侯臧卒。秦伯卒。

傳

十四年春。衛侯如晉。晉侯強見孫林父焉。定公不可。

夏。衛侯既歸。晉侯使郤犨送孫林父而見之。衛侯欲辭。定姜曰。不可。是先君宗卿之嗣也。大國又以為請。不許。將亡。雖惡之。不猶愈於亡乎。君其忍之。安民而宥宗卿。不亦可乎。衛侯見而復之。衛侯饗苦成叔。甯惠子相。苦成叔傲。甯子曰。苦成家其亡乎。古之為享食也。以觀威儀。省禍福也。故詩曰。兕觥其觩。旨酒思柔。彼交匪傲。萬福來求。今夫子傲。取禍之道也。

秋。宣伯如齊逆女。稱族。尊君命也。

八月。鄭子罕伐許。敗焉。戊戌。鄭伯復伐許。庚子。入其郛。許人平以叔申之封。

九月。僑如以夫人婦姜氏至自齊。舍族。尊夫人也。故君子曰。春秋之稱微而顯。志而晦。婉而成章。盡而不汙。懲惡而勸善。非聖人誰能脩之。衛侯有疾。使孔成子。甯惠子。立敬姒之子衎。以為大子。

冬。十月。衛定公卒。夫人姜氏既哭而息。見大子之不哀也。不內酌飲。歎曰。是夫也。將不唯衛國之敗。其必始於未亡人。烏呼。天禍衛國也。夫吾不獲鱄也。使主社稷。大夫聞之。無不聳懼。孫文子自是不敢舍其重器於衛。盡寘諸戚。而甚善晉大夫。

成公十五年

經

十有五年春。王二月。葬衛定公。

三月。乙巳。仲嬰齊卒。癸丑。公會晉侯。衛侯。鄭伯。曹伯。宋世子成。齊國佐。邾人。同盟于戚。晉侯執曹伯。歸于京師。公至自會。

夏。六月。宋公固卒。楚子伐鄭。

秋。八月。庚辰。葬宋共公。宋華元。出奔晉。宋華元自晉歸于宋。宋殺其大夫山。宋魚石出奔楚。

冬。十有一月。叔孫僑如會晉士燮。齊高無咎。宋華元。衛孫林父。鄭公子鰌。邾人。會吳于鍾離。許遷于葉。

傳

十五年春。會于戚。討曹成公也。執而歸諸京師。書曰。晉侯執曹伯。不及其民也。凡君不道於其民。諸侯討而執之。則曰。某人執某侯。不然則否。諸侯將見子臧於王。而立之。子臧辭曰。前志有之曰。聖達節。次守節。下失節。為君。非吾節也。雖不能聖。敢失守乎。遂逃奔宋。

夏。六月。宋共公卒。楚將北師。子囊曰。新與晉盟而背之。無乃不可乎。子反曰。敵利則進。何盟之有。申叔時老矣。在申。聞之曰。子反必不免。信以守禮。禮以庇身。信禮之亡。欲免得乎。楚子侵鄭。及暴隧。遂侵衛。及首止。鄭子罕侵楚。取新石。欒武子欲報楚。韓獻子曰。無庸。使重其罪。民將叛之。無民孰戰。

秋。八月。葬宋共公。於是華元為右師。魚石為左師。蕩澤為司馬。華喜為司徒。公孫師為司城。向為人為大司寇。鱗朱為少司寇。向帶為大宰。魚府為少宰。蕩澤弱公室。殺公子肥。華元曰。我為右師。君臣之訓。師所司也。今公室卑而不能正。吾罪大矣。不能治官。敢賴寵乎。乃出奔晉。二華。戴族也。司城。莊族也。六官者。皆桓族也。魚石將止華元。魚府曰。右師反必討。是無桓氏也。魚石曰。右師苟獲反。雖許之討。必不敢。且多大功。國人與之。不反。懼桓氏之無祀於宋也。右師討。猶有戌在。桓氏雖亡。必偏。魚石自止華元于河上。請討。許之。乃反。使華喜。公孫師。帥國人攻蕩氏。殺子山。書曰。宋殺大夫山。言背其族也。魚石。向為人。鱗朱。向帶。魚府。出舍於雎上。華元使止之。不可。

