Chapter 16: The Journey of the Jin State

After the hegemony of the Qi state came to an end, the Chu state, which had previously rivaled Qi, began to emerge as its potential successor. Not only did the Zheng state, which had defected to Chu during the reign of Duke Huan of Qi, once again lean toward Chu, but smaller states that had long wavered between Qi and Chu—such as Chen and Cai—also aligned themselves with Chu. Even Qi itself entered into an alliance with Chu. Duke Xiang of Song, observing the growing strength of Chu, failed to grasp the reality of the situation. Instead, he invited both Qi and Chu to a conference at Lushang, declaring his intention to convene a grand meeting of the feudal lords in the autumn at Yu and requesting the support of both states for his own rise to hegemony.

Surprisingly, the rising power of Chu agreed to Duke Xiang’s request. At the time, Qi’s national strength was in decline, forcing it to follow Chu’s lead; furthermore, as Duke Xiao of Qi had been installed by Duke Xiang, he was more inclined to support him, leading the three states to reach a consensus on the autumn conference. Gongzi Muyi, the Sima (Minister of War) of Song, perceived the underlying danger and sighed, "Song is a small state attempting to seize the position of leader of the alliance; this is the root of calamity. Song is doomed to perish!"

When autumn arrived, Duke Xiang prepared to attend the conference at Yu, intending to honor the previous agreement by traveling without an army. Gongzi Muyi urged him, "Chu is a land of barbarians; though powerful, they have never valued integrity. It would be better to bring troops for protection." Duke Xiang, holding up the banner of integrity, replied, "We have already agreed not to bring an army; how could I lose faith with the feudal lords?" Thus, Duke Xiang departed without an army, truly suffering the consequences of ignoring his advisor’s counsel.

Full of the joy of an impending hegemon, Duke Xiang arrived at Yu only to find that the rulers of Chu, Zheng, Chen, Cai, Cao, and Xu had all arrived, but Duke Xiao of Qi, who was more supportive of him, was absent. As Duke Xiang attempted to command the lords with the air of a hegemon—just as Duke Huan of Qi had done in the past—King Cheng of Chu issued a single command, and the warriors of Chu swarmed forward to capture him.

Seeing his ruler seized and lacking an army to rescue him, Gongzi Muyi fled back to Song to deliver the news. The ministers of Song, believing that Chu would use Duke Xiang as a hostage to force their submission, concluded that the only way to resist the threat was to install a new ruler. As Gongzi Muyi was the eldest son of Duke Huan of Song and the elder brother of Duke Xiang, the ministers unanimously urged him to take the throne.

Before long, the army of Chu arrived, holding Duke Xiang hostage to attack Song. Upon arrival, they discovered that under the leadership of Gongzi Muyi, Song had bolstered its defenses and was prepared for resistance, making it difficult to conquer. The Chu forces threatened, "If you do not open the gates and surrender immediately, we shall kill your ruler." The people of Song replied coldly, "We already have a new ruler; we shall never surrender!" Seeing that the defenses were impenetrable and that the threat to Duke Xiang’s life was ineffective, the Chu forces released him and retreated.

Knowing that Gongzi Muyi had become the ruler, Duke Xiang did not dare return home after regaining his freedom and instead went into exile in the state of Wei. Gongzi Muyi sent men to find him, saying, "I held the state of Song for you, my lord. Now that you are safe, why do you not return?" He then welcomed Duke Xiang back to Song and allowed him to resume his reign.

Upon his return, Duke Xiang did not reflect on his behavior, but rather harbored deep resentment toward Chu, though he lacked the military strength to attack it. When the ruler of Zheng visited Chu to pay homage to the King, Duke Xiang gathered the armies of Wei, Xu, and Teng to attack Zheng as a show of force against Chu. Zheng immediately appealed to Chu for aid.

At the height of its power, Chu would not tolerate such provocation from a tiny state like Song. It dispatched a large army to assist Zheng. Disdaining to engage the Song forces in Zheng, the Chu army marched directly to Song and launched an attack. As Duke Xiang prepared his army for a decisive battle, the Grand Minister Gongsun Gu advised, "Heaven has long abandoned the Shang lineage. If you persist in defying the will of Heaven to restore the Shang, Heaven will not show mercy." Duke Xiang, by now incapable of listening to reason, made a desperate, all-or-nothing gamble to fight Chu.

In November of the 22nd year of Duke Xi of Lu (638 B.C.), the armies of Song and Chu faced each other at the Hong River (northwest of present-day Zhecheng, Henan). The Song army deployed on the bank, while the Chu army crossed the river to attack. As the Chu forces were mid-crossing, Gongsun Gu said, "The enemy is many and we are few; it is difficult to win. The Chu army is currently crossing the river; please take the opportunity to attack." Duke Xiang refused, stating, "One must not take advantage of others' peril." The Chu army soon crossed the river and began to form ranks on the bank. Gongsun Gu urged him again, "The Chu army has not yet finished deploying; if we strike now, we can still win." Duke Xiang again refused.

Once the Chu army had formed its ranks, it launched the attack. The Song army, unable to withstand the formidable Chu force, quickly collapsed. Duke Xiang, brandishing a spear and urging his chariot forward, attempted to counter-attack, but before he could charge, he was surrounded by Chu soldiers. He was struck by an arrow in the thigh and sustained several other wounds. Only through the desperate fighting of his generals was he rescued. By the time he escaped the battlefield, nine-tenths of Song’s chariots were lost, all weapons and provisions had been abandoned, and the soldiers were dead, wounded, or scattered in total disarray.

Back in the city, everyone blamed Duke Xiang. Yet, he remained unrepentant, arguing, "A gentleman possesses the virtue of benevolence. The ancient rules of war dictate that one does not attack an injured enemy, does not capture an old soldier with gray hair, and does not gain victory by exploiting narrow passes or difficult terrain. Though our state’s military power is not great, we still uphold the principle of not attacking until the drums have sounded."

Gongzi Muyi indignantly rebuked him: "You do not understand the meaning of war at all! That the enemy could not form ranks before the narrow pass was Heaven helping us; what is wrong with striking them in a difficult position? Once in battle, the opposing army is the enemy of our state; what concern is there for capturing or killing the elderly? We teach our troops to be loyal, patriotic, and courageous to kill the enemy; if one pities a wounded enemy, it would be better not to wound them at all. If one pities the elderly, one might as well surrender immediately. The most important thing in warfare is the spirit of the army; drums are used to bolster morale. As long as morale is high, one should beat the drums and advance, regardless of whether the terrain is difficult or not."

It can be said that Duke Xiang single-handedly destroyed Song’s path to hegemony.

Following this crushing defeat, Song was left critically weakened, losing its last remaining capital for dominance. The following year, Qi seized the opportunity to kick them while they were down, using Song’s absence from a Qi-led alliance as a pretext to launch a massive invasion, besieging the city of Min. Soon after, the wound in Duke Xiang’s leg recurred, and despite treatment, he passed away amidst internal turmoil and external threats. All of Song’s arrogant ambitions and illusory prosperity vanished with the death of the ruler who prided himself on "benevolence and righteousness."

The hegemony of Qi had ceased abruptly with the death of Duke Huan, and Duke Xiang’s dream of dominance had been extinguished at the Battle of the Hong River. Yet, the lords of the Central Plains would not remain leaderless for long; a rising state—Jin—was about to play a major role on the stage of history.

The state of Jin originated from Tang Shu Yu, the younger brother of King Cheng of Zhou.