冬。十月。華元自止之。不可。乃反。魚府曰。今不從。不得入矣。右師視速而言疾。有異志焉。若不我納。今將馳矣。登丘而望之。則馳聘而從之。則決睢澨。閉門登陴矣。左師。二司寇。二宰。遂出奔楚。華元使向戌為左師。老佐為司馬。樂裔為司寇。以靖國人。晉三郤害伯宗。譖而殺之。及欒弗忌。伯州犁奔楚。韓獻子曰。郤氏其不免乎。善人。天地之紀也。而驟絕之。不亡何待。初。伯宗每朝。其妻必戒之曰。盜憎主人。民惡其上。子好直言。必及於難。

十一月。會吳于鍾離。始通吳也。許靈公畏偪于鄭。請遷于楚。辛丑。楚公子申遷許于葉。

成公十六年

經

十有六年春。王正月。雨木冰。

夏。四月。辛未。滕子卒。鄭公子喜帥師侵宋。

六月。丙寅朔。日有食之。晉侯使欒黶來乞師。甲午。晦。晉侯及楚子。鄭伯。戰于鄢陵。楚子鄭師敗績。楚殺其大夫公子側。

秋。公會晉侯。齊侯。衛侯。宋華元。邾人。于沙隨。不見公。公至自會。公會尹子。晉侯。齊國佐。邾人。伐鄭。曹伯歸自京師。

九月。晉人執季孫行父。舍之于苕丘。

冬。十月。乙亥。叔孫僑如出奔齊。

十有二月。乙丑。季孫行父及晉郤犨盟于扈。公至自會。乙酉。刺公子偃。

傳

十六年春。楚子自武城使公子成。以汝陰之田。求成于鄭。鄭叛晉。子駟從楚子盟于武城。

夏。四月。滕文公卒。鄭子罕伐宋。宋將鉏。樂懼。敗諸汋陂。退舍於夫渠。不儆。鄭人覆之。敗諸汋陵。獲將鉏樂懼。宋恃勝也。

衛侯伐鄭。至于鳴鴈。為晉故也。晉侯將伐鄭。范文子曰。若逞吾願。諸侯皆叛。晉可以逞。若唯鄭叛。晉國之憂。可立俟也。欒武子曰。不可以當吾世而失諸侯。必伐鄭。乃興師。欒書將中軍。士燮佐之。郤錡將上軍。荀偃佐之。韓厥將下軍。郤至佐新軍。荀罃居守。郤犨如衛。遂如齊。皆乞師焉。欒黶來乞師。孟獻子曰。有勝矣。戊寅。晉師起。

鄭人聞有晉師。使告于楚。姚句耳與往。楚子救鄭。司馬將中軍。令尹將左。右尹子辛將右過申。子反入見申叔時。曰。師其何如。對曰。德。刑。詳。義。禮。信。戰之器也。德以施惠。刑以正邪。詳以事神。義以建利。禮以順時。信以守物。民生厚而德正。用利而事節。時順而物成。上下和睦。周旋不逆。求無不具。各知其極。故詩曰。立我烝民。莫匪爾極。是以神降之福。時無災害。民生敦厖。和同以聽。莫不盡力。以從上命。致死以補其闕。此戰之所由克也。今楚內棄其民。而外絕其好。瀆齊盟。而食話言。奸時以動。而疲民以逞。民不知信。進退罪也。人恤所底。其誰致死。子其勉之。吾不復見子矣。姚句耳先歸。子駟問焉。對曰。其行速。過險而不整。速則失志。不整喪列。志失列喪。將何以戰。楚懼不可用也。

五月。晉師濟河。聞楚師將至。范文子欲反。曰。我偽逃楚。可以紓憂。夫合諸侯。非吾所能也。以遺能者。我若群臣輯睦以事君。多矣。武子曰。不可。

六月。晉楚遇於鄢陵。范文子不欲戰。郤至曰。韓之戰。惠公不振旅。箕之役。先軫不反命。邲之師。荀伯不復從。皆晉之恥也。子亦見先君之事矣。今我辟楚。又益恥也。文子曰。吾先君之亟戰也有故。秦狄齊楚皆彊。不盡力。子孫將弱。今三彊服矣。敵楚而已。唯聖人能外內無患。自非聖人。外寧必有內憂。盍釋楚以為外懼乎。甲午。晦。楚晨壓晉軍而陳。軍吏患之。范匄趨進曰。塞井夷灶。陳於軍中而疏行首。晉楚唯天所授。何患焉。文子執戈逐之。曰。國之存亡。天也。童子何知焉。欒書曰。楚師輕窕。固壘而待之。三日必退。退而擊之。必獲勝焉。郤至曰。楚有六間。不可失也。其二卿相惡。王卒以舊。鄭陳而不整。蠻軍而不陳。陳不違晦。在陳而囂。合而加囂。各顧其後。莫有鬥心。舊不必良。以犯天忌。我必克之。

楚子登巢車以望晉軍。子重使大宰伯州犁侍于王後。王曰。騁而左右。何也。曰。召軍吏也。皆聚於中軍矣。曰。合謀也。張幕矣。曰。虔卜於先君也。徹幕矣。曰。將發命也。甚囂且塵上矣。曰。將塞井夷灶而為行也。皆乘矣。左右執兵而下矣。曰。聽誓也。戰乎。曰。未可知也。乘而左右皆下矣。曰。戰禱也。伯州犁以公卒告王。苗賁皇在晉侯之側。亦以王卒告。皆曰。國士在。且厚。不可當也。苗賁皇言於晉侯曰。楚之良。在其中軍王族而已。請分良以擊其左右。而三軍萃於王卒。必大敗之。公筮之。史曰。吉。其卦遇復。曰。南國蹙。射其元。王中厥目。國蹙王傷。不敗何待。公從之。有淖於前。乃皆左右。相違於淖。步毅御晉厲公。欒鍼為右。彭名御楚共王。潘黨為右。石首御鄭成公。唐苟為右。欒范以其族夾公行。陷於淖。欒書將載晉侯。鍼曰。書退。國有大任。焉得專之。且侵官。冒也。失官。慢也。離局。姦也。有三罪焉。不可犯也。乃掀公以出於淖。癸巳。潘尪之黨。與養由基。蹲甲而射之。徹七札焉。以示王。曰。君有二臣如此。何憂於戰。王怒曰。大辱國。詰朝。爾射死藝。呂錡夢射月。中之。退入於泥。占之曰。姬姓。日也。異姓。月也。必楚王也。射而中之。退入於泥。亦必死矣。及戰。射共王中目。王召養由基。與之兩矢。使射呂錡。中項伏弢。以一矢復命。

郤至三遇楚子之卒。見楚子必下。免冑而趨風。楚子使工尹襄問之以弓。曰。方事之殷也。有韎韋之跗注。君子也。識見不穀而趨。無乃傷乎。郤至見客。免冑承命曰。君之外臣至。從寡君之戎事。以君之靈。間蒙甲冑。不敢拜命。敢告不寧。君命之辱。為事之故。敢肅使者。三肅使者而退。

晉韓厥從鄭伯。其御杜溷羅曰。速從之。其御屢顧。不在馬。可及也。韓厥曰。不可以再辱國君。乃止。郤至從鄭伯。其右茀翰胡曰。諜輅之。余從之乘。而俘以下。郤至曰。傷國君有刑。亦止。石首曰。衛懿公唯不去其旗。是以敗於熒。乃內旌於弢中。唐苟謂石首曰。子在君側。敗者壹大。我不如子。子以君免。我請止。乃死。

楚師薄於險。叔山冉謂養由基曰。雖君有命。為國故。子必射。乃射。再發盡殪。叔山冉搏人以役。中車折軾。晉師乃止。囚楚公子茷。欒鍼見子重之旌。請曰。楚人謂夫旌。子重之麾也。彼其子重也。日臣之使於楚也。子重問晉國之勇。臣對曰。好以眾整。曰。又何如。臣對曰。好以暇。今兩國治戎。行人不使。不可謂整。臨事而食言。不可謂暇。請攝飲焉。公許之。使行人執榼承飲。造于子重曰。寡君乏使。使鍼御持矛。是以不得犒從者。使某攝飲。子重曰。夫子嘗與吾言於楚。必是故也。不亦識乎。受而飲之。免使者而復鼓。