According to the *Records of the Grand Historian*, King Wu of Zhou once dreamed that the Heavenly Emperor would bestow a son upon him named Yu. The *Zuo Zhuan* records: "Yi Jiang was pregnant with the Grand Uncle." Historical research indicates that Yi Jiang was the daughter of Jiang Ziya (Lü Shang) and a consort of King Wu of Zhou. She once dreamed that Heaven said to her, "I command you to bear a son and name him Yu; I grant him Tang." Shortly after, she gave birth to a son with the character "Yu" imprinted on his palm—the future Tang Shu Yu. After King Wu passed away and the young King Cheng ascended, the King was playing with Yu one day and tore a leaf from a paulownia tree into the shape of a jade tablet, jokingly promising to enfeoff him as the ruler of Tang. The court historian, citing that a monarch’s words are not jokes, immediately demanded that carriages and horses be prepared for Yu to take up his post in Tang. This is the origin of Tang Shu Yu.

Tang Shu Yu’s son, Marquis Xie of Jin, moved the capital to the Jin River and renamed the state from Tang to Jin. It was not until the time of Marquis Jing of Jin, five generations later, that the history of Jin began to be recorded with accuracy. By then, the world was in upheaval, with civil unrest and instability, and it was in this era that the state of Jin began its rise.

Marquis Mu of Jin, the great-grandson of Marquis Jing, had two sons: the elder named Chou and the younger named Shi. It is said that the Jin official Shi Fu once predicted that the names of the two sons, being reversed in order of legitimate succession, signaled that Jin would face turmoil. After Marquis Mu died, his younger brother, Shang Shu, usurped the throne, and the Crown Prince Chou fled; the internal strife had begun. Chou was the future Marquis Wen of Jin. At this time, Western Zhou was destroyed by the Quanrong, and Chinese history officially entered the Spring and Autumn period.

The *Records of the Grand Historian* state: "During the time of King Ping, the Zhou royal house declined; the strong feudal lords annexed the weak. Qi, Chu, Qin, and Jin began to grow powerful, and political power shifted to the regional hegemons." Thus, it is evident that Jin had already grown strong by the early Spring and Autumn period. After the death of Marquis Wen, his son, Marquis Zhao (Bo), ascended the throne. Shortly after enfeoffing his uncle Shi in the city of Quwo, turmoil broke out in Jin. Marquis Zhao was murdered, and Gongzi Chengshi attempted to seize power but failed.

After Gongzi Chengshi, his grandson, Duke Wu of Quwo, continued the struggle for control over the main lineage. "Duke Wu of Quwo attacked Marquis Min of Jin, destroyed him, and presented all the captured treasures to King Xi of Zhou. King Xi ordered Duke Wu of Quwo to become the ruler of Jin and ranked him among the feudal lords, whereupon he annexed all the lands of Jin and held them." In the second year of Duke Huan of Lu (710 B.C.), Duke Wu of Quwo led his troops into Jingting, united with it to oppose the main Jin state, and in the spring of the following year, captured Marquis Ai of Jin. However, because he had not yet received formal recognition from the Zhou royal house, Duke Wu—despite his power already far exceeding that of the main Jin state—could not ascend the throne. That year, King Huan of Zhou ordered Guo Zhong to punish Duke Wu of Quwo, and Wu retreated to Quwo.

After twenty-eight years of buildup, Duke Wu of Quwo launched another war against Jin, eventually capturing the capital of Yi and killing the Marquis. Duke Wu presented all the captured treasures of Jin to King Xi of Zhou to legitimize his succession. The Son of Heaven, having accepted the bribes, granted him the title of ruler of Jin—Duke Wu of Jin. It was precisely the efforts of Duke Wu that greatly enhanced the strength of Jin, laying the foundation for its favorable position in the hegemony struggles of the Spring and Autumn period.

After Duke Wu died, his son, Duke Xian of Jin, ascended the throne. By this time, in the east, the power of Duke Huan of Qi was already quite formidable. Duke Xian was a highly capable ruler; under his leadership, Jin expanded its territory, conquering states such as Huo, Wei (not the Wei of the Warring States period, but rather its ancestral land), and Geng. "To the west, it reached the He River, bordering Qin; to the north, it bordered the Di tribes; to the east, it reached the He River interior."