旦而戰。見星未已。子反命軍吏察夷傷。補卒乘。繕甲兵。展車馬。雞鳴而食。唯命是聽。晉人患之。苗賁皇徇曰。蒐乘補卒。秣馬利兵。脩陳固列。蓐食申禱。明日復戰。乃逸楚囚。王聞之。召子反謀。穀陽豎獻飲於子反。子反醉而不能見。王曰。天敗楚也夫。余不可以待。乃宵遁。晉入楚軍。三日穀。范文子立於戎馬之前。曰。君幼。諸臣不佞。何以及此。君其戒之。周書曰。惟命不于常。有德之謂。楚師還。及瑕。王使謂子反曰。先大夫之覆師徒者。君不在。子無以為過。不穀之罪也。子反再拜稽首曰。君賜臣死。死且不朽。臣之卒實奔。臣之罪也。子重復謂子反曰。初隕師徒者。而亦聞之矣。盍圖之。對曰。雖微先大夫有之。大夫命側。側敢不義。側亡君師。敢忘其死。王使止之。弗及而卒。戰之日。齊國佐。高無咎。至于師。衛侯出于衛。公出于壞隤。

宣伯通於穆姜。欲去季孟。而取其室。將行。穆姜送公。而使逐二子。公以晉難告。曰。請反而聽命。姜怒。公子偃。公子鉏。趨過指之曰。女不可。是皆君也。公待於壞隤。申宮儆備。設守而後行。是以後。使孟獻子守于公宮。

秋。會干沙隨。謀伐鄭也。宣伯使告郤犨曰。魯侯待于壞隤。以待勝者。郤犨將新軍。且為公族大夫。以主東諸侯。取貨于宣伯。而訴公于晉侯。晉侯不見公。曹人請于晉曰。自我先君宣公即位。國人曰。若之何。憂猶未弭。而又討我寡君。以亡曹國社稷之鎮公子。是大泯曹也。先君無乃有罪乎。若有罪。則君列諸會矣。君唯不遺德刑。以伯諸侯。豈獨遺諸敝邑。敢私布之。

七月。公會尹武公。及諸侯伐鄭。將行。姜又命公如初。公又申守而行。諸侯之師。次于鄭西。我師次于督揚。不敢過鄭。子叔聲伯使叔孫豹請逆于晉師。為食於鄭郊。師逆以至。聲伯四日不食以待之。食使者。而後食。諸侯遷于制田。知武子佐下軍。以諸侯之師侵陳。至于鳴鹿。遂侵蔡未反。諸侯遷于潁上。戊午。鄭子罕宵軍之宋齊。衛皆失軍。曹人復請于晉。晉侯謂子臧。反。吾歸而君。子臧反。曹伯歸。子臧盡致其邑與卿。而不出。宣伯使告郤犨曰。魯之有季孟。猶晉之有欒范也。政令於是乎成。今其謀曰。晉政多門。不可從也。寧事齊楚。有亡而已。蔑從晉矣。若欲得志於魯。請止行父而殺之。我斃蔑也。而事晉。蔑有貳矣。魯不貳。小國必睦。不然。歸必叛矣。

九月。晉人執季文子于苕丘。公還。待于鄆。使子叔聲伯請季孫于晉。郤犨曰。苟去仲孫蔑而止季孫行父。吾與子國。親於公室。對曰。僑如之情。子必聞之矣。若去蔑與行父。是大棄魯國。而罪寡君也。若猶不棄。而惠徼周公之福。使寡君得事晉君。則夫二人者。魯國社稷之臣也。若朝亡之。魯必夕亡。以魯之密邇仇讎。亡而為讎。治之何及。郤犨曰。吾為子請邑。對曰。嬰齊。魯之常隸也。敢介大國。以求厚焉。承寡君之命以請。若得所請。吾子之賜多矣。又何求。范文子謂欒武子曰。季孫於魯。相二君矣。妾不衣帛。馬不食粟。可不謂忠乎。信讒慝而棄忠良。若諸侯何。子叔嬰齊奉君命無私。謀國家不貳。圖其身不忘其君。若虛其請。是棄善人也。子其圖之。乃許魯平。赦季孫。

冬。十月。出叔孫僑如而盟之。僑如奔齊。

十二月。季孫及郤犨盟于扈。歸刺公子偃。召叔孫豹于齊而立之。齊聲孟子通僑如。使立於高國之閒。僑如曰。不可以再罪。奔衛。亦閒於卿。晉侯使郤至獻楚捷于周。與單襄公語。驟稱其伐。單子語諸大夫曰。溫季其亡乎。位於七人之下。而求掩其上。怨之所聚。亂之本也。多怨而階亂。何以在位。夏書曰。怨豈在明。不見是圖。將慎其細也。今而明之。其可乎。

成公十七年

經

十有七年春。衛北宮括帥師侵鄭。

夏。公會尹子。單子。晉侯。齊侯。宋公。衛侯。曹伯。邾人。伐鄭。

六月。乙酉。同盟于柯陵。

秋。公至自會。齊高無咎出奔莒。

九月。辛丑。用郊。晉侯使荀罃來乞師。

冬。公會單子。晉侯。宋公。衛侯。曹伯。齊人。邾人。伐鄭。十有一月。公至自伐鄭。壬申。公孫嬰卒于貍脤。十有二月丁已朔。日有食之。邾子貜且卒。晉殺其大夫郤錡。郤犨。郤至。楚人滅舒庸。

傳

十七年春。王正月。鄭子駟侵晉虛滑。衛北宮括救晉侵鄭。至于高氏。

夏。五月。鄭大子髡。頑侯獳。為質於楚。楚公子成。公子寅。戍鄭。公會尹武公。單襄公。及諸侯伐鄭。自戲童至于曲洧。晉范文子反自鄢陵。使其祝宗祈死曰。君驕侈而克敵。是天益其疾也。難將作矣。愛我者唯祝我使我速死。無及於難。范氏之福也。

六月。戊辰。士燮卒。乙酉。同盟于柯陵。尋戚之盟也。楚子重救鄭師于首止。諸侯還。齊慶克通于聲孟子。與婦人蒙衣乘輦。而入于閎。鮑牽見之。以告國武子。武子召慶克而謂之。慶克久不出。而告夫人曰。國子謫我。夫人怒。國子相靈公以會高鮑。處守及還。將至。閉門而索客。孟子訴之曰。高鮑將不納君而立公子角。國子知之。

秋。七月。壬寅。刖鮑牽而逐高無咎。無咎奔莒。高弱以盧叛。齊人來召鮑國而立之。初。鮑國去鮑氏而來。為施孝叔臣。施氏卜宰。匡句須吉。施氏之宰。有百室之邑與匡句須邑。使為宰以讓鮑國而致邑焉。施孝叔曰。子實吉。對曰。能與忠良。吉孰大焉。鮑國相施氏忠。故齊人取以為鮑氏。後仲尼曰。鮑莊子之知不如葵。葵猶能衛其足。

冬。諸侯伐鄭。

十月。庚午。圍鄭。楚公子申救鄭。師于汝上。

十一月。諸侯還。初。聲伯夢涉洹。或與己瓊瑰食之。泣而為瓊瑰。盈其懷。從而歌之曰。濟洹之水。贈我以瓊瑰。歸乎歸乎。瓊瑰盈吾懷乎。懼不敢占也。還自鄭。壬申。至于貍脤而占之。曰。余恐死。故不敢占也。今眾繁而從余三年矣。無傷也。言之之莫而卒。齊侯使崔杼為大夫。使慶克佐之。帥師圍盧。國佐從諸侯圍鄭。以難請而歸。遂如盧師。殺慶克以穀叛。齊侯與之盟于徐關而復之。