Duke Xian of Jin is best known for his campaign against the Li Rong, during which he took the beautiful Li Ji and her sister as wives. Li Ji later gave birth to a son. The crown prince at the time was Shensheng, and Li Ji sought to have Duke Xian depose the prince in favor of her own son. In addition to Prince Shensheng, Gongzi Chong’er and Gongzi Yiwu were also adult sons of the Duke, possessing fine character and ability, and were deeply loved by the people. Li Ji first arranged for Shensheng to be transferred away from the capital, then schemed to sow discord between the Duke and the prince, leading to Shensheng’s eventual suicide. Fearing that Chong’er and Yiwu would threaten her son, she accused them of conspiring with the prince and urged Duke Xian to have them executed. To escape the catastrophe, Chong’er and Yiwu fled. Soon after, Duke Xian utilized the strategy of "borrowing a path to destroy Guo" to annex the states of Guo and Yu to the south, cementing Jin’s foundation as a major power of the Spring and Autumn period.

After Duke Xian died, Li Ji’s son, Xiqi, ascended the throne but was immediately killed by the minister Li Ke. Eventually, Yiwu returned to Jin with the help of Duke Mu of Qin and became Duke Hui of Jin. Duke Hui subsequently executed Li Ke and launched a bloody purge of many ministers, losing the hearts of the people.

After Duke Hui ascended, a famine struck. Qin provided rice, but the following year, when Qin suffered a famine, Jin returned evil for good, seizing the opportunity to attack Qin. They were defeated and routed, and Duke Hui was captured. The wife of Duke Mu of Qin was the sister of Duke Hui; after her intercession, Qin released Duke Hui, with Crown Prince Yu held as a hostage. Later, Yu fled back to Jin on his own. When Duke Hui died, Prince Yu was installed as Duke Huai of Jin.

Meanwhile, Duke Xian’s son, Chong’er, was still in exile. During his flight, he passed through the state of Wei, hungry and cold, and begged a farmer for food. The farmer gave him a lump of yellow soil. Chong’er was furious, believing the farmer was mocking him, but his attendant, Hu Yan, said: "This is Heaven granting us land! It signifies that the restoration of our state is in sight." Chong’er understood, accepted the soil, and continued on his way. Finally, Heaven did not disappoint those who persevered. In the 24th year of Duke Xi of Lu (636 B.C.), Chong’er received the aid of Qin; Duke Mu of Qin sent Gongsun Zhi to lead three thousand Qin troops to escort Chong’er back to Jin. Because Chong’er already enjoyed great fame and had many supporters within the state, he killed Duke Huai and ascended the throne, becoming Duke Wen of Jin.

According to the *Guoyu*, Duke Wen of Jin worked diligently after his ascension, employing talented officials, governing with clarity, and rewarding and punishing fairly; he was widely recognized as a virtuous ruler. He implemented a series of reforms: "He organized the hundred officials, assigned duties based on merit, abolished heavy levies, and distributed resources to the poor. He rescued the destitute and supported the needy. He lowered tolls and improved roads, promoting commerce and easing the burden on farmers. The government was peaceful, the people prosperous, and wealth was never lacking." Duke Wen’s efforts were crucial to the rise of Jin.

After Duke Wen died, his son, Duke Xiang of Jin, succeeded him. Subsequently, the friendly relations between Qin and Jin were severed. After Duke Xiang’s death, the young and ignorant Duke Ling of Jin ascended the throne. At this time, the strength of Jin began to decline.

Later, Duke Cheng and Duke Jing of Jin ascended the throne. The struggles for hegemony in the Spring and Autumn period were tense; King Zhuang of Chu became the hegemon of the time, and Qi repeatedly provoked Jin. Later, the two armies fought a decisive battle at An, where Jin defeated Qi and reorganized its three armies into six. The commanders of these armies became the Six Ministers who would later dominate the politics of Jin, known as the "Three Armies and Six Ministers."

In 403 B.C., the Son of Heaven of Zhou enfeoffed the houses of Han, Zhao, and Wei as feudal lords, marking the beginning of the Warring States period. Jin existed in name only, and in 349 B.C., the states of Han and Zhao killed the ruler of Jin, and the state perished.

This is the historically famous "Three Families Dividing Jin."