十二月。盧降。使國勝告難于晉。待命于清。晉厲公侈。多外嬖。反自鄢陵。欲盡去群大夫而立其左右。胥童以胥克之廢也。怨郤氏。而嬖於厲公。郤錡奪夷陽五田。五亦嬖於厲公。郤犨與長魚矯爭田。執而梏之。與其父母妻子同一轅。既矯。亦嬖於厲公。欒書怨郤至。以其不從己而敗楚師也。欲廢之。使楚公子茷告公曰。此戰也。郤至實召寡君。以東師之未至也。與軍帥之不具也。曰此必敗。吾因奉孫周以事君。公告欒書。書曰。其有焉。不然。豈其死之不恤。而受敵使乎。君盍嘗使諸周而察之。郤至聘于周。欒書使孫周見之。公使覘之信。遂怨郤至。厲公田。與婦人先殺而飲酒。後使大夫殺。郤至奉豕。寺人孟張奪之。郤至。射而殺之。公曰。季子欺余。厲公將作難。胥童曰。必先三郤。族大多怨。去大族不偪。敵多怨有庸。公曰。然郤氏聞之。郤錡欲攻公。曰雖死。君必危。郤至曰。人所以立。信知勇也。信不叛君。知不害民。勇不作亂。失茲三者。其誰與我。死而多怨。將安用之。君實有臣而殺之。其謂君何。我之有罪。吾死後矣。若殺不辜。將失其民。欲安得乎。待命而已。受君之祿。是以聚黨。有黨而爭命。罪孰大焉。壬午。胥童。夷羊五。帥甲八百。將攻郤氏。長魚矯請無用眾。公使清沸魋助之。抽戈結衽而偽訟者。三郤將謀於榭。矯以戈殺駒伯苦成叔於其位。溫季曰。逃威也。遂趨。矯及諸其車。以戈殺之。皆尸諸朝。胥童以甲劫欒書中行偃於朝。矯曰。不殺二子。憂必及君。公曰。一朝而尸三卿。余不忍益也。對曰。人將忍君。臣聞亂在外為姦。在內為軌。御姦以德。御軌以刑。不施而殺。不可謂德。臣偪而不討。不可謂刑。德刑不立。姦軌並至。臣請行。遂出奔狄。公使辭於二子曰。寡人有討於郤氏。郤氏既伏其辜矣。大夫無辱。其復職位。皆再拜稽首曰。君討有罪而免臣於死。君之惠也。二臣雖死。敢忘君德。乃皆歸。公使胥童為卿。公遊于匠麗氏。欒書。中行偃。遂執公焉。召士匄。士匄辭。召韓厥。韓厥辭。曰。昔吾畜於趙氏。孟姬之讒。吾能違兵。古人有言曰。殺老牛莫之敢尸。而況君乎。二三子不能事君。焉用厥也。舒庸人以楚師之敗也。道吳人圍巢。伐駕。圍釐虺。遂恃吳而不設備。楚公子橐師襲舒庸。滅之。

閏月。乙卯。晦。欒書中行偃殺胥童。民不與郤氏。胥童道君為亂。故皆書曰。晉殺其大夫。

成公十八年

經

十有八年春。王正月。晉殺其大夫胥童。庚申。晉弒其君州蒲。齊殺其大夫國佐。公如晉。

夏。楚子。鄭伯。伐宋。宋魚石復入于彭城。公至自晉。晉侯使士匄來聘。

秋。杞伯來朝。

八月。邾子來朝。築鹿囿。己丑。公薨于路寢。

冬。楚人鄭人侵宋。晉侯使士魴來乞師。

十有二月。仲孫蔑會晉侯。宋公。衛侯。邾子。齊崔杼。同盟于虛朾。丁未。葬我君成公。

傳

十八年春。王正月。庚申。晉欒書。中行偃。使程滑弒厲公。葬之于翼東門之外。以車一乘。使荀罃。士魴。逆周子于京師而立之。生十四年矣。大夫逆于清原。周子曰。孤始願不及此。雖及此。豈非天乎。抑人之求君。使出命也。立而不從將安用君。二三子用我今日。否亦今日。共而從君。神之所福也。對曰。群臣之願也。敢不唯命是聽。庚午。盟而入。館于伯子同氏辛巳。朝于武宮。逐不臣者七人。周子有兄而無慧。不能辨菽麥。故不可立。齊為慶氏之難故。甲申晦。齊侯使士華免以戈殺國佐于內宮之朝。師逃于夫人之宮。書曰。齊殺其大夫國佐。棄命專殺。以穀叛故也。使清人殺國勝。國弱來奔。王湫奔萊。慶封為大夫。慶佐為司寇。既。齊侯反國弱。使嗣國氏。禮也。

二月。乙酉朔。晉侯悼公即位于朝。始命百官。施舍己責。逮鰥寡。振廢滯。匡乏困。救災患。禁淫慝。薄賦斂。宥罪戾。節器用。時用民。欲無犯。時使魏相。士魴。魏頡。趙武為卿。荀家。荀會。欒黶。韓無忌為公族大夫。使訓卿之子弟。共儉孝弟。使士渥濁為大傅。使脩范武子之法。右行辛為司空。使脩士蒍之法。弁糾御戎。校正屬焉。使訓諸御知義。荀賓為右。司士屬焉。使訓勇力之士。時使卿無共御。立軍尉以攝之。祁奚為中軍尉。羊舌職佐之。魏絳為司馬。張老為候奄。鐸遏寇為上軍尉。籍偃為之司馬。使訓卒乘。親以聽命。程鄭為乘馬御。六騶屬焉。使訓群騶知禮。凡六官之長。皆民譽也。舉不失職。官不易方。爵不踰德。師不陵正。旅不偪師。民無謗言。所以復霸也。公如晉。朝嗣君也。

夏。六月。鄭伯侵宋。及曹門外。遂會楚子伐宋。取朝郟。楚子辛。鄭皇辰。侵城郜。取幽丘。同伐彭城。納宋魚石。向為人。鱗朱。向帶。魚府焉。以三百乘戍之而還。書曰復入。凡去其國。國逆而立之曰入。復其位曰復歸。諸侯納之曰歸。以惡曰復入。宋人患之。西鉏吾曰。何也。若楚人與吾同惡。以德於我。吾固事之也。不敢貳矣。大國無厭。鄙我猶憾。不然。而收吾憎。使贊其政。以間吾釁。亦吾患也。今將崇諸侯之姦。而披其地。以塞夷庚。逞姦而攜服。毒諸侯而懼吳晉。吾庸多矣。非吾憂也。且事晉何為。晉必恤之。公至自晉。晉范宣子來聘。且拜朝也。君子謂晉於是乎有禮。

秋。杞桓公來朝。勞公。且問晉故。公以晉君語之。杞伯於是驟朝于晉。而請為昏。

七月。宋老佐。華喜。圍彭城。老佐卒焉。八月。邾宣公來朝。即位而來見也。築鹿囿。書不時也。己丑。公薨于路寢。言道也。

冬‧十一月。楚子重救彭城伐宋。宋華元如晉告急。韓獻子為政。曰。欲求得人。必先勤之。成霸安彊。自宋始矣。晉侯師于台谷以救宋。遇楚師于靡角之谷。楚師還。晉士魴來乞師。季文子問師數於臧武仲。對曰。伐鄭之役。知伯實來。下軍之佐也。今彘季亦佐下軍。如伐鄭可也。事大國無失班爵。而加敬焉禮也。從之。

十二月。孟獻子會于虛朾。謀救宋也。宋人辭諸侯。而請師以圍彭城。孟獻子請于諸侯而先歸會葬。丁未。葬我君成公。書順也。

Source Colophon

The Chinese text follows the Chinese Wikisource transcription of the Zuo Commentary for the reign of Duke Cheng (article 春秋左氏傳 成公, revision of 8 March 2024), inspected from a witness copy captured on 22 August 2026. Chinese Wikisource transcriptions are published under CC BY-SA 4.0 and the GFDL; the text itself is ancient and in the public domain. The wiki header and license templates have been removed; the text is otherwise complete and unaltered.

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